News
Kindlers Workshop – 11 October 2025
On 11 October Friends participated in a workshop to explore and deepen our spirituality, facilitated by the Kindlers. The event was well attended, and we were able to welcome some Friends from other, smaller meetings in the area.
In-reach / Outreach Committee did a good job organising this workshop and preparing us for the day. The workshop was busy and fast-paced, and not without its hiccups.
However, Friends have happily shared their experiences – and you can find some anonymous contributions below:
“It was good to have facilitated conversations with Friends. The range of guided exercises was useful and I found them a good way of connecting with people I had not interacted with before, and to learn new and surprising depths in Friends I thought I knew well.”
“I was glad to have time with some of those in the Meeting whom I do not know well. Glad that a good many Friends were able to stand back from our usual busyness and share about fundamentals of faith.”
“I was pleased that the meeting was hosting a Kindlers event to help deepen the spiritual life of the meeting. I felt this event went partway towards meeting that goal.”
“Really good to have a chance to share our spiritual experiences with one another. I found great richness and variety in the deep sharing.”
True to their word, the Kindlers led Friends not only in dialogue and discussion, but also in body-led prayer and art-based activities. A few outcomes of the “drawing the Spirit” exercise are included on this page.
What is an Explorers’ Group?
Many people find Quaker worship and the Quaker way ‘speaks to their condition’. We know that because each year many people who are new Quakerism join us at Meeting for Worship. But while they may like what they find, they often are not sure what it is they have found; not least because Quakers have their own language, not spoken outside.
Because our Meetings are unprogrammed you can attend for some considerable time and not be much the wiser. Braver ‘enquirers’ can ask questions after meeting but there is rarely time for a full answer, which may in any case vary according to who replies. They may also find it hard to get to know anyone else, at all, let alone in the things that are eternal.
Explorers groups were set up to address these needs. Each group comprises 3-6 people who are new (or newish) to Quaker Meeting plus two more experienced Friends. They meet for around six sessions, (possibly plus a celebratory meal) normally on a weekday evening in someone’s house. Each group meeting focuses on a particular subject, reflecting what the group has said it wishes to know more about. The Woodbrooke publication “Becoming Friends” (unfortunately currently out of print) provides some input, as does Quaker Faith & Practice. But so does the experience of everyone in the room. Quakerism is after all an experiential religion, always open to new light. And the sessions are highly interactive – everyone has their say.
By the end of the programme, the group should know much more about Quakerism and know some answers to their questions – or at least some ways in which some questions might be answered. Hence their experience of Quakerism may be enriched – this applies to the more experienced Friends too. And, importantly, the group will know more people in the Meeting.
So, what is it like to attend an explorers’ group? Jonathan Heawood shares his experience: “I arrived for my first explorers’ group session with some trepidation. I felt drawn towards Quakerism, but I didn’t know exactly what it was, or what it required of me. Was I expected to believe in something? If so, what? Was it okay to attend Quaker meetings if I couldn’t sign up to the idea of god? In that first session, we talked about our previous experiences with religion; about spirituality, meditation and prayer. At times, some of us became animated, as we tried to put our beliefs and non-beliefs into words. At other times, we sat in silence, reflecting on what we had just heard. Often, there was laughter. Over the following weeks, Kim and Ann generously and patiently taught us a huge amount about Quakerism – not as a body of knowledge or dogma, but as an unfolding conversation in which we had a part to play. We were free to express our doubts and concerns. I was particularly sceptical about the idea of spoken ministry. And then, one Sunday, I found myself getting to my feet at a meeting for worship. It seemed that I had something to say, and, shaking slightly, I said it. I now feel more strongly than ever that Quakerism is for me. Not because it has changed me. But because it speaks, cleanly and clearly, to something that was already there.”
Currently there is one explorers’ group on the go, and another may be organised over the summer. If you are interested in participating, please speak to a member of the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (PaCET) after meeting for worship on Sunday or Wednesday. (Times of meetings for worship at Lewes are listed on the Home Page of this website.)
John Ashcroft
Memories – In the Meeting House garden, August 2020
An evening with Friends, just before lockdown 2020!
On Friday 31st January 2020, our Resident Friends, David and Louise Tinsley hosted an early evening supper followed by a slideshow presentation of their three years serving as Resident Friends in Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand. It was a very enjoyable evening. David and Louse provided approximately 30 Lewes Friends with a delicious vegan casserole and Friends brought other dishes to contribute to the supper. There were plenty of lovely desserts, fresh fruits and cheeses to choose from, to finish our meal. The slideshow contained photographs of some of the highlights of our Resident Friends’ time in New Zealand; a country that they both recommend for its friendly, generous and thoughtful citizens, as well as the glorious countryside and opportunities to enjoy outdoor living. Zoe’s young son joined us for the evening and was given the chance to win a few special Lego pieces by identifying certain objects in the slideshow as the presentation progressed. We were all impressed that our young Friend rose to the challenge and won all the pieces! A splendid night was had by all. Many thanks to David and Louise for their hospitality.
Drew Fisher – February 2020
Quaker Social Action: Then and now
My first contact with this organisation was when I was a child living in the Buckinghamshire country village of Jordans. Once a year our Meeting would host a visit from a group of children from the Hoxton area. We would organise games on the village green and provide a home-made tea. A day out for children from a deprived part of London. Something of a culture clash for me and the sheltered children of our Meeting to see different clothing and hear different accents (and probably a new vocabulary).
It may sound patronising, but these and the return visits gave us a brief glimpse of the East End and its problems. They must have helped make me aware of my privileged position. I couldn’t escape that then and I still can’t. Privilege is the theme of the Yearly Meeting in London in May this year of Quakers from all over the country – it will be interesting to see what we make of it.
In those days Quaker Social Action went by the name of The Bedford Institute. The excellent website www.quakersintheworld.org says that “The Bedford Institute Association was created out of three earlier Quaker organisations for the, “Education, Religious Effort, Moral Training, and Relief of the sick and destitute,” in the East End of London. Its name commemorates Peter Bedford, a Quaker silk weaver from Spitalfields, who formed the Society for Lessening the Causes of Juvenile Delinquency. This, together with a Working Men’s Club and First Day (Sunday) School became the Bedford Institution Association in 1867.” I’m glad we don’t use such titles nowadays but the work itself remains highly relevant to the communities within which it is still located.
A few years ago I heard the dynamic Director of QSA, Judith Moran, speak about its current work. She got us doing one of the exercises used in their ‘Made of Money’ programme which helps people gain better financial control of their lives. We had to shuffle cards on the floor to prioritise various uses of money. We did not agree but we were made to think and to open up on areas that are usually kept private.
QSA seems to have the ability to spot the issues that need addressing at the present moment and make a constructive response to them. I’m glad it’s been chosen for us to support.
Chris Lawson – 3 March 2019
Manifesto: Sanctuary Everywhere
As Quakers we have long worked for peace and equality because of our belief that there is that of God in everyone, everywhere, whoever they are. Through Quakers’ longstanding work welcoming newcomers to our shores, we have seen up close that the government’s creation of a ‘hostile environment’ is increasingly embedding policies of discrimination into the practices of the British state. Quakers in Britain are committed to working with others to change this, creating a culture of compassion and welcoming hospitality that answers that of God in every person.
Our Meeting for Sufferings was born of a response to the government’s systematic discrimination against Quakers in the past. Today we turn that experience into solidarity, and stand against all oppression and suffering. We declare our determination to work for sanctuary everywhere, including here in Britain, by agreeing this Manifesto for change.
Human rights standards for all should be the foundation on which any national policy or international agreement on migration is founded, and these include the right to work, to learn, to housing, to medical care and to security in the event of adverse circumstances beyond personal control.
We will campaign for change to the asylum process so that it is built on a culture of compassion and practical response, rather than starting from an assumption of disbelief. Within the UK system of immigration detention is institutional violence and discrimination. We oppose indefinite detention, which we believe neither right nor necessary, and will work towards the closure of all detention centres. Other more humane policies are more effective and should be introduced.
Our belief in every human being’s equality leads us to oppose unjust deportations and removals, whether to the EU or to the wider world. The humanitarian risks of trafficking and unsafe passage lead us to work for new, peaceful, safer routes of migration including the introduction of humanitarian visas and improved rules for family reunion.
To ourselves and wider society, we reaffirm our determination to acknowledge and dismantle discrimination in all of its forms, wherever it is to be found.[Meeting for Sufferings December 2017]
Regional Meeting seemed like a golden opportunity to find out more about the concept of Sanctuary. Chichester Meeting is part of the wider ‘City of Sanctuary’ movement and Quakers there are starting to get involved. The speakers for the morning were experienced in offering support to refugees and asylum seekers. They are not Quakers but their approaches are closely related to Quaker objectives and principles.
Michael Woolley is Chair of Friends Without Borders (Portsmouth). He started with the data: 66 million people in the UK, 36 million tourists each year, 230,000 immigrants last year, 26,000 of whom are asylum seekers. Of these, 8,000 would be accepted. Of the rest, around one third may be deported . Others remain here, but without money or housing and they are not allowed to work. Some will be accepted on appeal. Some will end up in prison. Getting discretionary right to remain is expensive and difficult; it nearly always requires a legal appeal and takes a long time. We were told that the Home Office is keeping torture victims in detention, sometimes despite the authorities’ having accepted evidence of their torture. Portsmouth has 200 asylum seekers, being housed in neighbourhoods where housing is cheap. Friends Without Borders have around 20 local volunteers who visit and provide advice, helping in practical ways, sometimes with money; some run a café while others are able to provide evening classes in English. Other volunteers may provide temporary accommodation for those who are homeless. Friends Without Borders offers a free legal advice service.
Others spoke of their work with Syrian refugees. The 20,000 Syrians accepted by David Cameron and brought directly from refugee camps to the UK over a 5-year period, get much better treatment. They receive homes and support and they are allowed to access education and to work. In the afternoon, Tatiana from Friends House spoke to us about the importance of changing the ‘hostile environment’.
Throughout the day I was reminded of the importance of joining forces with other local organisations. It not easy for small groups of people to make a difference. But if we can find out what the needs are and work together with other organisations, more can be achieved. A good way to start might be to find out how LOSRAS has supported the volunteers who visit the Gatwick detention centre. Sanctuary involves a serious commitment but it may be possible to do something by collaborating.
Find out more by going to https://www.quaker.org.uk and search for content on Sanctuary.
Nancy Wall – 19 May 2018