CRAFTED WITH CARE Mothers’ Union members add love to the bags they make for the bereaved, homeless people and newly-released prisoners
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very year one in four people will experience a mental health problem. By June 2020, twice as many people as usual reported experiencing depression, according to the Office for National Statistics. Research by mental health charity Mind showed that traumatic experiences, including bereavement, changes in physical health, social exclusion and discrimination, can increase the likelihood of experiencing mental health issues. At Mothers’ Union, we aim to stand alongside anyone experiencing a crisis, and
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offer support while working to counter discrimination and social exclusion. At a recent Stories of Change webinar, Mothers’ Union members from four of our five Britain and Ireland provinces shared the important and transformational impact a simple bag can have. We observe, listen and respond to people’s needs in this small, but significant way. For example, when people are released from prison, they
are given a black bin liner for belongings, or a bag stamped with Her Majesty’s Prison. In the Diocese of Newcastle, Mothers’ Union and the North East Prisoner After Care Society (NEPACS) provide Fresh Start Backpacks with toiletries, clothes, chewing gum, bus timetables and telephone numbers for those leaving prison. Branches vary the design of the backpacks they supply, so that former prisoners will not stand out. According to Linda Benneworth, Action and Outreach Coordinator for Diocese of Newcastle, ‘the greatest benefit of our backpacks is for prisoners leaving jail who will be going into a hostel, where they really appreciate having a change of clothes and toiletries.’ They
We aim to stand alongside people during these crises in life www.mothersunion.org
