The blessings of Angel Tree in Norwich Diocese – Audrey Sharp
When my friend Amanda and I were approached two years ago to take on the coordination of the Angel Tree project in the Norwich diocese MU Branch, we inwardly groaned – another case of ‘ask a busy person’! But when we heard what it was all about, it seemed to us that it was exactly what the Mothers’ Union is for – helping families in need.
We set to work, and Amanda, with her excellent organisational skills, soon set up a system for matching requests to MU Branches, so we knew which gift was for which family and within that, each child. The MU members themselves had been participating for years and already had Angel Tree and its aims in their hearts. The gifts arrived at our regional meeting in late November and Amanda and I returned home with two cars filled with toys and gifts! We felt like the Norfolk branch of Santa Claus Ltd!
And then comes Wrapping Day. We have already bundled together the gifts in family groups for ease of wrapping, purchased lots of postal bags, wrapping paper, parcel tape and written out address labels. We have ordered, in advance, a special collection from Royal Mail to collect over 60 parcels covering 88 gifts. We borrow a room in Diocesan House for the task and are grateful for their hospitality, and the use of their franking machine.
Wrapping Day itself is both a fun and moving experience. One of our kind hearted wrappers has shed a few tears over reading the gift tags that the men have written to their children. Who is not moved by the expression of love of a prisoner Dad to his children? And in doing our work, we all feel a deep connection to those families and privileged to be able to make a small difference to them; our way of helping keep the fragile thread between father and family as strong as it can be. And equally moving is the effort the MU members have gone to, to find exactly what has been requested for each child. Everyone has done their very best to make Christmas as good as it can be, given difficult circumstances.
Royal Mail collects the parcels the same day and normally we hear no more. End of story. Except for this year.
Amanda and I had expressed a wish to visit HMP Wayland, if at all possible, and Annabel Valentine kindly arranged a visit on Sunday 7th December. Amanda was not able to attend in the event, but I joined Annabel at the Sunday service in the Chaplaincy. Bit by bit the parents in prison arrived and I was introduced to many. All at once some people’s eyes lit up as they told me the gifts had already arrived with their children and they were delighted! I was amazed – it was only four days after Wrapping Day. There was no mistaking the appreciation of the men. And by the grace of God, I recognised the names of some of their children, and in one case actually recalled the gifts that we’d wrapped for them. The man was overjoyed! And we gave a round of applause for Royal Mail!
We started by groaning when asked to take on Angel Tree. Now we are basking in the blessings it has brought us: the opportunity to make a real difference, to honour the little children, to support prisoners at a dreadful time in their lives and to help maintain the fragile relationships in their families. Who could say no to such blessings?
Amanda Hart and Audrey Sharp coordinate Angel Tree and belong to Mother’s Union Fakenham Branch.
Photos:
- Some of the presents about to be posted from Diocesan House.
- Our team of wrappers: Husband and wife Sonia and Andy, Amanda, Sue and husband Jeremy. Poppy, the cockapoo, is resting under the table, exhausted!
