2010 Newsletter

from the Revd. John Wilkinson, Chair of the Association

tel: 0121-434 3526 .
e-mail: jrwilkinson@dsl.pipex.com

203 Barclay Road
Bearwood
Smethwick B67 5LA

The Festival
I am writing to invite you and all friends of the Diocese of Belize to this year’s BCA Festival. The Festival is always a good opportunity to hear the latest news from Belize and to meet up with old friends. Please make a special effort to join us on this occasion and to extend this invitation to anyone you know who has links with Belize. The more who attend, the more enjoyable is the occasion!

The Festival will be held on Saturday July 10th at St Anne’s, Brondesbury, 125 Salusbury Road, London NW6. The programme is:

• 11.30am Festival Eucharist
President and Preacher: the Revd. John Wilkinson

• 12.30pm ‘Rice and Beans’ Belizean Lunch
delicious home-from-home Belizean food (adults £8, children £4).

• after lunch
- latest from Belize
- personal message from Bishop Philip
- supporting Belize’s Anglican schools
- quick-quick-quick AGM
- raffle
- lots of time to meet and chat

Please book lunches with Barbara Harris
(tel 01295 811310, e-mail bkayharris@googlemail.com) or complete and post the enclosed form) by July 1st.
Please let her know your e-mail address – even if you can’t come – to save us postage costs in future.

 During the Year
• Stewardship
At the beginning of his time as Bishop of Belize, Bishop Philip announced a coherent programme for structuring diocesan mission and ministry. Part of this involved setting the Diocese on a firm financial basis. Last year November was declared Stewardship Month, with a programme led by the Revd. Dr. Anthony Bailey, a Barbadian minister from Canada. He addressed several meetings around the Diocese and worked with parishes to develop a diocese-wide system of Electoral Roll and Family Membership lists, standardised Pledge Cards, amd recognising outstanding persons who portray Stewardship. Dr Bailey also led Bible Study on Stewardship topics. The impact of his work is already being seen in the life of the Diocese.

• Year of the Family
2010 is the Diocese of Belize’s “Year of the Family”. For the young country of Belize, with an equally young population, the family is a critically important area. The Church is therefore making a deliberate effort to focus on the well-being of families; the Cathedral is taking the lead in promoting family-friendly worship and in outreach efforts to families in need. There has also been progress in ministry by and to the youth of the church.

• Schools – and two remarkable women - (i) Sue Harris
As elsewhere, schools in Belize benefit greatly when volunteers take an active interest. Sue, who is from England and now lives in Belize, is Chair of the Managers at St. Stephen’s, Monkey River. She writes: ‘Thanks to everyone for supporting us this year. The feeding programme has made a great difference, we can see the children blossoming, and it has created a lovely family atmosphere at lunch time… Reading is still at the front of our minds and we have been focusing on reading aloud and building confidence and fluency.’

Sue is also Resource Development Director of the Anglican Schools of Belize. Of the new Anglican school, St. Agnes, at Mahogany Heights (on the Western Highway) she says: ‘The children at St Agnes School are some of the poorest we have in our care - but they are, like all children, full of dreams and optimism… We are hoping that the school will become the centre of the community.’ See the website: www.anglicanschoolsbz.com

• (ii) Francis Wilson
For some years Francis, an American mission partner in the Diocese, has been working to create and then develop a school in the San Mateo, a hidden and very deprived area of Ambergris Caye, better known as a tourist resort.
Holy Cross Anglican School was built in San Mateo specifically to provide educational opportunities for children … of whom many were not receiving any schooling. Part of the School's commitment is to serve as an advocate for the disadvantaged people of San Mateo. A fine testimony to the school’s success can be seen in a remarkable video made by a 9 year old girl, Gigi Harris, who on April 17 this year, won first place in the USA National Young Film Maker Documentary Contest. See 'San Mateo' on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4zYQL5Zr8I%5C

For your prayers
Please remember in your prayers Dr John Holder newly elected as Archbishop of the West Indies, Bishop Philip and all the clergy of Belize, readers and officers of the Diocese, and for its life and work and mission. Please also pray for the soul of Mrs Rosalie Viola Maxwell, a Belizean who has lived in England since shortly after the Second World War, for many years a supporter of the Association, who died on 18th April.

The Accounts
Many thanks once more to Chris Stuart, our Treasurer, for preparing the accounts. Overall we are doing well, and our investment, which inevitably lost some of its value when the present financial crisis struck, is now back to its original value as well as continuing to produce a healthy income. The Association has continued to oversee support for the feeding programmes of two Anglican schools.

As required by the Charity Commission, there will be a brief AGM, the agenda for which is attached. Also enclosed is a membership/Standing Order form for you to complete, if you have not already done so, as we are required to have a membership base for the Association. The annual accounts will be presented at the AGM.

Finally
The Committee look forward very much to seeing you and other friends of Belize at this year’s Festival.