“There’s a cognitive dissonance about rape. Everyone says they abhor rape; almost everyone will make an exception for the rapes committed by their friends. Every declaration that ‘we believe survivors’ or ‘sexual abuse is never okay’ is followed by ‘but’.” theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

This is reality for so many women. I sincerely wish society would change for the better, but the current discourse doesn't give me much hope.

She sat at the back and they said she was shy She led from the front and they hated her pride They asked her advice and then questioned her guidance They branded her loud then were shocked by her silence When she shared no ambition, they said it was sad So she told them her

Christian Aid is devastated by the escalation of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. 🔗 Read more here: spkl.io/60074W3vd

This is why I love being a Girlguiding leader - enabling girls to be more confident in themselves,in a world that often knocks that confidence simply because they are girls. & we have loads of fun too-even if I most recently learnt I can only canoe in circles and not go straight!

We’ve teamed up with our friends at Google UK to launch some exciting new activities that’ll teach girls the essential skills for staying safer online! 💻

Parenting is pivoting between conflict management (yes, the cheese on toast has been fairly distributed) to theological debate (Is God sad when people die?) to risk management (I don’t advise eating that off the floor) - in the space of 5 mins.

The Revd Canon Karen Rooms was announced as the 3rd Dean of Leicester yesterday. Read more about the story here -leicestercathedral.org/news/2023/12/n…

Pastoral Assistant Joan Hawkins struck gold when she approached the local Co-op about fundraising for the church''s Lunch Club, Cinema Club and Holiday at Home scheme, which help reduce isolation amongst older people living in Groby, Ratby & beyond: buff.ly/46pkdV3

A woman accosts me on the train to tell me excitedly that she has never seen a woman in a clergy collar before. She has recently arrived in the UK. And she is *thrilled* to learn that she now has a parish church! For all that the CofE gets wrong, these encounters are a delight.

Who agreed to making this January eight weeks long?

Almost three in 10 secondary pupils are avoiding going to school because doing so would make them anxious, a survey has found. Across the UK, 28% of 12- to 18-yearolds have not attended school over the last year for that reason, with experts warning that many stayed away because

9 years ago, I had a dream that every person who had lost a baby before 24 weeks gestation would be able to get an official government-issued certificate to formally acknowledge their loss, and today, those certificates are happening. Whatever the gestation, whether a parent has

Meet our new trustees Girlguiding Midlands 🎉👇 looking forward to working with these ladies to take the region forward.

So it seems I've got a new role with Girlguiding Midlands as a Trustee - really excited to volunteer in a different way in this brilliant organisation, for all girls across our region, having adventure and fun as Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers Girlguiding Girlguiding Leicestershire

Amazing privilege to volunteer at 1st Ratby Rainbows and Brownies Girlguiding Leicestershire Girlguiding Midlands and see girls have fun and challenge themselves.

Drawing: Possible causes of your problems. I've been appalled at the scenes we've witnessed over the last few days. It's utterly unacceptable that people should have to live in fear because of the colour of their skin. [Polite comments only, please.]

Great day with fellow trustees thinking about future plans and adventures for lots of girls and young women in Girlguiding Midlands

The horrifying reality of being a woman, perfectly summarised by Cait O'Ryan If you give even the slightest shit about women, watch it all. This is what it’s like.

A prayer for the people of Iran and the whole region, including Israel, Gaza and the West Bank - the innocent who will suffer in this conflict.