Newbury
Living Simply in our Age
Quaker membership means being part of a worldwide community of welcoming, caring and thoughtful people. Helen Addison from Newbury Meeting recently enjoyed the chance to join Quakers in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, in retreats to consider the Quaker testimony to simplicity. What does simplicity mean to us today? Many participants already knew the…
Read MoreMeetings suspended
Quakers won’t gather together for worship over the coming months. But our Meetings won’t stop. Some of us will wait in silence from our homes, at our normal times of Meeting for worship, holding our fragile world in the light and knowing that others are doing the same. Some will join online meetings. Many will…
Read MoreLetlapa Mphahlele leads discussion on shared humanity
What is it that unites us as human beings, beyond all our different cultures and beliefs? Students and local residents recently took part in a thought-provoking discussion of this idea of ‘shared humanity’, led by guest speaker Letlapa Mphahlele and hosted by the Reading University Chaplaincy. Letlapa was born and grew up in South Africa…
Read MoreClimate crisis protests
Quakers from the Mid Thames area took part in Extinction Rebellion protests in London over the past two weeks, highlighting the risks posed by the climate crisis. Here’s a personal view from John: “Like the April rebellion, the impressive things were the number of people of all ages coming together, the strength of humanity and…
Read MoreHow are we tackling climate change?
Read our 2018 sustainability report to find out what Mid Thames Quakers are doing to tackle climate change and other environmental challenges. The report covers all seven local Quaker Meetings in the Mid Thames area. We first look at specific actions and practices under three headings: Developing low-carbon and sustainable premises and core practices; Energy…
Read MoreRenewing Newbury Meeting – Post 2
As we move forward with the concept of our own Meeting House development, work on the demolition of the buildings beside us has begun in earnest. This will make way for 220 new flats and buildings right next door, bringing a new gateway into Newbury between the train station and the town centre. We are…
Read MoreWhat does love require of us?
Twenty-five people (3 facilitators, 2 Quakers from Reading and Henley, 3 visitors, and 17 people from Newbury Meeting) enjoyed a stimulating, challenging and enjoyable day at the Kindlers ‘What does Love require of us?’ workshop. Using a variety of exercises, we were invited to discover, or affirm, our gifts, reflect on how we already use…
Read MoreLetter to Newbury Weekly News
Following the Sri Lanka killings, Howard Grace from Newbury Meeting gives a visionary perspective on our shared humanity. This letter is available to read here
Read MoreRenewing Newbury Meeting – post 1
We have now had the first concept plans for the updating of our Meeting House from our architects, Richard Potter and Erin McLoughlin of RPA Architecture. They presented two options to the Newbury Project Management Group, Scheme A and Scheme B. The plans were then shared with Mid Thames Quakers’ trustees and everyone in Newbury…
Read MoreSupporting our Muslim friends
The headline for a major article in the Newbury Weekly News on March 28th was ‘Terrorism will never keep us apart’. The subheading was ‘Local community shows its support for Newbury Muslims in the wake of the shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand’. Several members of Newbury Quakers were at the forefront of a display of…
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