Latest News
Darlington Meeting House goes orange
Darlington Friends lit up their Meeting house in orange last month to mark the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The day, on 25 November, started sixteen days of activism aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls, and concluded on 10 December, Human Rights...
Penzance Citizens’ Panel could be ‘start of something new’
Bring back Sure Start, charge double council tax for second homes and end the five-week wait for first payment for Universal Credit. These are just some of the key recommendations made by the Penzance Citizens’ Panel, which was set up by a Quaker to debate the housing problem.
Lancaster Peace Pole ‘opens new avenues’
The ‘Peace Pole’ unveiled by Lancaster Friends this autumn has ‘opened new avenues’ within the community, according to local Quakers. Ann Morgan, clerk of Lancaster Meeting, told the Friend that the 2.5-metre oak pole installed on 23 October has built bridges with the local Muslim community and nearby schools.
Police should be ‘largest human rights profession’, says QCEA
The Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) has released a new booklet arguing that policing should be reframed so it aspires to be ‘the largest human rights profession’ upholding the rights of everyone. In the booklet Framing Human Policing: Towards a more just public service QCEA makes the case that â€...
Meeting for Sufferings: Young people’s participation
On one occasion in every year Meeting for Sufferings (MfS) meets with, and alongside, the Young People’s Participation Day (YPPD). Young Friends, aged fourteen to eighteen, joined the opening worship before spending the day following their own programme.
Meeting for Sufferings: Quaker Life Central Committee (QLCC)
Most of the morning was taken up with reports from central committees. First, Emma Roberts, clerk of QLCC, spoke to the committee’s report, which offered highlights from the year.
Meeting for Sufferings: Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW)
The QPSW Central Committee report offered a snapshot of QPSW work. This included coverage of the Sanctuary Everywhere programme in support of refugees and migrants, with ninety-eight Meetings becoming Sanctuary Meetings. This programme has ‘had some of the highest Quaker engagement of any QPSW work’, it said, and Meetings are...
Meeting for Sufferings: Quaker World Relations Committee (QWRC)
Ann Floyd, of QWRC, talked about how Britain Yearly Meeting was just one small part of a world family. Quakers around the world shared many concerns – sustainability, privilege, diversity and peace – and there was considerable scope for mutual learning and collaboration. The Turning the Tide project was one good example...
Meeting for Sufferings: Quaker Committee for Christian and Interfaith Relations (QCCIR)
QCCIR had been involved with the biggest recent news story in the Society. Hannah Brock Womack, of Sheffield & Balby Area Meeting, had been selected as a presidential nominee for Churches Together in England (CTE), but her appointment was unacceptable to some other churches in membership of CTE, due to...
London Quakers sleep outside for homelessness
A team of five London Quakers are to swap their duvets for sleeping bags this weekend to sleep on the streets in order to raise awareness of global homelessness. With a target of £4,200 through the Virgin Money Giving website, the team of five Friends will brave the cold of Londonâ€...