Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

Over 100 churches have joined forces to help Afghan refugees settle in the UK. Christian charities Welcome Churches and the Hospitality Pledge are encouraging churches to join them in supporting refugees - particularly in areas where the resettlements will be. Dr Krish Kandiah, founder of adoption charity Home for Good and leader of the Hospitality Pledge project, said, ‘It has been so amazing to see churches step forward and get involved. We have identified some of the regions where resettlement hotels will be and are working with the Home Office to provide practical support.’ People arrive with very little, and lightweight clothing - they are cold, even in summer. Churches are sourcing clothing and prams, but the biggest need is accommodation. Groups of 100 are put in hotels, not the best place for families. Dr Kandiah hopes to utilise Christian retreats and conference centres for families, and has launched an emergency Afghan fund.

Activists have begun two weeks of London protests 'targeting the root cause of the climate crisis'. On 24 August protesters lined London streets with placards, waved banners and erected obstacles to disrupt and block roads around Westminster. They blocked off roads, glued themselves to a giant table, and formed a human chain around the area cordoned off by police. Dozens were carried to police vans by officers who used loudspeakers to warn the crowd to leave or risk arrest. At least 10,000 people congregated near the rallies; by 26 August 196 people had been arrested. The group's co-founder gave a speech expressing solidarity with nations disproportionately affected by climate change. Pray for all the police forces to respond appropriately and proportionately to protest activity in the next fortnight, and for a workable policing plan.

Optometrists across the country say they are diagnosing higher numbers of children with short-sightedness (myopia) since the start of the pandemic. They put this down to less time spent outside due to Covid restrictions, more time spent looking at computer screens, and a drop-off in numbers of eye tests. The College of Optometrists is calling for parents to get their children to play outside for two hours a day, as this has been proved to prevent or stop the development of myopia. It is also recommending parents to take their children for eye tests. Optometrists are also asking for more funding for research in the UK population into the impact of the pandemic on children’s eyesight.

This time last year, the UK was slowly taking its first small steps into what would become the second wave of Covid-19. That led to tighter local restrictions and, ultimately, lockdowns across all the nations, which didn't start to unravel until late spring 2021. Case numbers right now are over 30 times higher than at the same point last year and showing signs of climbing again. We can pray to the Lord, our refuge and stronghold, to direct the health and well-being of our nation. As the media reports an increase in case numbers, may all who are fearful and anxious be at peace and free from worry. Pray for God to give people wise judgment as they increasingly gather with less social distancing and mask-wearing. Pray for medical staff and hospital workers who have been stressed and exhausted over the past 18 months, asking God to renew their strength as they contemplate future challenges from flu and Covid.

Ellie Simmonds and John Stubbs led the British team into the stadium to widespread welcome and approval on social media. The bright glare of Paralympics can be fleeting and all too quickly forgotten. On the day the Olympic flame was lit, the UK recorded a steep rise in costs of care for disabled adults. The Paralympics reveals some of the most inspirational stories in sport against a backdrop of the constant fight for equality beyond the games. Haven Shepherd lost both her legs below the knees at 14 months when her parents attempted a family suicide. Both parents died instantly. Haven became a disabled orphan. ‘You always have to look at the positives of life, and I got a second chance,’ she said, before her Paralympic swimming debut. These are Games of second chances for 4,402 Paralympians. Disabled people make up 15% of the world’s population. The International Paralympic Committee aims to place disability at the heart of the inclusion agenda, alongside ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

Remembering her early school years, Princess Beatrice said, ‘I remember feeling really confused - an overwhelming sense of “Why does this all feel a little bit muddled?”’ She was reflecting on her childhood coping with dyslexia, as she prepared to welcome her first child with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who is also dyslexic. It was the language she chose to describe her dyslexic experience that has sparked media and internet discussion. The pregnant princess referred to the language-based learning difficulty which can affect reading, writing, spelling, and speaking as a ‘gift’ that any of her future children would be lucky to have. ‘I think that having dyslexia and reflecting on where I am right now in my career path, and also as an older person looking back, has definitely allowed me to look at things in a new way and come up with solutions’, she said.

Women, girls and minorities considered most at risk in Afghanistan will be prioritised in the proposed resettling of 20,000 refugees (5,000 this year) in the UK. Boris Johnson said Britain owed a ‘debt of gratitude to all those who have worked with us to make Afghanistan a better place over the last twenty years. Many of them, particularly women, are now in urgent need of our help. Home secretary Priti Patel said, ‘I want to ensure that as a nation we do everything possible to provide support to the most vulnerable fleeing Afghanistan so they can start a new life in safety in the UK.’ Christian MP Ian Paisley Jr has asked for all British missionaries to be returned from Afghanistan. He said, ‘There are 228 missionaries currently under sentence of death who need to be taken out of Afghanistan, as well as tens of thousands of others.’ See

Afghan students offered scholarships by the UK government to study here from September will not be able to take up their places this year as the British embassy could not finish paperwork in time. One student said, ‘When we really need it, you are taking it away. I don't believe it will be deferred for a year. If you cannot make it this year, how can you make it next year?’. See Archbishop Justin Welby said, ‘The tragic failures we are witnessing in Afghanistan and their devastating impact on men, women and children demand prayer and urgent humanitarian action’. Kitty Chevallier, a British charity worker, said she felt immensely lucky to have escaped on an evacuation flight but it is tragic that some of her Afghan friends are still stuck in the country’. Pray for Afghans whose chances of leaving are small and who have so much more to lose.

Five people, including a three-year-old girl, were killed during a six-minute shooting spree by gunman Jake Davison on 12 August. Two others were injured during the incident before the 22-year-old turned the gun on himself. Tens of thousands of pounds have been raised online for the victims and their families. Pray for the community to have God’s comfort and peace as they pull together and support each other in these trying times; pray especially for the relatives and friends of the victims. Churches and schools are open, to give people opportunities to open themselves to God and to each other. Davidson’s gun licence was suspended following a criminal charge for assault, but it was returned to him in July. The Government has asked police forces to review procedures for issuing and returning firearms licences, and to check whether it is necessary to revoke any licences already issued.

The telecom industry plans a digital shake-up that will axe traditional landline phones by 2025. By then, all households and businesses will need the internet to make calls, which raises concerns for the 1.5 million elderly and vulnerable who rely on landlines. Engineers may need to visit their homes to set them up, and those with older phones may have to buy a new handset. Experts fear millions more do not know how to use a mobile properly. Age UK said, ‘Half of people over 75 are not online. Given the threat of fraud, telecom providers need to take steps to prevent the vulnerable from becoming digital scam victims.’ This digital shake-up is driven by the telecoms industry, not by the Government.