Mothers' Union Down & Dromore

Public benefits

The direct benefits which flow from purpose (1) are that members of the Diocesan Community are provided with information and support as they embark on married life, assisting them develop committed relationships and also the wider Diocesan community are encouraged to have a positive attitude to marriage. The direct benefits which flow from purpose

(2) are that members of the Diocese, in particular parents, gain a better understanding of child behaviour and how best to manage the roles and responsibilities of being a parent, the importance of faith and active participation in church life (including a series of leaflets “Children in Church”), the enhancement of parenting skills, positive relationships and stable family life. The direct benefits which flow from purpose (3) focus on the fact that prayer and worship underpin everything Mothers' Union does. Services at local and Diocesan level are arranged periodically and every meeting has a short act of devotion. Locally in the Diocese, projects are supported by prayer. Also there is financial and prayerful support for programmes worldwide, eg, the literacy and financial development programme in Ethiopia, Burundi and South Sudan, family life programme, the parenting programme and campaigning to challenge the mechanisms that perpetuate social injustice. These benefits can be demonstrated by 130,000 people obtaining accreditation in Literacy and Finance in the last 10 years; the improvement in family finances, increase in respect for women when they can read, and improvement in the health and prosperity of those in the Family Life Programme as they gained knowledge of hygiene and agriculture. The direct benefits which flow from purpose (4) include the increased awareness of issues relevant to family life and the protection of children. These are often achieved through lobbying as Mothers' Union lobbies the government at Westminster on issues which affect family life; there have been inputs by Mothers’ Union to issues affecting bills on Child Maintenance, Flexible Working, Flexible Parental Leave, and Marriage eg The “Bye Buy Childhood” Campaign led to the Bailey Report. The direct benefits which flow from purpose (5) include The Mothers’ Union in the Diocese of Down and Dromore working as an organisation, and in many instances with others, to support persons whose life has met with adversity through issues such as homelessness, marriage breakdown, post-natal depression, domestic abuse (in women’s refuges) , prison sentences (in Hydebank prison), refugees. These benefits are demonstrated through feedback from participants at various sessions and those with whom we work, and reports from members on projects that have met the needs of persons locally and worldwide. Membership of Mothers' Union is open to all who have been baptised in the name of the Holy Trinity and intend to support the Aim, purposes and objectives of the society. Membership is open to everyone, male or female, single, married or divorced. The beneficiaries of our work in the Diocese of Down and Dromore are the general public at home and world-wide who have need of our support. There is no harm flowing from our purposes and there is no private benefit for any member – all members and their families can voluntarily attend and participate in any service or project.

What your organisation does

The Mothers' Union provides help with literacy and development programmes overseas; runs craft classes for women prisoners; supports Women's Aid through gifts of toiletries, clothing, utensils, towels; provides short holidays for families who are in need; provides toilet bags for hospitals.