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For nearly 150 years Mothers’ Union has worked with communities in the UK and around the world to tackle poverty, violence and social injustice
We believe that faith and compassion have the power to change lives. In 2021, we marked the 145 year anniversary of our founding and 100 years since the death of Mary Sumner, with a service of thanksgiving in August. We work in three core areas to help communities transform:
Stopping Violence – through Peace & Safety
Stopping Injustice – through Gender Justice
Stopping Hunger and Increasing Self-Reliance
All programme work and central support, and the myriad of small acts undertaken by members in their communities every day, is oriented towards these ultimate goals, based on listening and responding to need in each community. Nearly 450,000 lives were directly impacted by members around the world whilst we also supported 1.4 million indirectly through our grassroots initiatives – working in prisons, building resilience against climate change, supporting families, and educating about health.
In the UK, with others, MU continued to campaign for the Domestic Abuse Bill to be as inclusive as possible and called for the Government to ratify the Istanbul Convention, also providing input to the government consultation on Violence against Women and Girls. Members also continued to provide support to refuges across the UK.
In 2021, a new membership publication was launched, Connected, sent directly to the doormats of all members and supporters in Britain and Ireland, telling stories from around the corner and around the world, helping members to stay in touch, and including topics for local action and worship.
MU members continued to support prisoners in 2021, many of whom suffered terribly in the Covid pandemic which forced increased isolation through confinement to cells and visiting restrictions. Beanie hats were knitted to guard against the cold of the cells, baby boxes provided to mother and baby units, regular supplies of toiletries and packs for those being released passed on alongside many members sending seasonal cards to let prisoners know they are loved.
Read the entire Annual Review here.