Latest News
Civil partnership threat rejected
The House of Lords has rejected a last-ditch attempt to prevent same-sex civil partnerships being registered on religious premises in England and Wales. The news has been welcomed by representatives of British Quakers, who have been lobbying for a change in the law.
Rise in homelessness expected
Quaker Homeless Action (QHA) are expecting more people than usual to visit their Christmas shelter this year – as a result of government cuts. ‘I suspect that the numbers of people we encounter this Christmas will be up,’ said QHA’s director, Kate Mellor. She expects to see ‘more...
Threat to civil partnerships in religious buildings
Quakers in England and Wales are now able to host same-sex civil partnership ceremonies in their Meeting houses. The legal ban on the use of religious buildings to host the ceremonies was lifted on 5 December.
Occupy spreads to universities
As the ‘Occupy’ movement spreads to universities, at least one protest camp has included several Quakers, a Meeting for Worship and a very visible Quaker banner.
Quaker charity wins national award
A Quaker charity has won a national Plain English Award. The charity, Life in Palestine, is run by six Quaker trustees from across the South Lakes region and received the award, from the Plain English Campaign, for their booklet Children of War.
Planning to retire
Martina Weitsch and Liz Scurfield, joint representatives at the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA), are planning to retire in the autumn of 2012. The QCEA was founded in 1979 and is based in Brussels. It promotes the values of the Religious Society of Friends in a European context and works closely...
Co-ops and peace
Campaigns for economic alternatives should be linked to movements for peace. That’s the message coming from delegates at a world gathering of co-operatives meeting in Cancun, Mexico.
Meeting for Sufferings: Changes at The Retreat
Meeting for Sufferings, which met at Friends House in London on 3 December, heard how changes at The Retreat aim to renew Quaker influence and connect the vision of founder William Tuke with the mental health issues of today.
Meeting for Sufferings: Meetings asked to measure carbon emissions
An important decision has just been taken to help Friends not only ‘talk the talk’ on climate change but to take positive steps to ‘walk the walk’ in addressing it. Quaker Meetings around Britain have been asked to measure their carbon emissions. The request follows a decision by British...
Meeting for Sufferings: News in brief
Meeting for Sufferings Arrangements Group The terms of reference for the Meeting for Sufferings Arrangements Group were presented as they needed to be updated. The assistant recording clerk is now called the ‘deputy recording clerk’ and a change in the way members were appointed was explained. The changes were approved.