The evening of 30th January was a joyful one as the Josephine Butler Memorial Trust celebrated having made fifty awards to outstanding Christian Action Projects and Christian Individuals over a Decade in the Churches Together in the Merseyside Region. Five were shortlisted for a 50+ Award.
The Trust is committed to celebrating and affirming the relationship between faith and social action reflecting the life of Josephine Butler (née Grey; 13 April 1828 – 30 December 1906). She campaigned for women’s suffrage, the right of women to better education, the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Act leading to its repeal (the first woman to achieve that!), the abolition of child prostitution and an end to human trafficking of young women and children into European prostitution. The feminist leader Millicent Fawcett hailed her as “the most distinguished Englishwoman of the 19th Century”.
Much of her life was spent in Liverpool where her husband was Principal of Liverpool College (Revd George Butler). She is commemorated in Liverpool Cathedral’s Lady Chapel. The Trust tries to mark her life and work by Awards and grants to events. Its income come from the Josephine Butler College here in Liverpool which closed in the seventies that trained social workers.
The Awards Dinner was attended by Trustees, supporters and Award recipients. Principal Guest was Bishop Ruth Worsley who presented the Awards. The awards were overseen By Pauline Lewis who is Chair of the Trust and the Vice President of our Diocesan Mothers’ Union. The five Awards went to:
Revd Sr Norma Nelson CA , a member of the Church Army. Sr Norma held key national roles including chairing the National Churches Community Work Resources Unit, being responsible for the Church Army Social Work throughout the UK. She was nationally engaged in issues surrounding pastoral care of sex workers and worked with agencies, statutory bodies and sex workers groups to ensure fair treatment and creative approaches in managing prostitution. She was a member of the Clergy Team in Kirkby and returned to live there in retirement. At 90+ she is still active. She has a special link with the Trust having been a student at Josephine Butler College.
Marydale Lodge in St Helens is part of Nugent. It aspires to creating a warm, safe, and caring environment for children and young people aged 10-18 who need extra support during difficult times. The quality of their work is recognised as they are be rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted – a reflection of the love and dedication that the staff team puts into all that do. Marydale is a 12 bedded Secure Children’s Home.
Joyce Hunt an Anglican living in Southport and the widow of a Vicar has led a life of volunteering: establishing a fairtrade shop in Central Liverpool; promoting the Anglican Diocese’s international links; working involved in her parish as a Committee member and Treasurer. In 2014 she became involved with the Learning Room a charity working alongside people with learning disabilities) serving as a volunteer, treasurer & a trustee, providing guidance & support, including attending strategic meeting key agencies. She opened a charity shop for the Learning Rooms which now involves 20 volunteers.
Wigan Family Welfare a charity established in 1958 in the Anglican Deanery using funds following a closure of a Church Home It provides free, confidential counselling, advocacy, and community support for adults, young people, and children in Wigan Borough, focusing on mental health, bereavement, anger, and general life challenges, working across schools, community hubs, and offering support like the Comfort Café, There has been support from Free Churches and Catholic parishes from early days.
Steve Atherton is the former Justice and Peace Worker in the Archdiocese. A teacher before joining the Archdiocese he has been instrumental in the development of the Archdiocese Environment Policy and Ethical Investment Policy. He was pro-active in supporting work on justice and peace in other denominations.
