3rd - 11th May We Are Not Numbers (WANN) is a youth-led Palestinian nonprofit project in the Gaza Strip. It tells the human stories about Palestinians in the news and advocates for their human rights.
Karen King, a member of Belgium & Luxembourg YM, is one of the organisers of this exhibition: https://p21.gallery/current-exhibitions/we-are-not-numbers
The gallery is next to the British Library so can combine with a visit to Friends House. 3rd to 11th May.
London Area Meeting Development Group
The London AM Development Group is formed and at work, planning monthly meetings. They foresee a meeting of the 7 AMs on 8th June and another on 5th October. You will notice that the main menu has change so there is a page for the development group.
Papers from the previous phase of work are now to be found under Commiment Papers. Someone told us that Commital is not to do with intention but with insanity. Sorry.
What London Quakers
plan for 2024
London Quakers plan to run events as well as supporting meetings of the 7 AMs overseen by the London Area Meeting Development Group.
The Steering Group of London Quakers recognise that there's plenty to talk, discuss and learn about apart from governance, important though that is.
We will hold
- An in-person day to do with learning about Eldrship and Pastoral Friend work, possibly including more about safeguarding and the current guidance of the Yearly Meeting. May 18th
- A day meeting at Friends House about Refugees and Migration, in collaboration with Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network. June 22nd
- An active Hope workshop - September 28th
- Another event about reparations after Yearly Meeting when we have a better sense of the direction of travel of Quakers in Britain.
Kindlers are alive, well and active
Kindlers sent London Quakers a list of Kindler workshops available this year. They have launched a new website which gives details of all their work:
www.thekindlers.org.uk
The Kindlers have run over a hundred workshops for Friends since our inception in 2010. There is a hunger among Quakers for a greater depth of spiritual experience and stronger bonds of community. Our work is designed to meet that need.
Where have the PLG papers gone to?
The Steering Group of Pan London Governance has laid itself down. Each of the 7 Area Quaker Meetings of London has been asked to appoint two members of a Development Group to take forward work on the governance of the Quakers of London.
We hope that names of these Development Group appointees will be known by the time of the meeting on 3rd February.
The PLG page and Plungs Papers page still contain:-
1 The very brief summary of the decision of the London AMs to move towards forming a single AM for London.
2 A summary of the decisions by the AMs plus a summary of ‘reservations’ retrieved from the AM minutes
3 A compilation of the minutes from the seven Area Meetings giving responses to the Invitation to Commit
4 Links to the papers upon which the Invitation to Commite was based.
We were reminded recently abot the August 2024 plenary meeting in South Africe of Friends World Committee for Consultation. These FWCC meetings bring together a group of Friends from all corners of the world. More information at https://fwcc.world/event/world-plenary-meeting-2024/ The theme of the World Plenary Meeting is ‘Living the spirit of Ubuntu: Responding with hope to God’s call to cherish creation – and one another’.
Welcome. Are you a Quaker living in or visiting London? Or someone who wants to find out more about Quakers, or find a meeting?
We aim to keep Quakers across London in touch with one another, and to give us a voice in addressing the wider world by organising events and helping us keep in touch with one another.
There are about forty Quaker meetings in London, grouped into seven Area Meetings. Most meet for worship each Sunday, and sometimes at other times too. Any of them will be glad to see you whenever you come.
Come and join us! Most of our events are open to all, just turn up. They are free, although some may have a collection. But if you cannot afford it, or don’t want to contribute, please don’t. We’d rather have you than not. (Courses are the exception – they have a small charge and need to be booked.)
Find your nearest Quaker meeting in London using our map facility.
Visit https://quakermeeting.org for an interactive tool to locate meetings throughout Britain.
Quakers are a free-thinking faith organisation with a long tradition of challenging accepted norms, helping the disadvantaged and working for peace.
Quakers seek to balance their inner and outer lives. We seek meaning and purpose by sitting in silence and stillness, waiting for promptings to guide our lives. For many, this leads to being actively involved in working to help others and change society for the benefit of all.
If you are already part of the Quaker community and would like to get involved in our initiatives or need help with your outreach, Discovering Quakers opens new insights.you can find out more here.
We aim to have Quaker internet material of interest to children, young people and their parents or carers. Read more…
Upcoming Events
Sun 21 April
Our responsibilities to God and our neighbour
13:30
Venue: Westminster Meeting House, St Martin's Lane
Westminster Friends invite London Friends to join us on Sunday 21 April at 1:30pm when Catherine West, Labour MPfor Hornsey and Wood Green who is a Quaker, will be joining us to speak.
“Our responsibilities to God and our neighbour may involve us in taking unpopular stands (A&Q 38). When our worklife or public responsibilities place us in conflict with the Quaker testimonies, how may we continue to live out ourFaith?”
This will continue our interesting consideration at London West Area Meeting where we heard from Tania Mathias, theformer MP for Twickenham.
Please use the Hop Gardens entrance and press the Fry Room bell. Tea and coffee available beforeand feel free to bring your own sandwiches. We’d love to see you at MfW too 11- 12.
Sun 21 April
Young Adult Quaker Meeting
17:00-18:00
Venue: Westminster Quaker Meeting House, 52 St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4EA
3 March 2024 at 17:00 – 18:00
London Young Adult Quaker Meeting provides a supportive and nurturing space for young Quakers aged between 18 and 35 to connect, reflect, and share in silent worship.
It's also a great way to meet others who share our Quaker values and beliefs.
Takes place the first Sunday in every month at Westminster Quaker Meeting House
Sun 28 April
Commemoration of 100th Birthday of Dr Alfred Bader
14:30-16:30
Venue: Friends House Library
Hosted by: Quakers in Britain, Wiener Holocaust Library and Symphonova UK
We are delighted to invite you to join us at a commemorative event to celebrate the life of Dr. Alfred Bader CBE (1924to 2018). Alfred led an extraordinary life; he was a child refugee on the Kindertransport, a chemist, a businessmanwho founded the Aldrich Chemical Company, an art collector and philanthropist.
His philanthropy supported and continues, through Bader Philanthropies, to support many organizations and peopleclose to his heart, including all three hosts of this event: Quakers in Britain, the Wiener Holocaust Library andSymphonova UK.
The event will feature speakers and music pertinent to Alfred Bader’s life. Dr Barbara Warnock from the WienerHolocaust Library will talk about the Kindertransport, Marian McNichol, from the Quaker Asylum and Refugee Networkwill speak on how Quakers are advocating for refugees today, and Prof Jeremy Sanders CBE will speak about Alfred’scontribution to the world through chemistry.
Led by Dr Shelley Katz conducting the Micro-Symphonova the musical part of the evening will consist of orchestralmusic, including works by Hans Krieg and Robert Kahn who suffered under the Holocaust, and a new compositionwritten for the occasion by Joe Kraemer.
After the formal event, anticipated to finish at 3:30, you are cordially invited to a buffet where we will have the chanceto socialize and connect with one another.
Please RSVP at this link
https://forms.quaker.org.uk/
commemoration-event/