MAYPOLE NEWS

[Alison J Stevens]

Welcome to our August newsletter. A lot has been happening, both at Maypole and in the wider world. Whilst some of the news is challenging, we are also finding information and friends to Maypole that will help
our voice – and, most importantly, your voice - to be heard as you
strive to do your best for you and your children.

If you need information to back up what you are saying to professionals involved with your family through separation, see our Research page for lots of new information that might help.

Maypole out and about!

Another ‘at last’ – Maypole posters have been sent to all the family courts in England and Wales. So if you are at court, please look out for the posters … (and if they are not there, please let us know and
we’ll try and track them down).

Meanwhile … we have another ‘at last’ … we have made contact with women and groups in Australia. There shared care became law in 2006, unless domestic violence was proved (and, unfortunately, we know how
often that happens). So a warm welcome to anyone Down Under reading our
E newsletter, we are delighted to share information, and hope we can
together make our voices stronger to seek reforms so badly needed,
across the world. To find out more see our web site, bottom of the page Who Else Can Help.

Maypole E News

August 2010

Contradictions of family law

At last, we have sent our report Valuing Motherhood, the Summary, and our report Domestic Violence, There’s No Escape, to the Prime Minister and top MPs, highlighting difficulties affecting women and children at and after separation.

None too soon as an MP (Brian Binley, MP for Northampton South) has submitted a Bill for Shared Care to Parliament. If it becomes law shared care will be automatic unless ‘certain conditions’ apply.

The Bill is supported by Families Need Fathers who say Shared Care is successful around the world and in Australia ‘the benefits are already starting to emerge’.

Meanwhile, from Australia, there is lots of new research showing that Shared Care isn’t working, it puts contact before safety, and meets mainly fathers’ needs.

(Yes, we think something doesn’t add up too …)

The Shared Care Bill will be discussed in Parliament next year.

So lots of time to contact MPs before then. More of that next time.
…

Easy fundraising for Maypole

If you shop online, why not help Maypole Women at no extra cost to yourself?

Choose from over 2000of the UK’s best-known retailers including many popular names such as Amazon, M&S, Argos, John Lewis and HMV, when you shop using the
links from Easyfundraising. Don’t forget to register Maypole Women as your nominated charity!

Value-family courts