Mothers' Union Diocese of Lichfield

Office at
The Parish Church of St Andrew and St Thomas
Doxey
Stafford
ST16 1EQ

Tel: 01785 227221
Email: mu@lichfield.anglican.org

Registered Charity 249942

Diocesan President - Mrs Elizabeth [Liz] Binsley

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Recent newsletter - Lichfield Beacon - download

About our membership and our diocese

Mothers' Union in the Diocese of Lichfield is organised into 28 deaneries within the four Archdeaconries of Lichfield, Salop, Stoke and Walsall. Each deanery is divided into branches, which coincide with church parishes. Branches generally hold monthly meetings, and events are also held at deanery and diocesan level. Deanery and Diocesan Membership is available where there is no parish branch or if this suits the needs of the member best [information is received by post]; there is one Team Branch. We have approximately 100 branches with a total of 2,500 members.
We have a Mothers' Union group at HMP Drake Hall.

Elections of new officers are held triennially and the last elections were held in 2009, when the President, Trustees, Deanery Leaders and other office holders were elected.

Within the Diocese of Lichfield there are four working units, coinciding with the units of Mothers' Union at Mary Sumner House in London. Each Unit Coordinator reports to the Trustee Board and to Council meetings and this information is then communicated to the members via their branch or deanery leader or via the diocesan members' administrator.

The Diocese of Lichfield is diverse in its many communities across 1700 square miles, from the Welsh border to the West Midlands conurbation, to Tamworth on the Leicester and Birmingham borders and to the Staffordshire Moorlands at the Derbyshire border, including the urban areas of Stoke-on-Trent and parts of the Black Country.
Indeed, all types of community excepting the seaside.

Members support projects in Lichfield which include:
· knitting garments for premature babies in local hospitals
· sending Christmas Cards to over 5,000 prisoners in the nine prisons within the diocese
· helping at several prisons in the visits centres and chaplaincy areas
· providing holidays and short breaks for those under stress through the Away From It All scheme
· supporting projects within their own parishes and branches

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Vision:
Our vision is of a world where God's love is shown through loving, respectful, and flourishing relationships.

Aim & Purpose:
To demonstrate the Christian faith in action by the transformation of communities worldwide through the nurture of the family in its many forms.

Mission: objectives
To promote and support married life
To encourage parents in their role to develop the faith of their children
To maintain a worldwide fellowship of Christians united in prayer, worship and service
To promote conditions in society favourable to stable family life and the protection of children
To help those whose family life has met with adversity

Values:
Mothers' Union is firmly rooted in a voluntary ethos. Its governance, leadership, and programmes are driven by and undertaken through members around the world as they respond to God's call to faith and action.

Beliefs:
We believe in the value of each individual and their unique qualities
We believe in the value of relationships. Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself."
We believe in the value of the family in its many forms as a source of love and support for individuals and the basis for a caring community.

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Trustee Commissioning Service at Lichfield Cathedral on Saturday 30th January 2010
left to right [centre] The Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill Bishop of Lichfield and Liz Binsley Diocesan President
surrounded by the other Trustees and two Diocesan Chaplains

Branch Officers of our newest branch in Wellington

On Saturday 17th January 30 interested ladies met in the vicarage to hear a talk about what Mothers' Union in the 21st century is all about. By lunchtime on the Sunday over 50 ladies aged from 22 to 80+ had expressed an interest in joining the new branch and over 20 had paid their subscription - the group has over 30 members and is still growing.

Members from Penkridge Branch on a visit to Mary Sumner House

Members from St Mary's Branch, Stafford visit Sandon Hall as guests of Lady Harrowby [seated front far right]

Photo taken at Worldwide Council September 2009

Left to right
Noreen Mewies -
Finance and Central Services Coordinator at Mary Sumner House
Reg Bailey - Chief Executive
Rosemary Kempsell - Worldwide President
Joan Pearson - Diocese of Lichfield President 2006-2009
Jean Price - Marketing Coordinator at Mary Sumner House
Sue Egerton - Representative Member on Worldwide Council 2006-2009

In 2010 Noreen will be our diocesan Archdeaconry Vice-President for Walsall, Sue will be our diocesan General Trustee, Jean will be Finance and Central Services Coordinator at Mary Sumner House

The Rt Revd Dr Gordon Mursell, Bishop of Stafford, commissioning some of our diocesan speakers at the AGM in July 2009

Members at Welshampton Branch have just celebrated their centenary