Meeting Reports: November Meeting: Challenges facing Disabled children in Nepal Kathy Lally and her husband made a volunteering -visit to the Disabled New Life Centre in Nepal a few years ago. This came about after a chance meeting with the supporters of the Nepali Children's Trust, which is a charity- set up in Bristol in 2005 by a lady called Fran -McGowan. She had visited Nepal in 2002 and was appalled be the lack of facilities available to disabled children there. So she resolved to raise funds to buy land on the outskirts of Kathmandu for the construction of a purpose-built home to provide children with disabilities facilities for their long term care. The home was completed in 2011 and the children moved into a new, spacious building. Nepal is a small, land-locked country which, after a civil war, became a federal republic in 2008. Most of the population is confined to the poorer, country areas, therefore a certain amount of inbreeding is inevitable and consequently deformities are widespread among the children, who are often shunned by Nepalese society.  Much is being done by charities large and small, helping with education and health, and the aim is to enable young people of Nepal up to the age of 25 who have a disability-, whether mental or physical, to become independent, to overcome discrimination and to be valued within their families and communities. October Meeting: Tea Party Members had made a variety of delicious cakes for the afternoon tea party and included the recipes which members could purchase in aid of MU funds. Brenda Cottle brought along a good selection of Christmas cards and various other goods for sale and was taking orders for MU Diaries. She also told us of her experiences at the Mothers' Union Diocesan AGM, which was held in Portsmouth this year, when the speaker was Shoran Harper from Guyana who was recently commissioned as World Wide President at Southwark Cathedral.

Contacting the Mothers' Union

The Ouse Valley Deanery Group of the Mothers' Union extends a warm welcome to members and non- members alike. If you would like information about joining the group or future meetings, please contact Hazel Scott on 01234 781 559 or Jackie Biggs on 01234 782 517.