Today (22 June 2018) the United Reformed Church joins in the nationwide celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the SS Empire Windrush arriving in Tilbury docks carrying passengers from the Caribbean.

They, along with many others who had arrived by different means, had responded to the British government’s call to assist with post-war reconstruction.

The contributions made by the ‘Windrush generation’ towards British social, cultural and political life has been invaluable and been well documented.

In honour of the arrival of the Windrush, the Revd Dr Michael Jagessar, Secretary for Global and Intercultural Ministries for the URC, introduces a short film entitled 'Longing to Belong: A Windrush generation story', scripted by the Revd Richard Becher, Minister for Broadway URC, East Sussex, and filmed by Kevin Snyman, Mission Enabler for West Midlands Synod.

A group of major Churches is launching a campaign to challenge the government’s approach to illegal immigration, which they say is leading to destitution, discrimination and distrust.

The Baptist Union, the Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church have joined forces to call on the government to review entirely the web of policies that have created the hostile environment. In a new report for church members, Destitution, Discrimination and Distrust: the web of the hostile environment, they set out how aspects of the policies run counter to Christian teaching.

Four churches, who have repeatedly expressed concerns about Universal Credit, have called the findings in a new report by the National Audit Office (NAO) ‘deeply concerning’.

Earlier today (Friday 15 June) the NAO released a report, entitled ‘Rolling out Universal Credit’ which stated the welfare benefit was not value for money and failed to meet its financial objectives.

It is the first official document to take seriously the concerns of claimants and acknowledges the problems they are facing.