Peace Vigil in Lichfield on 2nd November 2024
On Saturday 2nd November 2024, Lichfield Quakers held a vigil for peace at The Friary Remains opposite the former library building from 11:00am to 12:00pm. Despite the gloom of the November weather, we were supported by friendly car horns and inquisitive and smiling bypassers.
Read more about this event and find dates for future vigils
George Fox in Lichfield
On Sunday 27th October we put on an open air performance of our re-enactment of George Fox’s visit to Lichfield in 1651.
Written and produced by Lichfield Quaker, Berry Dicker, especially for this anniversary year, celebrating 400 years since the birth of Quaker founder George Fox.
Find out more, and see our photo gallery and video of the performance
Staffordshire Quaker Newsletter – Autumn 2024
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- Quakers at Stafford Pride – Gayle Yeomans (Stafford Meeting)
- Stoke Meeting: a year of action – Angela Glenndenning (Stoke Meeting)
- George Fox anniversary: Uttoxeter Meeting’s display on its rich history – Cath Hayes (Uttoxeter Meeting) on a successful Heritage Open Day
- Trips and holidays for asylum seekers – Rosemary Fox on Wolverhampton Meeting’s involvement with Wolverhampton City of Sanctuary. A Sanctuary in which to lie – poem by Dave Traxson
- An ocean of love – Helen Buckroyd (Lichfield Meeting) reflects on her stay at the cottage attached to Dolobran Meeting House in Wales
- Practicing what we preach – Kev Ceney (Wolverhampton Meeting) on our worshipful practice of ‘silent waiting’ and how we can guide new attenders
- The agony of Gaza – a trilogy of poems by Dave Traxson (Wolverhampton Meeting)
- Our peace testimony: the challenge – John Nicholl’s (Wolverhampton Meeting) personal reflection on the situation in Gaza
- Ecobricks in Leek – Linda Skellam (Leek Meeting) gives an update on her report of 2021
- Fairtrade and climate: be the change – Carol Hyatt (Wolverhampton Meeting)
- A butterfly metaphor on societal transformation- Sue Krzowski (Stafford Meeting)
Stoke Quakers and CND remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Friday 9th August 2024
On Friday 9th August Stoke Friends and members of SCANSCND held a silent vigil outside the Guildhall in Newcastle under Lyme to remember the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
Staffordshire Quaker Newsletter – Summer 2024
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- Slave trade, colonialism, exploitation: our involvement
- What do you make of Zoom
- Sue Nicholas, 1931-2024 (Stafford Meeting)
- Why am I a Quaker? – Nigel Peckett (Stafford Meeting)
- Farewell Staffordshire Area Meeting – Stephen Petter (Wolverhampton Meeting) says his farewell on his transfer to Central England Area Meeting
- Making reparation: the call to Friends – Debbie Flack (Lichfield Meeting) reflects on her deeply personal involvement in the activities of BYM’s Reparations Working Group. Read more at https://www.quaker.org.uk/resources/reparations
- Poems: “Draw breath” by Quaker poet George Weeden (d 2021); “The Furness Fells from Conishead” by Nigel Peckett (Stafford Meeting); “Gaza’s Morbid Blossom”, “Part 2: Hope” by Dave Traxson (Wolverhampton Meeting)
- Palestine or Israel: which deserves diplomatic recognition – John Nicholls (Wolverhampton Meeting)
- Thinking about Zoom: from Borneo – Anthony Wilson (Lichfield meeting, attending from Sabah, Malaysian Borneo)
- The use of Zoom, a personal response – Helen Buckroyd (Lichfield Meeting)
- Zoom, the experience of Lichfield Local Meeting – Rhoda Wharton (Lichfield Meeting)
- Three more perspectives on Zoom: Pat Conlong (Stone Meeting), Peter Holland (Stone Meeting), Roger Oldfield (Stafford Meeting)
- What is a Quaker? – Jim Kinnibrugh (Stone Meeting)
Stoke Quakers and Samud Palestine Walk for Peace on Saturday 29th June 2024 in aid of PTC and ICAHD
On Saturday 29th June 2024, Sumud Palestine and Stoke Quaker Meeting came together to Walk for Peace. We met at the Friends Meeting House at Newcastle under Lyme and set off on a circular walk taking in Brampton Park.
Photo gallery and more information
Leek Peace Choir at a peace vigil in Leek town centre on 24th February 2024
Details on their website https://leekpeacechoir.uk/
What would a thriving Staffordshire Area Quaker Meeting look like in 5 years time? 10th February 2024
That’s the question we were asked to consider in our Area Meeting on 10th February, which took place at Stoke Quaker Meeting House and on Zoom. We got to take part in a Quaker ‘Threshing Meeting’ which uncovered lots of great ideas, and of course there was the obligatory shared lunch.
Here’s how Quaker faith & practice, 12.26 defines a threshing meeting.
‘Threshing Meetings’: This term currently denotes a meeting at which a variety of different, and sometimes controversial, opinions can be openly, and sometimes forcefully, expressed, often in order to defuse a situation before a later meeting for worship for business. Originally the term was used to describe large and noisy meetings for convincement of “the world’s people” in order to
“thresh” them away from the world.
Read the SAQM Working Group reflections on the threshing meeting.
Staffordshire Quaker Newsletter – Winter 2024
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- The Playgrounds of Gaza – a poem by Dave Traxon (Wolverhampton Meeting)
- Thank you Wolverhampton Meeting – Lisa Stedman (Wolverhampton Meeting) on the death of her husband Peter Stedman.
- World Religion Day in Leek – Linda Skellam (Leek Meeting).
- The Future of a Planet – an Area Meeting workshop – Jon Heal (Stone Meeting).
- We are all Palestinians? – Jon Heal (Stone Meeting).
- Gaza: Reactions in Stoke – Angela Glendenning (Stoke Meeting).
- Palestine: Grief is better than anger – John Nicholls (Wolverhampton Meeting).
- Quakers at Telford Arms Fair – John Babb (Wolverhampton Meeting).
- Quakers and CLASP (Churches Across Staffordshire and the Potteries) – Stephen Petter (Wolverhampton Meeting).
- Extract from the Quaker Representative Council report by Stephen Petter. Includes a talk by Tom Gee (of FWCC) on variety among Quakers worldwide and Ubuntu which is to be the theme for the 400 year anniversary of the birth of George Fox.
- Compassion – Helen Buckroyd (Lichfield Meeting) reflects on whether we can find happiness through compassion.
- Deportee, 28 January 1948 – lyrics of ‘Deportee’ are by Woody Guthrie and the music by Martin Hoffman.
- Refugee – conversations with Bridgewood House asylum seekers at Christmas – Roger Oldfield (Stafford Meeting).
Staffordshire Quakers 