We have been unable to meet since lockdown began in March. We have been keeping in touch by phone and on the internet. This does not mean that we have been idle. A few willing and capable members have sewn scrubs for hospitals, made many, many masks and sewn ‘Bereavement Bags ‘ for the return of the belongings of those who have died in hospital, separated from their loved ones. Others have continued to knit bobble hats for men and women who are living on the streets, twiddle muffs for people suffering from dementia and knitted goods for premature babies.
As time has gone on the committee became more and more concerned for the sixteen members who do not use the internet at all. Some of them have been in isolation for a long time. Our secretary, Julieanne Long, came up with a good idea to help us to share our experiences. We are circulating three exercise books and each member is invited to write about anything interesting that they have learned or have been doing during this time of isolation. A favourite poem or prayer or hymn can also be shared. When we can meet again, this will give us a lively and interesting record of our lives and feelings at this time.
Each month we receive a newsletter sent out on line from the Mothers’ Union in Ely Diocese. We have just begun to deliver a printed copy of this Ely newsletter to the members who don’t use the internet. This gives us information about the World Wide Mothers’ union and lists of local projects that we can take part in from home even now.
We have direct links with M.U. branches in Sokoto and Ika in Nigeria, Lusaka in Zambia, Shyogwe in Rwanda and Karimnaga in India. There are about four million members of the MU in eighty-five countries around the world and some of them have been badly hit by the virus and they are not able to isolate or obtain personal protection equipment. We raised money for them by a collection taken when our annual fund raising coffee morning had to be cancelled in March.
There is much more information about the Mothers’ Union in action in this country and overseas on the internet. Go to www.mothersunion.org or facebook.com/MothersUnion and you will learn how MU members are making a difference to people’s lives here in the UK and all over the world.