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Central England Quakers Events

Area Meeting April 2024

10:00 am - 5:00 pm on 27/04/2024 at Sutton Coldfield Quaker Meeting House, Kenelm Rd, B73 6HD.

An all-day Area Meeting, with a workshop in the morning 10.30am-12.30pm (arrivals from 10am) entitled 'Our Area Meeting - developing and shaping our future together'. Lunch will be provided and over lunch there will be an activity around sustainability. The Meeting for Worship for business will be from 2pm-5pm. Our Area Business Meeting is a special type of Meeting for Worship used to make decisions: from how Quakers spend our money, to adopting a Concern. Agenda items deadline 9th April. Any Member can attend these meetings and take part in decision making: if you are an attender and would like to attend, please ask an Elder or Pastoral Care Friend at your Local Meeting.  The meeting will be chaired by a Clerk, who will introduce items of business to be discussed, and allow questions to be asked.  Members of the meeting sit silently in worship, reflecting on the matter in hand and try to Discern the way forward. Read more about Quaker structures. Image: Friends Meeting at Cambridge, MA.  

Friends’ Cinema

7:00 pm on 18/05/2024 at Barnt Green & Redditch Quaker Meeting House, 6 Sandhills Rd, B45 8NR .

Barnt Green & Redditch Quakers invite you to join them at their monthly film showing. All welcome. This month: Walt Disney’s delightful Irish comedy romance about Derby O’Gill, a wily old codger, who matches wits with the King of the Leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad (Sean Connery) who has replaced him as caretaker. Technically excellent, the camera work, special effects, and Irish music are a rich feast. N.B. Our licensing agreement allow us to advertise the titles of films only on or premises. See the notice boards in the Meeting House and by the gate for titles – or work them out from the clues!

Midlands Green Quakers

7:00 pm - 8:15 pm on 20/05/2024 at , , .

Midlands Green Quakers is a network of Friends from across the region who share a concern about the climate and ecological emergency. This month: we’ll be hearing from Chris Martin, Claire Bowman and Pete Doubtfire (Central England Quakers) on Birmingham Quakers and Interfaith Climate Justice Action. Register to receive the Zoom details. Midlands Green Quakers is a peer support group for any Friends concerned about Climate Justice. It is open to the whole of the Midlands region (including CEQ), and is convened by Sarah Shaw, the East Midlands Local Development Worker. The group recently changed its name to Midlands Green Quakers. This was prompted in part by the fact that ‘Midlands Quakers for Climate Justice and Sustainability Network’ doesn’t really trip off the tongue; it was also inspired by the point raised in Peter Illing and Nicola Phelan’s talk last December, that the term ‘Green’ encompasses the wide range of issues connected to the environmental movement. For further information about joining these sessions, or to sign up for the monthly e-bulletin, please contact Sarah Shaw at sarahs@quaker.org.uk

Christians at Pride

10:30 am on 25/05/2024 at outside Carrs Lane Church, Carrs Lane, BN4 7SX.

Quakers are invited to join with other Christians at Birmingham Pride 2024. We will share a short time of prayer outside the Church at Carrs Lane before those who are marching leave at 11:15 to head to Colmore Row (Java Roastery). A group will also be staying at Carrs Lane to distribute stickers and sweets as part of the Christians at Pride roadside team. Please be aware that if we have more people than our allocated number to march our LGBTQIA+ friends (and then pre-sign ups of allies) will be given priority to march. Unlimited numbers can be part of the roadside team at Carrs Lane so there will still be a way for you to participate regardless. Whatever church or faith community you are part of, you are welcome to join us in celebration and affirmation of LGBTQ+ folks and the gift they/we are to communities of faith, spirituality and justice. Save the date, registration will be available via Inclusive Gathering nearer the time.

Create and Connect at Cotteridge

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm on 29/05/2024 at Cotteridge Quaker Meeting House, 23A Watford Rd, B30 1JB.

Do you enjoy drawing, painting, knitting, crotchet, sewing, weaving…? Or would you like to have a go for the first time? Come and join in art/craft projects supplied by us, or simply bring your own handywork to do in a companionable, relaxed atmosphere. We will provide hot drinks and light refreshments. This month: decorate cloth bags with/for female asylum-seekers TBC. Women only for this session. Sessions are on the last Wednesday of each month 2-4pm.  You do not have to come every month, although we would love to build a regular community. Invite your friends to come along too. Sometimes there will be a one-off activity advertised in advance.

Natural Art Exhibition

10:00 am - 4:00 pm on 01/06/2024 - 02/06/2024 at Barnt Green & Redditch Quaker Meeting House, 6 Sandhills Rd, B45 8NR .

Barnt Green Quakers invite you to a sustainable art exhibition created using pressed leaves and beeswax. By Hui-Ying Chang, an international award-winning nature artist from Taiwan. Free admission, all are welcome. Download a poster for the exhibition

Yearly Meeting 2024

All Day on 26/07/2024 - 30/07/2024 at Online and at Friends House, 173 Euston Road, NW1 2BJ.

Yearly Meeting (YM) is our annual opportunity for Quakers across Britain to come together in worship, learning and inspiration.  Britain Yearly Meeting 2024 will take place in London over the weekend of 26–30 July. This year, we will ask Friends to consider Integrity and Truth and we will discern Yearly Meetings formal role in steering the Society of Friends and how this is best kept continuous and relevant. Yearly Meeting 2024 will be a longer event than in 2022 or 2023, allowing us to spend more time together, particularly in community events. It will run from Friday to Tuesday, with plenty of opportunities for discussions and fringe meetings. Preparation sessions and Special Interest meetings will be held online from Friday 5–Wednesday 10 July, 2024. Read more about YM 2024 and register. The way in which Friends engage with Yearly Meeting has changed over the last few years. Yearly Meeting Agenda Committee has decided it’s important that Yearly Meeting remains open to those joining online, and so for the next few years it will continue to be held at Friends House where we are confident of our ability to manage the necessary technology. Friends are asked to reserve your place for Yearly Meeting whether you plan to attend online or in person. Junior Yearly Meeting (JYM) is a parallel event for young people that is open to anyone born between 1 September 2005 and 31 August 2008. JYM 2024 will be a residential event in central London, also on 26 – 30 July. Details of the event and how to apply are available now. The deadline for area meetings to make nominations and for open place bookings is Sunday 24 March 2024. Read more about Junior Yearly Meeting.