Brown named founding patron of Warm Welcome
THE former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been named founding patron of the Warm Welcome Campaign, set up two years ago to provide “free, safe, and welcoming spaces open to all”, but especially for people experiencing loneliness or struggling with the cost of living. Last winter, more than two million people visited a Warm Welcome space, hundreds of which are in church buildings. Mr Brown has described the initiative as a “chain of hope” across the UK. “In the last month, more than 500 new Warm Welcome Spaces have been created, and we invite people to join one near them to support good neighbourliness.” The Warm Welcome Campaign director, David Barclay, said: “Gordon has been at the heart of Warm Welcome since day one. . . He had the vision of equipping and supporting local community spaces to open their doors and provide warmth and welcome to all in need.”
Poverty charity launches winter appeal for families
THE charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) has joined hundreds of churches in launching an urgent appeal for £260,000 to provide families in poverty with emergency aid and debt-relief before Christmas. YouGov polling of 2070 adults, commissioned by CAP and published last week, finds that more than half (54 per cent) of the parents with children in the household were limiting their electricity or gas use in the house at least once a month, and one quarter were skipping meals, to make ends meet. A CAP debt coach, Linda Stockley, and her church are providing parents in Newcastle with free, face-to-face debt advice, emergency aid, and support. She said: “This isn’t about how many Christmas presents they can buy their kids. This is just about keeping their family warm and well fed this winter. This is a life-or-death situation for many families.” capuk.org/winter
More firms tackle modern slavery, CCLA reports
MORE UK companies than one year ago are finding evidence of and tackling modern slavery in their supply chains, according to the latest benchmarking by CCLA Investment Management. This year, 30 of the 110 companies assessed by CCLA, which invests money on behalf of almost 12,000 C of E bodies, including parishes, dioceses, and cathedrals, reported finding modern slavery in their supply chain. Last year, this was true of 25 of the 100 companies assessed (News, 8 December 2023). Benchmarking is based on an assessment of the company’s own disclosures, and is aligned with statutory requirements, government guidance, and international voluntary standards on business and human rights. This year, 12 companies were in the top tier (out of five), compared with seven last year.
Changing EV targets is a mistake, says Pensions Board
“CHOPPING and changing” policy on sales targets for electric vehicles would be a “mistake”, the director of climate and environment for the Church of England Pensions Board, Laura Hillis, has warned. As of this year, 22 per cent of car sales and ten per cent of van sales in the UK must be EVs, or car manufacturers will incur a £15,000 penalty for each vehicle outside the target. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has predicted, however, that EV sales will reach only 18.5 per cent of the total market, and have asked the Government to ease the pressure on the industry by changing the targets. But Ms Hillis told inews this week: “Long-term investors like pension funds want to see robust, ambitious plans and policies for the transport sector in the UK. This includes building out needed infrastructure and sending clear and consistent policy signals to the market. Chopping and changing policy on electric vehicles would be a mistake, and would damage investment confidence.”
London vicar was harassed for nine months
THE Vicar of St John the Evangelist, Palmers Green, in north London, the Revd Julie Coleman, was the target of a nine-month campaign of harassment, including vicious hate mail, Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court heard last Friday, the Telegraph reports. Carlos Nunes, 41, was convicted of one charge of sending a letter containing gross and offensive material, and one charge of racially or religiously aggravated harassment. He was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work over an 18-month period, ordered to pay £764 in court charges, and forbidden from contacting Ms Coleman again. Mr Nunes had sent her two letters in April, one stating “kill the Catholics and Jews in the area”, and that “areas are being armed with kids with homemade missile tech to kill your bishops.” Another, found by Ms Coleman’s son at home, ranted about Hitler, Nazi Germany, and “Jews and their lies”. In a victim impact statement, Ms Coleman said that she feared for her and her children’s safety. After the Manchester bombing, she had vowed to wear her cassock every day until the first anniversary. She said at the time: “The black cassock is my uniform. It is the same as Muslims having theirs; diversity makes us human.”