A small group of us collected at the Multi Faith Centre at Manchester Royal Infirmary on Wednesday October 8^th to hear about the work of the Centre and to look around. We had a most interesting time -  first of all we were invited to refreshments and the members of the team introduced themselves. Then Rev Neil Hepworth gave us a powerpoint presentation showing an overview of the work of the Chaplaincy and we also heard some moving case histories. This prompted a lot of discussion after which we were shown around the Centre with its facilities for ablution and  the prayer room with its beautiful, illuminated prayer tree upon which people had hung leaves with prayers written on them. It was an oasis of calm in the bustling hospital, especially soundproofed so as to be a place of quiet.  We were then taken on a tour of the various hospitals on the site before returning to the prayer room for a few moments of meditation and prayers for peace. It was a most enjoyable event and good to meet a team of such dedicated people. We are most grateful to Rev Peter Gomm and his colleagues for their hospitality and hope some time to return for an evening visit when more people may be able to attend.

Carolyn Jones

(Hon. Sec., Altrincham Interfaith Group)

It was a packed hall at St Ambrose Preparatory School, Hale Barns, with over 80 people coming to hear the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Peter Fahy, deliver his talk entitled “Do not judge and you will not be judged – The challenges of being a Police Officer and a Christian, and the balance between punishment, rehabilitation and blame.”  His address was eloquent and interesting, touching on several aspects of police work; he stressed that many people were in a prison, not behind walls but in a prison of their minds, with the majority offending as a result of social problems such as illiteracy, drugs and alcohol abuse; 60% of the prison population have been in care compared to the 1% of the general population. Domestic violence was also a big problem.  These trends have caused the police to think about working in another way, cooperating with other agencies to solve these problems. He explained how we must prize diversity, and reach out to try to understand the stranger, not fear him. We all have to play our part, and look out for our neighbours and he cited the work of ROC – Reclaim Our Communities, and the need to care for our elderly.  He summed up his talk with the plea – do not judge others; people are prisoners of their lifestyle and you need to break the cycle. Help others -  churches must be outward-facing, not just focussing on prayer, providing debt counselling, for instance. He was a committed Christian who obviously loved his job and cared deeply about others. There were many questions, mainly on our relations with the Muslim communities, and afterwards we all enjoyed some delicious refreshments.

We thank Mr Driscoll and the staff of St Ambrose Preparatory School for allowing us to use the Hall and all the excellent facilities.

Carolyn Jones

(Hon. Sec., Altrincham Interfaith Group)