14th December 2012

Mount of Olives military base protest

by Symon Hill

Quaker campaigners have condemned proposals for an Israeli military base on the Mount of Olives. The plan has caused controversy because the Mount has sacred significance for…

14th December 2012

Dickens goes to chancellor by bike

by Symon Hill

A Quaker will cycle to George Osborne’s constituency office this week – to give him a copy of Charles Dickens’ festive classic A Christmas Carol. Alan Pinch from Manchester…

14th December 2012

Census figures

by The Friend Newsdesk

The number of Christians living in England and Wales has fallen by four million in the past decade, the 2011 census reveals.

7th December 2012

Meeting for Sufferings: Minute 36

by Ian Kirk-Smith

The main agenda item of Meeting for Sufferings, held at Friends House on Saturday 1 December, was the commitment made at Canterbury in 2011 for Quakers to become a low-carbon…

7th December 2012

Meeting for Sufferings: Vibrancy in Meetings

by Ian Kirk-Smith

Jonathan Fox, who has been a model of calmness and lucidity over the years, gave his last Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) trustees report. Was there a hint of sadness in his voice?

7th December 2012

Meeting for Sufferings: Swarthmoor Hall

by Ian Kirk-Smith

Meeting for Sufferings were informed, very clearly, that no firm decision on the future of Swarthmoor Hall in Cumbria had been made.  The Swarthmoor Hall Project Group told…

7th December 2012

Meeting for Sufferings: Report on finances

by Ian Kirk-Smith

The new treasurer of BYM, Peter Ullathorne, gave a very measured presentation to Meeting for Sufferings on the status of the finances.

7th December 2012

Irish Quakers celebrate Bloomfield anniversary

by The Friend Newsdesk

Quakers in Ireland have just marked two hundred years of pioneering healthcare.  The anniversary celebration was held at Bloomfield Care Centre in Rathfarnham, Dublin, a…

7th December 2012

Protest against tax avoidance

by The Friend Newsdesk

Several Friends joined a twenty-four-hour boycott of Facebook last Saturday in protest at the low level of corporation tax paid by the company.

7th December 2012

Friends House wins gold

by The Friend Newsdesk

Friends House has just been given a much sought after Soil Association ‘Food for Life’ Catering Mark gold award.  The mark was awarded for the outstanding quality of…

7th December 2012

Transplant patient to remain

by The Friend Newsdesk

Quakers and human rights campaigners have applauded a court’s decision to allow a Nigerian with kidney disease to continue to live in the UK and to receive NHS treatment.

7th December 2012

Prisoners for peace

by The Friend Newsdesk

Quakers have been encouraged to send letters and Christmas cards to people around the world who are imprisoned for their stand against war.