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Easter
Bonnet Competition Results
The Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street
has judged the entries and the winner is Wendy Goodwin from Cole
St, Netherton.
His comments were:
'I’d like to award first place to Wendy, with
special mentions to Toby from St Helen's for the excellent
demonstration of the Easter story, and Liam, Narla and Rachel for
great use of recycled materials and for getting their lovely dog
to model so well.
I’ve
really enjoyed seeing at the creativity that the families and
young people have put into this and look forward to visiting a
Messy Church after we return to normal.'
Thank
you to Vickie Heydon-Matterface for organising the competition,
to Andy Street for acting as judge and Rev Rachel Parkinson who
has made some beautiful stained glass rainbows as prizes, with
the winner receiving the large rainbow and the runners up
receiving the smaller rectangular rainbows.
Congratulations
to everyone else who entered:
Toby Moss, Rosie Mason-Newton, Sandra Wilde, Liam
Hodgetts (Rachel & Narla the dog), Betsy Drew, Helen Mann-Ray, Emily Cook, Eloise Carter, Lesley Cook and Lily Humpage.
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Growing
Through Conflict Online Course
We’d
like to offer you the opportunity to do the ‘Growing Through
Conflict’ course as an online course,
led by experiences facilitators and mediators, Clive Fowle and
Judith Halliday.
The
course will consist of 3
x 2 hour sessions, taking place over three
consecutive days, Mon
11th, Tues 12th & Wed 13th
May, each running 9.30am-11.30am.
I
did the course last year and found it incredibly helpful, so can
highly recommend it.
The
course covers:
- Understanding
Conflict
- What do we
understand by conflict: conflict styles and an introduction
to ‘Style Matters’
- Transforming
Conflict
- Reflecting on the
wider context of conflict: conflict escalation/de-escalation
An Introduction to some key
tools, including:
- Preparation and
rapport building.
- The power of the
flipchart.
- Interests vs
positions.
- Using questions
well.
- Tools for
transforming conversations.
- Small group work
reflecting on skills.
- Feedback on key
learning from each group
The course will be run on Zoom, meaning spaces are limited
to 25.
If you would like to book your place and give
consent for your email to be passed onto Clive (so he can send
you an invitation to the Zoom Meeting), please email Geoff Bond
asap – bondg@methodistchurch.org.uk
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Black
Country Faith and Finance Conversation
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Action
for Children Emergency Coronavirus Appeal
Action
for Children has launched an Emergency Coronavirus Appeal to help provide essentials to the most
vulnerable families they support across the UK and those
potentially affected in the future.
Coronavirus has thrown all our lives, our communities and the UK
into an unprecedented crisis. Families who were already
struggling are now unable to buy food and basic essentials such
as nappies, cleaning products, and money for gas and electricity.
They need us now more than ever.
Action for Children is working hard to make sure they can still
support children and their families at this difficult time.
The appeal is just one of many ways they are taking action. They
are also creating more digital solutions to support where
face-to-face options are limited.
Please donate to this Emergency
Coronavirus Appeal and keep the charity in your
prayers.
Here is also a video promoting the Emergency Appeal: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4iQ2B-4MfU
Action for Children has launched a Coronavirus Emergency Appeal to help provide essentials to the most
vulnerable families we support across the UK
and those potentially affected in the future. Please
donate now. Thank you.
Blessings and peace,
Karis
Kolawole
Head of Faith Partnerships
07834 334 634 | karis.kolawole@actionforchildren.org.uk
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TMCP
Questionnaire: Church Tenant Rent Relief
COVID-19
and the ‘lockdown’ have thrown up a number of potential problems
for tenants who are unable to work or are experiencing a
reduction in their income. There are many people who are
experiencing financial difficulties and TMCP has listened to the
concerns raised with Managing Trustees by their tenants. As a
Church we are sympathetic and want to help those in need.
In relation to those tenants in residential accommodation owned
by the Church, TMCP have worked in collaboration with Sintons,
one of the firms on the panel of solicitors, on a process which
can be followed by Managing Trustees where they have received a
request from their tenant who has a genuine concern about meeting
their rental payments. The aim is to ensure that if
Managing Trustees want to acquiesce to a request for a temporary
suspension in payment of rent, or agree a reduction in rent, that
such an agreement is documented legally without affecting the
other terms of the tenancy/lease.
To that end TMCP and Sintons have produced a questionnaire which
Managing Trustees can complete, detailing the reasons why they
are agreeing to reduce or suspend the rent, setting out the
length of the suspension/reduction and what the repayment terms
will be once life returns to ‘normal’. I attach a copy of the
questionnaire for ease of reference.
Once the questionnaire has been completed it should be sent to
TMCP and Sintons. Sintons will prepare a side letter for the
Managing Trustees detailing what has been agreed, which can then
be signed by the parties and kept with the original tenancy
agreement/lease. Sintons have agreed to charge Managing Trustees
£200 plus VAT for producing the side letter on the basis the
questionnaire is completed correctly. To help keep costs down
Managing Trustees can contact
TMCP Legal if they are having difficulties in
completing the questionnaire and we will provide as much
assistance as necessary. TMCP have trained a number of its Legal
team to deal with these enquiries to ensure the same are dealt
with as a priority.
Managing Trustees who wish to use a different solicitor should
refer to the process referred to in COVID-19
FAQ 9.2, available on the COVID-19 page of the TMCP
website and contact TMCP so that we can approve the document
recording the temporary arrangements.
There is also a step by step guide (the AST
Concession Process Chart) available on the TMCP
website which will help Managing Trustees in following the
process and completing the questionnaire.
Please also refer to COVID-19
FAQ 9.1, which gives guidance on the types of
questions Managing Trustees should ask before agreeing to a rent
suspension or reduction.
It is important that any agreements to suspend or reduce rental
payments during this difficult time are correctly documented to
protect both parties and ensure that the other terms of the
tenancy agreement/lease are not affected. It is also important to
bear in mind that as prudent charity trustees and in accordance
with Methodist Church best practice, Managing Trustees are not encouraged
to offer any concessions themselves but rather wait until an
approach is made by a tenant and proper investigations have been
made into the financial circumstances of all parties.
With kind regards
Yours sincerely,
Laura
Carnall, for and on behalf of TMCP
Legal Manager
Direct Dial: 0161 235 6777
Click here
for questionnaire.
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District
Policy Committee Secretary Post
The
post of District Policy Committee Secretary has become vacant
following Angela's completion of her term, for which we would
like to thank her for her years of dedication and hard work.
If you would be interested in finding out more about the post,
please contact Rachel at chair@wsmethodist.org.uk
or admin@wsmethodist.org.uk
to request an application form.
Please be aware that the District Office is not in use at the
moment and so please do not leave messages on the office phone as
we are not able to access messages remotely.
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District
Children's Support Fund
As you
are aware we have had to close the District Children’s Holiday
Fund. The good news is there is still a substantial amount of
money left in the Holiday Account which needs to be used. It has
been agreed by The Resourcing Missions Committee that this money
is “ringfenced” for Churches in the District to apply to help
with costs in running projects benefiting disadvantaged children.
The maximum amount of any claim is £500 and a Church can apply at
any time using the attached form
and send it electronically to Tim Lorimer who will process your
application and give a decision within six weeks of receipt. The
application will need the support of the hosting Church and
circuit superintendent. Church’s cannot apply for retrospective
funding.
We would hope that individuals and groups that have contributed
in the past to the Holiday Fund will still wish to do so knowing
that there money will still be used for Children’s Projects.
For more information please contact Tim Lorimer
on lorimertim@yahoo.co.uk
07971899084.
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