Government Report from the Race Disparity Unit in the Cabinet Office on disparities in the risks and outcomes of COVID-19 for ethnic minority communities. The report has been praised for its robust analysis backed by £7 million of Government funding. It identifies the factors which have driven higher infection and mortality rates among ethnic minority groups. These factors are occupation, living with children in multigenerational households, living in densely populated urban areas with poor air quality and higher levels of deprivation. For more information, please visit here.
Distress, loss and bereavement - a support pack from MHA
As part of the regular mailings which our Healthcare Secretary, Mark Newitt, shares with healthcare chaplains, I am passing on a recent publication by MHA, which you may find useful. It is a report aimed at those who are relatives and friends of those living in care settings, but will be helpful to others too.
The support pack, entitled ‘Relative Recovery’, which you can access at link below covers things such as:
Distress, loss and bereavement
Grief
Supporting children
Guilt
Dementia
Two short orders of service for memorials
(cover photo courtesy of Cristian Newman at Unsplash)
Shine a light at 8pm tonight on this National Day of Reflection
Today is being held as a national day of reflection to mark a year since the lockdown in the UK began… and to commemorate all those lost to Covid.
This evening we are invited to shine a light…
At 8pm we'll hold a minute's silence and come together to light up the night. Stand outside with a light – a candle, a torch, even your phone - to remember someone who's died and show your support to people going through a bereavement. Alternatively you can shine a light in your window for everyone to see.
At midday, along with thousands of others in their homes, I observed a time of silence in my lounge, reflecting on those who have died. A poignant powerful time of remembering, grieving and paying.
Marie Curie and partners invite us to observe a national day of reflection. They say, “Since the first lockdown began in 2020, hundreds of thousands of people have died. Too many lives have been cut short and millions have been bereaved. Behind the statistics and whatever the cause, every death has been devastating for the people left behind. Join us today to reflect on our collective loss, support those who've been bereaved, and hope for a brighter future. There are still tough times ahead, as the death toll continues to rise. This annual day will give us all time to pause and think about this unprecedented loss we're facing, and support each other through grief in the years to come.”
Flower, handmade by a member of New Maria Congregational Church, Neath, South Wales
National Day of Reflection
Today is being held as a national day of reflection to mark a year since the lockdown in the UK began… and to commemorate all those lost to Covid.
I have just observed a time of silence in my lounge, reflecting on those who have died. A poignant powerful time of remembering, grieving and paying.
I share with you, as the cover photo on this article, a handmade silk daffodil made by a member of a CF Church I support in Neath, South Wales. The flower was lovingly hand crafted by a member of their church. The community in Neath, as well as so many others across the UK and the world, have lost so many people to the virus - Lord in your mercy, be a comfort to all those who mourn.
Marie Curie and partners invite us to observe a national day of reflection. They say, “Since the first lockdown began in 2020, hundreds of thousands of people have died. Too many lives have been cut short and millions have been bereaved. Behind the statistics and whatever the cause, every death has been devastating for the people left behind. Join us today to reflect on our collective loss, support those who've been bereaved, and hope for a brighter future. There are still tough times ahead, as the death toll continues to rise. This annual day will give us all time to pause and think about this unprecedented loss we're facing, and support each other through grief in the years to come.”
This evening we are invited to shine a light…
At 8pm we'll hold a minute's silence and come together to light up the night. Stand outside with a light – a candle, a torch, even your phone - to remember someone who's died and show your support to people going through a bereavement. Alternatively you can shine a light in your window for everyone to see.
Insights into the social impact of Covid19: understanding poverty and who is most at risk
We are all sharing the experience of the storm caused by COVID-19 and the lockdown, but it is increasingly clear we are not all in the same boat. Some are being buffeted but remain fundamentally secure, yet it is clear that some groups are at risk of being financially overwhelmed.
The Joint Public Issues Team and Church Action on Poverty have started an ongoing programme of research with churches and local charities: Gleanings: Listening and learning about poverty under lockdown. Through surveys and regular focus group conversations we are aiming to understand the impacts being seen seeing on the ground.
This briefing provides a short snapshot, putting churches’ experiences in the rapidly developing wider context, and offering a context for thinking about what happens next.
Updates as the programme develops will be available here.
Summary:
What churches have seen:
● The families who entered the crisis with very low incomes and receiving benefits have been protected from loss of income. They are, however, experiencing a rise in costs for essentials. This is a particular problem for families with children.
● An enormous rise in demand for foodbanks. Trussell Trust figures show an 81% increase overall and a 122% increase in children supported. This rise is patchy throughout the country with some areas reporting little or no effect, and others overwhelmed.
● In England the voucher system introduced to replace Free School Meals and support low income families with children is poorly designed and is failing many schools and families.
● Around 1.5 million families have applied for Universal Credit. The application process has been made much easier, sanctions and debt repayments have essentially ceased and the payment has been increased to £94 per week. Churches are however reporting that those with IT difficulties or needing assistance are facing waits of several weeks for assistance from the usual charities who provide help.
● Debt workers are reporting an increasing number of approaches around managing unsustainable debt.
● Huge income shocks are appearing for middle income families, some of whom are struggling to cope. There are reports of people needing assistance who would not ever have viewed themselves as benefit claimants or foodbank guests.
The groups we are most concerned about:
● families with no recourse to public funds. These are non-UK citizens who can no longer earn money due to the crisis but do not qualify for most benefits.
● low paid self-employed or gig workers who face an income shock with limited state support.
● families who need help with Universal Credit – most commonly due to IT or language difficulties.
● for all of these groups, families struggling with children face additional costs and risks.
Official data on the wellbeing of the UK paints a troubling picture of a generally more insecure and anxious population. Many have faced an income shock or worry that their family will be next.
Alongside this there is deepening concern about the unavoidable household debts building up , often in the form of unpaid rent or utility bills. As we think about how those who need it most may be given muchneeded security in the coming months and years, the biblical ideas of Jubilee – of freedom from the chains of debt - may offer some inspiration and challenge to churches, government and wider society.
Please read full publicaiton here.