Spring across the Diocese

A beautiful day in March encouraged our members from Tyne to Tweed to celebrate Midday Prayers and then the Cathedral Eucharist with the celebrant The Very Rev Lee Batson. Why don't you join us next month - April 9th- (1 week later than normal because of Easter.)

First Internet branch have bought an outdoor storage unit for Northumberland Refuge, to house the children`s larger toys and small bicycles. The cost of this came from fundraising

We made the National Mothers' Union Facebook Page- #GoodNewsTuesday

A large bag of beautifully hand-knitted baby items has been passed to RVI Maternity, lovingly made by members and friends of Mothers' Union Newcastle. These knits are a practical gift of warmth and comfort, offering care and kindness to new parents and their babies at a special and often vulnerable time.

Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, skills and prayers. Another wonderful example of Mothers’ Union’s commitment to supporting families in simple, meaningful ways. #GoodNewsTuesday

White Ribbon Services 2026

Ponteland White Ribbon service 2025 Our Hexham MP Joe Morris, who I invited to support our White Ribbon service at Ponteland in November, wrote an article for the February ‘Pontnews’. The following is a quote from that article. Sylvia Hickey “I attended the White Ribbon Service at St Mary`s Parish to remember those who have lost their lives to gender-based violence. I was honoured to give a reading and would like to thank Reverend Rosemary New for leading such a moving service, as well as everyone who attended. Tackling violence against women and girls has been a priority for me since my election in July 2024, and I am proud to serve as a patron of Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services”. Joe Morris MP
This year we held two services, one at the Methodist Church in Hexham and one in St Mary`s Ponteland. Both services were supported by some M.U. members working with C.A.D.A. In Hexham we put a small exhibition in the library and also a very poignant display along the park railings close to the Abbey. We were helped with this by the mother of Holly Newton, the teenager stabbed to death in Hexham in January 2023. In Ponteland at my invitation, we were joined by our M.P. Joe Morris who showed his support by reading one of the lessons. In both services an orange rose was laid in tribute to each victim who had died in the previous twelve months as a result of gender based violence. This year there were 105 adults and 2 children to remember On the following Monday we took all the petals from the orange roses and floated them in the river by the Three Mile Inn in Gosforth. This symbolised the victim’s freedom through death. As the petals floated away we prayed that God would grant them the peace they so deserved. A big “thank you” to those M.U. members who supported us by attending a service or reading out the victims’ names or taking part in the prayers and readings. Sylvia Hickey

First Internet Branch Christmas Giving

First Internet Branch have put together a large Mother and Baby Box containing everything needed by a new born baby 0-6 Mths and mother. This is for a women who arrives at the N/Tyneside Refuge and goes into labour within only a few days with nothing either for herself or her new baby. Cost £270, money provided from our fundraising events and donations from Ponteland and St Peters M.U. This box is not a “one off”, it will be replaced when first box is used.

67 complete Christmas Day meals were provided by First Internet Branch for 2 D.A. Refuges. 29 women and 38 children were supported on Christmas Day by this initiative. Thhe image below shows the items ready for collection from Tesco

Christmas Gifts for Marie Curie Hospice

St Bart's Long Benton Branch Hearts and Angels Project

At the request of the Marie Curie Hospice for knitted hearts and angels, a group of willing knitters from St Bart's Mothers' Union (MU), the St Bart's Craft Group and a knitting group in Gosforth produced 60 hearts and 40 angels. These are offered to children and adults using their services and in need of their care. Roz Glenn of St Bart's MU, who co-ordinated the project, kindly delivered the items to the Hospice in time for Christmas, where they were gratefully received by Katy Francis, their Chaplain.

Advent Preparations

Amble Mothers' Union Margaret Riches presented a Long Service certificate to Mrs Sheila Shepherd who celebrates 60 years membership of Mothers Union at a coffee morning

Upper Coquetdale Branch received the Bronze Rise Up award that they completed in October when Melanie from NDAS came to the meetng to share their work . At the Christmas meeting they shared Mince pies and took part in a lighthearted Christmas quiz on the events around Jesus' birth and learnt more about the symbolism of some of the events.

St Cuthberts Blyth held a Christmas Tree Festival and this was the MU tree decorated by the Branch.

Advent Preparations at Holy Nativity included time to hear some inside stories from a survivor of domestic abuse. With the visual help of some of the art and poetry from her book ‘Breaking Though to Freedom’, Talia helped us to see the difficulties of breaking free and the ways in which Jesus Christ can be the shepherd who holds, supports and accompanies a survivor on the journey to freedom. Claire from Changing Lives explained how they offer refuge and support. Fr Wal asserted that churches should be places of sanctuary and understanding where abuse is never tolerated.

White Ribbon Day Service

St Mary's Church Ponteland held the 2nd White Ribbon Service.

The service was organised and presented by Rosemary New, founder of CADA North East. We were encouraged to lay 107 orange roses each representing the life of a woman or child whose life had been lost this year in Domestic Violence at the foot of the altar

No More 1 in 3 Displays

Walk of Witness No More 1 in 3



BROKEN Rise Up display in Newcastle Cathedral for 16 Days of Activism 2025 Those who suffer from gender-based abuse may speak of being ‘broken’. Broken-hearted, broken in spirit, or living in a broken family. They may struggle to understand why God, who promised to free the captives, fails to liberate them. The cross reminds us that Jesus also experienced abuse and brokenness. The cross and other features of the display bear symbols of brokenness, also hopes of breaking free.





St Francis Heaton Display for Rise Up

Hexham Abbey Group In memoriam of June Olliver.

In Memoriam of June Olliver

Hexham Abbey Mothers’ Union group

November is the time of the year when we arrange for flowers to be placed in Hexham Abbey in memory of our dear much missed member, June Olliver, who lost her battle with cancer on 19^th November 2023.

We still miss June’s wonderful enthusiasm and guidance to make Mothers’ Union known more widely. She would have supported the plans to celebrate the MU organisation’s 150^th Anniversary in 2026.

We have placed the flower arrangement in the North Transept chapel alongside the MU Banner, together with some information boards about the work of the MU, locally and internationally.

Next year in June, MU groups from around the Newcastle Diocese will meet for a special celebration service in Newcastle Cathedral. Also, the National Mothers’ Union will hold a service in St. Paul’s Cathedral and a National Gathering in London. Tickets for these are available online.

If you want to know more about Mary Sumner, the founder, or the organisation, please read more on this website or National MU on their websites at: www.munewcastle.org.uk or www.mothersunion.org.

Bag Packing for People's Kitchen 2025

Sweets, Vouchers and Christmas cards came from the North, the East, the West we were delighted.

Holy Nativity Branch Chapel House welcomed us to pack bags providing us with lovely refreshments.

We will add warm hats and warm gloves. The bags will be blessed at the Church house Coffee Morning Friday 28th before being collected by People's Kitchen for distribution.

Autumn Events

Midday Prayers in Newcastle Cathedral where we were joined by Rev Caroline Beckett, vicar of St James, Brightlingsea in Essex. Caroline was doing a three week Pilgrimage from Iona to Lindisfarne and back to St James for the Armistice Service on Sunday. It was lovely to meet her and share our service which was led by Diane Macnaughton and Beth from Spittal.

Holy Nativity Church House branch with knitted items donated by friends, we are very grateful and will pass them on for use in Maternity

Diocesan Members Day Saturday October 18^th 2025.

Seventeen ladies attended our Members Day, sadly only ten of them actual diocesan members, out of the total of fifty-one listed.

Sandy Aynsley from Ponteland led us in a time of prayer and meditation using “The World Community for Christian Meditation”. We began by singing “Be still for the presents of the Lord is moving in this place” followed by quiet music and a short reflection and then 10 mins of complete silence. We all felt spiritually refreshed and uplifted by the time of quiet, so rare in our busy lives. We ended with Midday prayer, our light lunch and time to socialise.

Sylvia Hickey. D.M. Co-ord.

First Internet Branch Music Afternoon Saturday 11^th October

A really fun afternoon was spent in the company of the very entertaining duo of Rev Malcolm Railton and Rev Canon Clare Mc Laren. They shared a mix of jazz, blues and popular songs, interspersed with amusing comments. Their individual musical talents so compliment their performance, they make a really great duo and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. During the interval we enjoyed tea/coffee and cheese scones provided by Ponteland and St Columba`s M.U. members and First Internet themselves. Sadly M.U. support was disappointing but a number of non M.U. folk made up for it, either by being there in person or sending a donation.

The final total raised was a very encouraging £475 all of which will go toward our ongoing work with Harbour Refuges. A huge “thank you” to everyone who supported us.

Sylvia Hickey. B.L.

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