Child criminals on the increase
The number of children caught committing crimes has risen by nine per cent in just the past year.
Altogether, the number of under-18s who have been arrested for all crimes has risen by 16 per cent since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. It now stands at nearly 60,000.
Crimes of violence, robbery and knife possession all feature highly. Under-18s now account for nearly four in 10 of all robbery arrests where they have used force to steal from a person or a place.
Government-backed agencies are linking the increase of these crimes to the effects of lockdown, when children were left isolated at home, without the support of their teachers, social networks and sports activities.
Simon Harding, a professor of criminology at St Mary’s University, London, said: “There are many cases of children attacking or killing other children and using weapons that were once considered extreme outside of a Hollywood or gangster movie, but which are now becoming commonplace.”
Weapon possession among the young is also soaring since the pandemic. Children account for nearly one in five (18.4 per cent) of all arrests for weapon possession. Almost one in 20 (4.6 per cent) of knife assaults leading to hospital treatment involved children aged under 16. Research by the Ben Kinsella Trust found that one in 20 children aged 12 or over have carried a knife.
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What issues most concern us?
In a recent article for The Tablet, the international Roman Catholic newspaper, its lobby correspondent listed a number of things that seem to most concern the UK at the moment, and which therefore indicate the challenges facing the new Government.
She listed, in no particular order:
- Breakdown of the justice system and overcrowding in prisons;
- social care and the NHS; planning and housing;
- defence in a troubled world;
- help for the poor and vulnerable and disabled;
- climate change;
- education;
- the asylum system and immigration;
- Brexit and its aftermat;
- the water industry;
- economic equality and the economy;
- and scandals of the Post Office, Windrush, Grenfell and the victims of contaminated blood.
- As the New Testament instructs Christians to pray for their civic leaders, (1 Timothy 2:2), the list may be useful in guiding our own public and private prayers for the nation.
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When poverty pushes people into dark places
As Christmas approaches, the charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is warning that “Poverty has become more ruthless than ever. There are rarely simple solutions anymore. Families can’t afford to live, let alone repay debt, as incomes don’t cover the basics.”??
CAP tells the story of Bea, one of its clients. “Like nearly half of CAP’s clients, Bea’s income wasn’t enough to live on. She and her husband had been made redundant and, no matter how careful she was, after paying for rent, food, and other essentials, the money couldn’t stretch to the end of the month. “I got to the point where I didn’t want to be here. I was in a black hole, and couldn’t get out.”
Nearly half of CAP’s clients have attempted or considered suicide as a way out of debt, as on-going poverty and debt is literally driving people to the brink.
And so this Christmas, CAP is asking for support, as “your gift to CAP could save lives. The holistic care and debt help local churches across the UK are providing is vital for people like Bea.”
If you would like to send a donation, please visit: https://capuk.org
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New Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons
The Revd Mark Birch has been appointed by HM The King as a Canon of Westminster and by Sir Lindsay Hoyle as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Mark has been a Minor Canon at Westminster Abbey since January 2015. He has been responsible to the Dean of Westminster for the daily worshipping life of the Abbey, and for designing and planning many of the special services.
Mark previously served in parishes and as Chaplain of Helen and Douglas House, Oxford, which offers hospice care for children and young adults. He was also Chaplain, and remains a patron, of Treloar’s School and College, which offers education to young disabled people. Before training to become a priest, Mark was a veterinary surgeon.
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Church-goer Sir Paul Marshall buys The Spectator for £100m
Sir Paul Marshall, a member of Holy Trinity Brompton in London, says he is “delighted” to have bought the world’s oldest current affairs magazine, The Spectator, for £100 million.
The hedge fund tycoon and GB News investor outbid 20 other hopefuls to buy the right-leaning political title, first published in 1828.
Marshall, who has been described as one of the UK’s most generous philanthropists, is reported to have given over £5.5million a month to charity in 2023 according to the Sunday Times Giving List.
Sir Paul, owner of online magazine UnHerd, donated £100,000 to the official Brexit campaign, Vote Leave in 2016 and has reportedly donated a further £500,000 to the Conservative Party.
Marshall is also a benefactor of the St Paul’s Theological Centre, St Mellitus Training College, the Centre for Cultural Witness based at Lambeth Palace, and the Church Revitalisation Trust. He is a founder trustee of children’s charity Ark, and former chairman of Ark Schools. He is also the father of former Mumford & Sons banjo player, Winston Marshall.
The Spectator and Telegraph Media Group (TMG) were both owned by the billionaire Barclay family until last year when the businesses were put up for sale to help pay off the family’s debts to Lloyds Bank. They were acquired by Abu-Dhabi-backed media consortium RedBird IMI, through a £600 million call option.
However, in March, the UK Government had RedBird IMI relist the media assets, introducing legislation that prevents foreign states from owning UK newspaper companies.
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CMS training hits a new level
The number of students entering the Church Mission Society (CMS) Pioneer Mission Training programme has this year risen to record levels, enhanced by the enrolment of a cohort of students from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
At a time when many Christian training colleges are struggling to attract new students, a total of 45 students enrolled for the CMS Pioneer Mission Training programme for the new academic year, spread over its undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral research courses.
CMS Pioneer Mission Training is now in its 14th year of helping prepare students for mission at the edges of society, with innovative and creative initiatives designed to engage people who fall outside the scope of traditional church programmes.
Bishop Martin Gordon, a CMS mission partner and the Bishop of Goma in Eastern Congo, said the group of Congolese men and women, who are aged between 27 and 45, are expected to become senior leaders in the Diocese.
Joseph Ola, African Christianity MA lecturer at CMS, said: “The Congolese cohort come with a burning desire to acquire practical knowledge that directly addresses the unique challenges they face, coming from a war-torn region. We are thrilled to welcome them, and confident that this training will equip them to develop transformative mission strategies for their communities.”
More info at: https://churchmissionsociety.org/pioneer
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Herod’s Secret Policeman
Open Doors has launched a new tool for families and churches, aimed at explaining religious persecution in an age-appropriate way.
Herod’s Secret Policeman is a children’s story book and animated video which tells the fictional tale of Secret Policeman Number 3 (and his toy sheep, Nellie), of the people he met on the journey, and the way in which the encounter with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph changed him forever.
“It’s an imaginative take on this familiar story that will introduce children — in a very gentle way — to the pressures faced by believers around the world, many of whom live under surveillance, or are at risk because of their faith,” said Open Doors US CEO Ryan Brown. “It helps children understand that some Christians today might even have to flee for their lives, just as Mary, Joseph, and Jesus did.”
The book and video are available for download at opendoorsus.ubpages.com/herods-place/. More information about what believers endure around the world and how Christians can pray for them can be found at: https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/
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Visit the C of E online page
There is now a range of digital resources for to you connect with God at this difficult time. These include:
Time to Pray app (https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/apps/time-to-pray) which is free and has an accompanying daily audio offering on SoundCloud and iTunes.
Mental health reflections (https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-action/mental-health-resources/supporting-good-mental-health)
Tips to tackle isolation (https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-action/mental-health-resources/dealing-loneliness-and-isolation-five-top-tips)
Finally, there are the Church’s smart speaker apps, which provide a range of Christian resources. https://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith/our-smart-speaker-apps In March alone, the number of people using the Alexa app rose by more than 70 per cent.
More details at: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online
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