Volunteers sought as would-be Scouts queue up
THE number of young people waiting to join UK Scouting is the highest it has ever been — 51,000 — the charity said this week, in an appeal for more volunteers. Total membership is up 7.8 per cent in a year, to 618,000. Volunteers number 154,000, the largest figure on record, but more are needed to meet demand. The Chief Commissioner, Tim Kidd, said: “I’m calling on adults who want to make a difference to the lives of young people in their communities to give Scouting a go.”
Easter eggs in plentiful supply
ALMOST half UK children (45 per cent) will get an average of five Easter eggs, while 29 per cent will get as many as ten or more, a poll of parents, for Families Online, has suggested. Most parents responding (74 per cent) said that their child received too many eggs. The website issued advice on how to avoid wasting Easter eggs, including donating them to foodbanks.
York Minster bells to be rung this Easter
THE bells of York Minster will be rung by volunteers on Easter Day, the Chapter has told BBC News. Since the sacking of the entire bell-ringing team last year (News, 21 October), the bells have been silent on all but three occasions, a spokeswoman confirmed. A new, paid, Head of Bell Tower is being recruited, to train a new team of volunteers. Members of the dismissed team will be able to apply.
Churches urged to unite after Article 50
A TWO-DAY conference entitled “Europe — Where Now?” was held in Edinburgh last week, organised by Action of Churches Together In Scotland, Churches Together in Britain & Ireland, and the Conference of European Churches. The CEO of Churches Together in Wales, the Revd Aled Edwards, said that churches must “now more than ever” ask themselves: “Are we able to lay aside our differences to come together to tackle the evils of this world? We need to be together.”
Help tackle loneliness, say charities
FIVE Christian charities have united under the Twitter handle #Faithtogether to encourage churches to play a part in the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, which was launched in January. Jeremy Sharpe, of Linking Lives UK, said that churches were “probably already the single most powerful movement . . . reaching out to support isolated older people”.
