AFIA - Away From It All

This is a holiday scheme organized and funded by Mothers Union as a practical and important way to help support family life.

Anyone who is under financial or emotional stress and feels they need a break can apply, provided they meet the listed criteria. We offer a variety of holiday options and try to match the family's requirements.

AFIA Poster

Baby Gowns

There are four hospitals in the Diocese, Bath, Taunton, Yeovil and Weston Super Mare and we supply their Maternity units with :

• Baby Gowns and quilted covers for very premature and stillborn babies. These are beautifully made by members from kits.
• 'pop-in' bags in bright colours which are made for the children who need chemotherapy at Taunton hospital.

Knitted Items

Baby clothes and blankets are provided for young teenage Mums, increasingly through Children's Centres that are being established in many towns. Large knitted blankets go to various nursing homes. Jumpers, hats, gloves and scarves are sent to Eastern Europe and we often receive requests further afield when there has been an emergency.

We send items to:

Children's Centres & Weston Healthy Living Centre

babies cardigans, hats, bootees, cot/pram blankets

children's jumpers, cardigans, hats, gloves, hand puppets, teddies

Our Churches and communities

story bags, baptism teddies, sheep trail

Mission to Seafarers

adult beanie hats, scarves, gloves, neck warmers (dickies)

Homes for the elderly

knee blankets, twiddle muffs, twiddle gloves, twiddle aprons

Royal United Hospital, Bath and Southmead Hospital, Brisol

premature & baby cardigans, cot blankets, angel pockets, neonatal caps, booties

NextLink Project

baby cardigans & jumpers, children's cardigans & jumpers, hats, gloves, pram/cot blankets, baby hats, teddies

Food Bank

large blankets

Gaza

baby hats, baby jackets, a donation of babygros

Free Knitting Patterns Booklet

Parenting Groups

Bringing up children is fun and rewarding but nobody ever said it was easy. By becoming part of an informal parenting group and with the help of a trained facilitator parents can learn together how to bring up confident and happy children.

Women's Refuges

Members collect a variety of items, including, toiletries, bedding, cleaning items and non-perishable goods for the women's refuges across the diocese. Some branches only collect at Easter and Christmas but many collect throughout the year. We have also provided cookery books for young Mums and several families have benefited from a holiday under our AFIA scheme.