Category: News

The Scottish Government’s suicide prevention strategy and action plan was published last week.  For an easy read version, that includes links to useful relevant organisations, see Creating Hope Together – suicide prevention strategy 2022 to 2032: easy read – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Will Aid is a special partnership between the legal profession and nine of the UK’s best-loved charities, including Christian Aid. Every November, participating solicitors volunteer their time and waive their fee for writing a basic Will. Instead, they invite clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid. Donations raised during Will Aid support the vital work of Christian Aid and the other Will Aid charities. 

For more information about Will Aid 2022, and to find out which solicitors near you are participating, please go to www.willaid.org.uk. 

The Methodist Church in Britain, the United Reformed Church and the Baptist Union of Great Britain respond to the proposal to limit the uprating of benefits, risking a real terms cut to benefit levels:

The social security system should prevent families from being pushed into hardship, yet foodbanks are facing rapidly rising demand and almost half of claimants receiving Universal Credit report skipping meals to make ends meet. The value of benefits has declined for the last decade and already an average family of four relying on Universal Credit will be £1,400 worse off this winter than last – despite the interventions already put in place. Against this background it would be outrageous to erode benefits further.

For months we have called on government to provide targeted support to the lowest income households, who are at the sharp end of rising costs. Without that additional help huge numbers of families – particularly families with children – will face impossible choices to make ends meet. The proposal to link benefits to wages rather than prices would mean the largest real terms cut in benefits ever at a time when low-income families are already facing increased hardship. Such a decision would lack both compassion and morality.

At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus declared “I have come to bring good news to the poor”. We cannot stay quiet when vital support to the communities we are part of is threatened. We call on the Government to reaffirm its commitment to uprate benefits in line with prices and to provide targeted support to those families who are at the sharpest end of the cost of living crisis.

Signed by

• Revd Fiona Bennett, Moderator of General Assembly, United Reformed Church
• Revd Graham Thompson, President of the Methodist Conference, The Methodist Church in Britain
• Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary, Baptist Union of Great Britain

The Scottish Government has set up a new website outlining the various forms of help available to many varied sections of the population. It is worth a visit!

Download the brochure, which gives details of online courses available in the coming Methodist year.

Here is the final programme