OCCASIONAL NEWS FROM FRIENDS WITHOUT BORDERS (PORTSMOUTH)

First Occasional News of 2019

A bit late but there has been the Annual Report and coming in April gives us opportunity to remind you of our Annual Meeting on 29th April, All Saints 19:00. The speaker will be from the wonderful Refugees at Home charity and supper is included – Business – Talk – Supper. The Dean (Anthony Cane) and the Lord Mayor Select (David Fuller) will be among the guests.

Bishops’ Visit

The two Bishops of Portsmouth (Anglican and Roman Catholic) visited the dropin together on Thursday 4th April.

They saw what goes on, were introduced to everyone, and worked the room with great enthusiasm, greeting our clients.
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Bishop Philip (the Catholic Bishop) told us that he says a prayer every time he passes All Saints.

​Chichester Visit

Seventy of our clients visited Chichester in April on a “Fun Day Out” organised by the Quakers and supported by Stagecoach buses and the Cathedral.

The visitors came on Stagecoach 700 buses, courtesy of Stagecoach and were taken on a short guided tour through the Bishop’s Garden and the Cathedral Close to North Street and the Quaker Meeting House where they had lunch.

​There was face painting and Easter egg hunts before an afternoon which included the options of a football match, play in the Priory Park play area or a visit to Chichester Cathedral. Some of the men took time out to go to the Mosque for Friday prayers

House Hunting

We are house hunting! Looking for a furnished house near to All Saints to use as the Friends Without Borders Hostel. If anyone knows a bit about property and would like to help please contact me.

Football ​

From the beginning of March we started taking a group to the Charles Dickens Sports Hall (5 minutes walk from All Saints) after the Monday Dropin.

Support is a bit patchy – once 12, often 7 or 8, once only four when the footballers showed their pragmatism by playing an enthusiastic game of badminton. We’re ploughing on though, keeping to a regular time and day in the hope that support will build.

What we really need is a volunteer with some coaching experience – a sports student perhaps – a bit of coaching would take us to a new level. 

Art Trail

The Emsworth Art Trail this year is in support of Friends Without Borders! 

The launch party is on Friday 26th April at 18:00 and I will be speaking very briefly with one of our “old boys”, Majid Dhana, who’s reading one of his poems.

Do come if you can!

Very best wishes to you all,

Michael

Chairman@friendswithoutborders.org.uk