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Mothers' Union

Mothers’ Union News

90th anniversary celebrations for St Patrick’s MU

St Patrick’s Mothers’ Union, Ballymena, recently celebrated its 90th anniversary!

Diocesan President Moira Thom joined the party to help Audrey Deacon slice up the anniversary cake at a tea in the church hall following a service of Holy Communion to mark the occasion.

Audrey, one of the longest serving members in the branch, has been a member of the Mothers’ Union for almost 60 years. She was enrolled along with her mother in the new MU at Holy Trinity Parish Church, Lisnaskea, by the rector Canon Farrell, who with help from his mother formed a branch for the women of the parish. Audrey has been a faithful member ever since, holding posts at both branch and area level.

Shop online with MUe!

The Mothers’ Union has launched its new online shop at www.mueshop.org.

Last year, almost half the MU’s community development budget came from the profit on income generated by MUe.

You can buy just about anything, from books and cards to toys and games and jewellery and household items. All with just a click.

New features include a quick search box, the option to shipping to multiple addresses, wishlists, product comparisons, tracking orders through an accounts page, and the opportunity to create product reviews.

MU launches Bye Buy Childhood postcard campaign

The Mothers’ Union is urging people to support its Bye Buy Childhood campaign by lobbying OfCom (UK) and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

As part of its ongoing campaign, the MU has prepared 20,000 Bye Buy Childhood postcards and these are available for parents to send to the two organisations if they feel a programme is unsuitable for viewing by children and teenagers and that it should not be shown before the 9pm watershed.

The campaign was initiated after concern expressed by parents of their experience of the pressures of commercialisation on family life and that marketing with sexualised content is too easily accessible.

The MU is encouraging people to look at the programmes and advertisements through the eyes of a child. Then ask if the content could make them behave in the way portrayed? If the answer is yes, the MU wants the viewer to send a postcard.

Postcards are available from the All– Ireland Office Telephone 00353 1 8735075 or from marketing@mothersunion.ie. The postcards are available to and can be used by everyone and anyone.

A spokesperson said: “The Mothers’ Union does not want the flame of this campaign to go out.”

Bank Holiday marathon fundraiser

The MU team celebrates at the end of the 2011 Belfast Marathon Walk. While some were basking in the sun on the May Day Bank Holiday, members of Connor Mothers’ Union were once again pounding the streets of Belfast.

The ladies took part in the Belfast Marathon Walk on Monday May 2. The marathon is in its 30th year, and attracted more than 21,000 members, and the walk has now become an annual fixture on the Connor MU calendar.

The Connor MU ladies successfully completed the 11 mile route, raising funds for MU projects.

The Connor team was made up of Moira Thom, Liz Wallace, Rena Lindsay, Roslyn Graham, Jean McDonald and Kathleen Rodgers.

Conference on Bye Buy Childhood Campaign is well attended

Mothers’ Union members from across the Diocese of Connor attended a half day conference in Ballymena on the MU’s Bye Buy Childhood campaign.

This took place in St Patrick’s Church Hall on Saturday April 16. The Bye Buy Campaign is aimed at trying to cut the levels of marketing aimed at children.

MU say research shows that 80 per cent of UK parents believe media and marketing with sexualised content is too easily accessed by children, and makes them sexually aware too young. Mothers’ Union believes children should be valued as children, not consumers.

Liz Wallace and Lynne Coleman are pictured at the Enterprise Stall at the launch of the Mid Connor 'Bye Buy' campaign which was in St Patrick's Church Hall, Ballymena The campaign will endeavour to raise awareness of the commercialisation of childhood; empower families to address the influences of the commercial world within the home, and hold the UK Government accountable to its pledge to address the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood as well as lobby political representatives in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Connor MU Diocesan President, Moira Thom, said: “As Mothers’ Union members we want to challenge the negative side of commercialisation, particularly the commercialisation of childhood. We want to raise awareness – offering and modeling alternative Christ–exampled, Christ–led ways of living and responding.”

The conference attracted a good tumout of members from across the Diocese of Connor.

Prayer

Wondrous and loving God
We thank you for all the good things in our lives
And especially we thank you for the time we have shared together.

Amen