UCM Report for Parish AGM 2020
Our Foundation continues to enjoy a variable & interesting programme throughout the year.
May Several of our members attended the Aylesford Pilgrimage, where Father Bart concelebrated Mass. We also helped with the KSC with the International food evening.
June. We arranged a mass to be said for the sister of our Secretary, who had died a few months earlier, to be held on our Thursday Coffee Morning. A good number of us were able to attend a memorable event. Our meeting included a talk from Lynne Peasron, our local novelist.
July. We ventured up to London in July, where we were treated to a Tour of the South Bank by London Tour Guide Kate Boyle, also a UCM Member. She runs these extra tours for The Holy Rosary Sisters in Brazil, a charity close to her heart. We were pleased to be able to make a donation. A second tour was organised for November touring Borough market. We also held our summer meal in Rowlands Bistro.
September. We attended the Rainham Foundation Cheese & wine in June and their Quiz night (where we came second?). We also held a Beetle Drive which was quite well attended, and which was great fun. The president attended the Diocesan Formation Day which was held in Bromley.
October. Our 27th Anniversary Mass was held on 1st. Father Bart presided with Deacon Martin. Val Gilliers was our organist. We were delighted that Father was able enrol our newest member, Deidre Hinton. Members from other local UCM Foundations were invited as well as Parishioners. It was very well attended and a lovely reception in the Parish Hall ended a brilliant evening. A couple of us attended a Rally Mass in St. Georges Cathedral. We were asked to write a bidding prayer on Vocations.
November. We made cakes & served refreshments for the Confirmation Mass. Our meeting involved craft making for the Christmas fairs, including knitted angels.
December. We held our annual Christmas dinner, including the Secret Santa. Organised by our Social Secretary, we went to Rowlands Bistro again.
We have made a donation this year to both our Primary schools for their Breakfast Clubs. We have also donated an amount for the building project.
February. Part 3 of our family Fun Quiz had two winners who both received a small Chocalate Hamper. We raised £125 for the Development Fund.
Due to the current conditions, our meetings are suspended. However, we plan to meet virtually and say our UCM Prayer at 8pm on the day of our meetings until we can meet again.
All plans are on hold, but we do hope to be able to run a Bingo evening in the autumn.
We will continue to support our parish and St. Benedict’s by helping at their summer & Christmas fairs, and any other way we can.
Helen Appleby
President
UCM AGM reports 2022 (From Covid Lockdown Years 2020/21)
President’s Report (2020)
This year has been and continues to be a challenge for everyone, for our little group at Walderslade as much as anyone else. Our monthly meetings became zoom affairs quite quickly. We continue to say our UCM prayer at the start of each meeting; there is something quite special about hearing each other say the prayer in that funny staccato, out of sync way!! We also make a list of special intentions each month, saying the Hail Mary for all those mentioned. After that, it is great to chat with everyone. As we are a relatively small group it hasn’t been too difficult. Our summer & Christmas social evenings included a glass of wine, wishing each other good health!
In September, we decided to try & meet in a local park, socially distanced of course! However, a change of rules got in our way, and we had to abandon the plans! Such a shame, we were so looking forward to it. We did manage, though, to organise our Anniversary Mass in October, which was attended by about 6 of us in person, and several on livestream.
Our usual practice of raising funds has been very much thwarted this year, however each of us has collected for charity in their own way. For example, one member has been knitting red hearts for those seriously ill in hospital. Another has collected anything from beer caps to crisp packets, sending them to a variety of charities. A third has cleared out the garage of unwanted tools and donated them to charity. A calendar produced with & for the NHS is also being promoted by a member of our Group. For the Christmas season a plan was made to collect £10 from each of us in lieu of sending each other cards. We then sent a cheque to Crisis at Christmas.
Prayer has continued to be a big part of our UCM lives. When not able to attend a socially distanced mass, we are able to take part in the livestreamed events.
Throughout this difficult time all our members have been supporting family & friends as best they can. It is a wonderful thought that we are all here for each other and will continue to be throughout everything that is thrown at us.
Secretary’s Report (2021)
Covid Lockdown 3 started the same day as our first meeting for 2021, so it became another Zoom Meeting. Zoom calls continued through until May with an average of 12 ladies ‘tuning in’. In June, restrictions were lifted & 14 of us met in Pauline’s Garden, with guest Fr. Pawel. The first time most of us had met our new Parish priest.
Our summer get together was held in Rowlands bistro, and on 31st August we had our first indoor meeting of the year. We discussed our upcoming 29th Anniversary Mass and the future of the UCM. Our Mass was held on 5th October, which was briefly attended by Margaret Witham who travelled from Folkstone.
We continued to meet in our Parish Hall. Some ladies had knitted a Nativity Set, for which we held a Secret Auction in the parish. This raised £200 for the Development Fund.
In December we collected £10 from each member in lieu of sending Christmas Cards. The sum of £160 was then sent to crisis at Christmas.
A number of Ladies helped with hosting the Deanery Lunch.
We spent a while discussing ‘What are we here for as UCM?’
Social Activities
With Covid restrictions our activities were curtailed. However, we made the most of Zoom with monthly chats, including a Wine Evening!
We managed a few social gatherings as restrictions lifted:
8th June 2021 – We combined our Monthly meeting with a Wine & Nibbles evening in Pauline Jones’ back garden. We invited our new Parish Priest Fr. Pawel.
July 2021 – Our Summer Social was a lovely evening at Rowlands Bistro.
7th December 2021 – Our Christmas meal this year was held in the Ruby Murray Indian Restaurant. A very successful evening included crackers & the Secret Santa.
Welfare Report
Due to Covid restrictions in 2020/2021 it was not possible to visit people. However, former members were contacted by phone on several occasions. They were all pleased to hear that we were thinking of them. One lady expressed her thanks for one of our members who took her the Blessed Sacrament regularly. Support was also given to parishioners who were grieving. We have strong links with Glad to be Grey, therefore outreaching with other Churches in the area.