Katie Evans, Bath Meeting’s Treasurer, writes about two Quaker charities we have supported financially in 2020

Bath Quaker Meeting is funded by donations. As well as covering our own running costs, we aim to make a few modest donations to Quaker charities each year as a way of supporting wider Quaker work.

So far this year we have made donations to Woodbrooke and the Retreat York Benevolent Fund.

Woodbrooke

Woodbrooke’s mission is to foster a vital Friends’ ministry. They do this by providing opportunities for learning, connection and worship which are rooted in Quaker tradition and open to all. Woodbrooke have risen to the challenge of the pandemic, offering online meetings for worship twice a day six days a week and an impressive range of online courses – many on a ‘pay as led’ basis (i.e. free of charge but donations welcome).

Retreat York Benevolent Fund

The Retreat York Benevolent Fund supports awareness about mental health across Quakers; the development of Quaker ministry on mental health; and gives grants to individual Friends who need help to address their mental health issues. For example, their 2018 Mental Health Conversations project brings together the experiences and insights of Friends with lived experience of mental health problems, you can read the project report here. Recognising the mental health implications of the pandemic, the Retreat York Benevolent Fund is currently supporting Quakers by providing access to free, confidential short-term therapy.

If you would like to recommend further Quaker charities for Bath Meeting to support, please contact me. We can support only Quaker charities in this way because we are passing on funds given for Quaker work.

Bath Quakers also give financial support to non-Quaker charities via occasional special collections or fund-raising activities. For example, in recent years we have fundraised for Julian House, Bath Welcomes Refugees, Somerset Churches Trust and UK Friends of HIRN. Friends can to bring a proposal for fundraising to one of our regular meetings for worship for business. Contact the Clerks to arrange this.

If you would like to make a donation to Bath Quakers, the details you need are in this giving form. Please do contact me if you have questions or would like further information. I can be reached via Bath Quakers webform or email.