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Take action to restore the UK Government’s international aid commitment

Update: The Speaker of the House of Commons has determined that a vote on the 0.7% aid commitment will not now be held as part of today’s (7 June) parliamentary consideration of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill. However, it looks likely that there will be an emergency Commons debate on the issue, possibly as soon as tomorrow.

Please continue to make your views known to your MP ahead of that debate. Many thanks to everyone who has already contacted their MP about this over the last few days.

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Members of the URC are being urged to write to their MP to ask them to back a restoration of the UK’s international aid budget in a parliamentary vote today. The recent cut in aid, from 0.7% to 0.5% of national income, broke promises made by the government at the last election and to the world’s poorest people. Billions of pounds of funding for international development projects has been slashed, undoubtably costing lives in some of the poorest places of the world.

Knitters knit more than 100 blankets for Malawi charity

Kind-hearted members of Gillingham United Reformed Church (URC), in the Southern Synod, have knitted and crocheted 120 blankets for friends in Malawi.

The church has been supporting Starfish Malawi – a Christian organisation whose mission is to reduce extreme poverty and build the Kingdom of God in lives of children, through collaborative work within communities, schools and churches in the UK and Malawi.

The charity fills a container with anything that is considered to be of value in Malawi, such as educational materials, sewing machines, bicycles, blankets, shoes, clothes, and much more.

Chelmsford CRCWs boost morale of dementia-friendly group during pandemic

In this reflection, Maria J.Y. Lee, a United Reformed Church Related Community Worker (CRCW) based in Chelmsford, talks about the impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable and elderly people who suddenly found themselves isolated due to the pandemic, and how a ray of hope and connection was brought to them.

Maria and her CRCW team support members of 'Good Companions', a dementia-friendly group which benefits people who live with dementia and aims to improve the quality of life for older members of the community. Read about their experience throughout the pandemic:

Before Covid-19, we met on the first and third Wednesday of the month for two-hour sessions and we gathered around 20 people each time. The sessions included dementia-friendly activities, hymns, discussion, fellowship, creative prayers, and a light meal.

Thanksgiving service held for retiring Thames North Moderator

The United Reformed Church marked the retirement of the Revd Dr Andrew Prasad, Moderator of the Thames North Synod, on May 22 with a service of celebration and thanksgiving by Zoom, attended by more than 140 people from around the world.

Andrew, who has served as Moderator since 2008, started his ministry in 1981 with the Church of North India, before moving to the Council for World Mission in 1989. After three years with the Streatham Asian Christian Fellowship from 1999, he became minister of Dulwich Grove and Camberwell Green URCs in 2002.

The service was introduced by the Revd John Campbell.

Reform magazine: June edition

Cover June21 This month in Reform, Steven Tomkins talks to Chine McDonald, author of God is Not a White Man, about race and faith.

Are the sexes equal in church is a question answered by four contributors, Nadia Bolz-Weber offers a prayer for resurrection; now is the perfect time for churches to be creating community gardens; Church Related Community Worker Simon Loveitt tells the story of food justice and financial inclusion in Sheffield; and Andy Jackson shares some tips about how to tell what’s false and what’s genuine on email.