Rugby Quakers are involved in many social and community activities that anyone may join. These activities include study groups focussed on Quaker values and understanding, craft activities and several groups supporting prisoners serving sentences in local prisons, or post-release seeking to rebuild their lives, interfaith activities and support of refugee families who have settled in and around Rugby.
Refugees In Rugby
A group of volunteers, some from Rugby Quaker Meeting, work under the banner ‘Welcome Here – Rugby’ to support refugees and asylum seekers in and around Rugby. The group works with other churches in Rugby, with Rugby and Warwickshire County Councils, the Rugby Benn Partnership and with other ‘Welcome Here’ groups in Leamington and Stratford.
Rugby committed to housing 10 families under the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Program. Several families have settled in Rugby through this program.
If you are interested to find out more please use the contact form here
Prison Support
Rugby Local Meeting runs groups in the two nearby prisons. Individuals also work in the prison chaplaincy service.
HMP Onley
- Running the Friendly Space group: This group draws together up to 10 men in an evening for about an hour. This time offers the opportunity for periods of quiet and conversation over a cup of tea/coffee. Many of the men who come are very loyal to the group and it has been described by them as ‘an oasis of calm’ in a stressful environment.
- One Friend, as a chaplaincy volunteer, spends time each week offering support and a listening ear to those at risk of self-harm or who are isolating themselves work which supplements the work of the busy employed chaplains, giving more to each individual.
- Supporting men to complete the Facing up to Conflict correspondence course. Many say that working through it has helped them to reflect on their responses to situations potentially leading to conflict.
HMP Ryehill
- A Quaker led discussion group runs weekly in Rye Hill , with a consistent group of 7-8 men attending each session, two of whom are registered Quakers. Generally the meeting starts with 10-15 minutes of silence followed by discussion for about 60 – 90 minutes with a break for drinks and a chit-chat. If time allows we also end with a short period of silence.
- Discussion is based typically on a philosophical, spiritual or social question supported by brief supporting text highlighting some related issues. Invariably the discussion is courteous, sometimes animated and always thoughtful with many contrasting ideas and perspectives.
Futures Unlocked
Working with ‘Futures Unlocked’ a local mentoring scheme for released prisoners, a Rugby Friend welcomes men returning to London on the day of their release and offering them refreshments at Friends House, London.
Rugby InterFaith Forum
The Rugby Inter-Faith Forum exists to promote promote understanding, cooperation and good relations between organisations and persons of different faiths in and around Rugby. RIFF welcomes members and attenders not only from established faith backgrounds but also people of no faith, or no deity or from a secular foundation with an interest to develop spiritual ideas. For more details please see the RIFF website
Quaker Universalists Group
Spiritual Awareness
Is accessible to everyone of any religion or none,
and no one person
and no one faith
has the final revelation
or monopoly of truth.
Such awareness may be expressed in many different ways.
We delight in this diversity.
For more information about the Quaker Universalist Group – UK see their website