The astonishing scale of Britain’s illegal drug use
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned of a dramatic rise in the use of recreational drugs, especially among young people.
Ketamine usage in England more than doubled last year. Almost 25 tonnes of ketamine were consumed, as opposed to 10.6 tonnes in 2023.
Almost 100 tonnes of cocaine were consumed in England last year, up from 88 tonnes in 2023. This had an estimated street value of £7.7 billion, almost double the NCA’s previous estimate. It is the equivalent of £100 spent on cocaine by every person in the country.
The rise of trendy ‘designer drug cocktails’ is leading to dangerous overdoses among young people in nightclubs.
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Danger on rural roads
Did you know that driving on rural roads is more dangerous than driving on urban ones?
According to the NFU Mutual’s Rural Road Safety report for 2023, the number of lives lost on rural roads was a staggering 70% higher than on urban highways. Also, collisions on rural roads were around four times more likely to result in a fatality than on an urban one.
The reasons as to why this should be include: changing speed limits, blind corners, field entrances, narrow carriageways, single lanes with no hard shoulders, limited or no road lighting, mud and debris on the road, livestock and wild animals on the road, and agricultural vehicles.
And so it is that the NFU has campaigned to improve rural road safety, and it has now published its ‘Code for Countryside Roads’ to guide people as to how to drive safely. More info at: https://www.nfumutual.co.uk
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Send a Bible a month
By regularly giving £10, you can put a Bible into a needy stranger’s hands each month.
What kind of stranger? Someone like Anatoliy, a Christian in Ukraine who can reach soldiers on the frontlines. Two weeks after he gave a Bible to a soldier called Kyrylo, Anatoliy met him again and heard about the difference that gift had made.
“I have never been to church,” Kyrylo said. “I never read the Bible, because I never had one. Here, at the combat positions, in short moments of silence, I started reading from the book of Psalms, as Anatoliy had advised me.
“I feel warmth inside me while reading. I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I realised that it was God who came to me, a sinner, at the age of 57. He came here, to the swamp, to the horrors of the war, to find me. Thank you for the Bible. It revived me to a new life, a life with God.”
Bible Society would love to get more Bibles out to more lonely, frightened people like Kyrylo. If you want to join the Bible Society’s family of committed monthly supporters, please go to: https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/giving/regular/bible-a-month-signup/
Your faithful support will provide the backbone for global Bible outreach.
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Third Most Dangerous Country in the World for Christians
After North Korea and Somalia, where in the world is it most dangerous to be a Christian?
The World Watch List puts Yemen in third place.
Yemen lies just south of Saudi Arabia and just east of Ethiopia. Torn apart by civil war, the extremist Islamist Houthi group are increasing in power, and both they and al-Qaeda and Islamic State are determined to uphold strict Sharia (Islamic law).
All Christians are in danger in Yemen. No one knows their exact numbers, but it is probably between 3,000 and 20,000.
The main threats are from clan oppression and Islamic oppression. Their families disown and disinherit them. They are divorced, lose custody of their children, are banished, and often murdered. The government puts Christian in detention, where they face torture, ill-treatment and often murder.
Open Doors helps Christians in Yemen through prayer, some relief aid, secret training for pastors, and livelihood support. If you want to help, please go to: https://www.opendoorsuk.org
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Parish revitalisations and rural areas to receiving funding for mission
Parish revitalisations, work with children, young people and families and training for mission in rural areas are among a range of programmes to spread the Christian faith backed by the latest round of grants awarded by the Church of England.
The Dioceses of Carlisle, Chelmsford, Rochester, Sheffield, St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and Winchester are to receive awards for programmes to support parishes and serve communities, ranging from funding for new congregations in churches to funding for clergy and lay workers in urban and rural areas.
The awards, made by the Church of England’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) invest in low-income communities and seek to promote diversity in congregations and church leadership.
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Restoration of Bangor’s Bible Gardens
Bangor’s historic Bible Gardens are undergoing a significant transformation as part of the city’s 1500th anniversary celebrations, with preparatory work already underway.
Located next to Saint Deiniol’s Cathedral, the Bible Garden is being reimagined in collaboration with Bangor City Council and the Cathedral.
Originally established in 1961 by Dr. Tatham Whitehead, then Professor of Botany at the University College of North Wales, the green space was designed to feature plants and trees mentioned in the Bible. Dr Whitehead’s research identified 148 plants referenced in the scriptures, with the garden attempting to cultivate as many of these species as possible.
The restoration project is based on the original design and planting scheme from the archives. Substitutions of more climate-resilient species will be made where necessary.
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Church Commissioners for England gives wings to butterfly conservation efforts
The Church Commissioners for England has agreed a fresh lease with Butterfly Conservation at Magdalen Hill Down, a nature reserve on the edge of Winchester in the South Downs National Park.
For more than three decades, the Church Commissioners for England has supported Butterfly Conservation’s efforts to boost butterfly species in this, England’s newest national park.
Magdalen Hill Down is an important area of scenic open space on Church Commissioners land that is easily accessible on foot from Winchester’s city centre.
Over 30 years, Butterfly Conservation’s efforts have ensured the steep chalk hillside is home to healthy populations of over 30 butterfly species. It is now home to the largest population of Brown Argus butterflies in Hampshire, and the area’s Adonis Blue butterflies are also thriving.
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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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