This page contains information and guidance to help with running a Mothers' Union branch.

 

Important Documents

 

Planning Events

A risk assessment should be carried out whenever your branch plans an event.  It will help you to make the event safer for everyone - members and visitors.  Our MU insurance will only cover your event if you have given details of the event and a copy of the risk assessment to the Diocesan Treasurer, Amanda Langan.  Risk assessment form

This event checklist is a good reminder of all the different things to consider when planning an event.  Event checklist

 

Data Protection Advice

Data Protection affects everyone - we all need to look after any personal data that we have.  We have two useful documents which give helpful advice for branches about Data Protection and GDPR:

Data Protection at a Glance

Data Protection Advice

 

Photo / Video Permission

We now require written permission from all people who are identifiable in photos or videos which are published on our website, newsletters or social media etc.  The best way is to use our form and get permission when taking the photo.  It is acceptable for one person to sign the form if all adults have given their permission verbally.  Photo / video consent form

 

MU logo to download

Here is a good quality logo which you can download and add to any posters etc for MU events.

MU LOGO

 

Tips on how to run a branch and how to help your branch run smoothly

Guidance on how to run a branch and lots of useful resouces for branch meetings are available from the main Mothers' Union website.

 

What’s your gift?

We all have gifts: gifts that come from God, and are of God.  We need to recognise the gifts that God has given us – and use them.

There are many gifts that aren’t easily quantified or measured:

  • Good listener
  • Organised, tidy, methodical
  • Affirming, supportive of others
  • Prayerful/spiritual

Mothers’ Union should never be about one person doing everything, but about the contribution of the membership – each person offering what they can to achieve the greater goal. And all contributions are important, whether it’s being a branch leader, praying for wedding couples or doing the washing up after a fundraising coffee morning.

And if everyone offers the gifts they have, then we can spread the load, making it more manageable.

 

Would a more flexible organisation help?

Do you need to fill the roles of Branch Leader, Branch Secretary and so on?  Maybe now is the time to consider doing this in a less formal way.  Rather than appointing people to these roles, you could consider:

You need to have a ‘contact person’ or coordinator willing to be the post box and receive ‘stuff’ whether by post, phone or electronically.  And you need to be able to organise events, meetings, represent the branch at deanery or area or diocesan meetings – but it doesn’t have to be one person to do everything.

At one meeting a year, think about what you need to do as a branch, what you want to do and then divide the jobs out.

Would changing the time of your meeting help? Avoiding school pick-up times might help parents or grand-parents attend meetings.  Evening meetings might attract working people.  Some branches have a mixture of afternoon and evening meetings.

It's not essential to have a meeting every month - you could focus on four meetings a year, or just arrange outings.

Could you talk to a neighbouring branch about sharing the treasurer's role between the two branches, or what about all becoming Diocesan members and each paying subs directly to our Diocese?

There are many ways to continue meeting as a branch, and do talk to our Diocesan President or any of the Trustees for more ideas and help.

 

How to start up a new group or branch

If there isn't a branch nearby, why not start up a new group?  Find out how to do this on the main Mothers' Union website.

 

Visiting members at home

A visit from Mothers' Union friends can be really important to members who are unwell or unable to get out. However, it’s good practice to follow some basic visiting guidelines to keep yourself and the member you are visiting safe. 

If you are regularly visiting members who aren't friends, then this will be considered to be pastoral visiting, for which safeguarding training and a DBS check will be needed.  Please contact Clare Thomas, the Safeguarding Lead for MU in our Diocese for more details.