Monthly Archives: July 2021

Church Related Community Worker (CRCW) Jo Patterson reflects on the past 18 months and shares her insights on the importance of food and how it has brought communities together in Peckham.

We are in a time of dramatic change where we are supposed to let all the restrictions of the past 18 months go and enjoy our “freedom”. While this is easily said, this change of liberty doesn’t mean freedom for everyone and many are nervous and anxious.

Does this mean we have had our time for Coronavirus? Sadly not.

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Delighted by the response of members of the United Reformed Church (URC) to its “Give Thanks for Your Vaccine” appeal, Commitment for Life provides an update on how the money is being spent.

Since the appeal launched in February, more than £30,000 has been raised through generous donations and distributed to Christian Aid which has been on the ground helping poor and vulnerable communities across the world.

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Shopping can be something of a minefield these days. On a rather infrequent clothes-shopping trip, I found myself unsure whether the pair of cotton trousers made in China had been manufactured using forced labour of Uyghurs. There is no easy … Continue reading →

On the United Nation’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, marked on 30 July, the Joint Public Issues Team launches a new campaign to shine a light on forced labour in the textile industry in Xinjiang province, China.

According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, around 80 brands are “potentially directly or indirectly benefiting” from the forced labour of Uyghur muslins in Xinjiang. This includes Adidas, Nike and Gap.

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Shrewsbury Food Hub has been named one of four community groups in Shropshire to be awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.

The hub was founded in 2016 by Howard Hutchings, a member of Shrewsbury United Reformed Church (URC), Katy Anderson, the Hub’s manager, and Ali Thomas.

During the past year alone, the Hub has delivered around 195,000 meals to members of its community.

It received the QAVS on 7 July.

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At its General Assembly, meeting between July 9-12, the United Reformed Church (URC) agreed to take steps towards developing policy and guidance to help tackle modern-day slavery.

Two resolutions, tabled at the request of the URC West Midlands Synod, centred around a clear denomination-wide policy statement protecting the Church from benefitting from modern-day slavery through direct actions and supply chains; a commitment to educate and inform members about the topic, reflecting the topic in safeguarding policies; and taking adequate steps to screen out from its investments any companies without adequate regard to modern-day slavery.

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The UK Government has updated its guidance on Places of Worship for England: https://bit.ly/3BdYQrz 

The Revd Steve Faber, Moderator of the United Reformed Church’s West Midlands Synod, who has been leading on the church’s advice during the pandemic, says there are no surprises, and offers the edited highlights:  

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As the Governments in England, Scotland and Wales move towards reducing or ending Coronavirus restrictions on Places of Worship, the Synod Moderators offer the following guidance to congregations of the United Reformed Church.

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The chants rose from football fans in England this past weekend. England had reached the finals of the European Championship against Italy, the first time in the final of a major tournament in 55 years. After 120 minutes of regulation … Continue reading →

The United Reformed Church along with the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the Methodist Church have called the UK government’s decision to renege on the UK’s international development commitment unfair, unwise and immoral. 

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