On December 3, countries around the world will mark the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Isaac Harvey, 23 – a member of Vine United Reformed Church, in Redbridge, and an award-winning YouTube vlogger, who was born with limb/pelvic hypoplasia syndrome – reflects on the occasion with a short film entitled ‘This Ability’.

The United Reformed Church has undertaken a wide-ranging review of its safeguarding work since the Church was founded in 1972. This review took more than two years. It included careful scrutiny of records and an invitation for people to contact the Church and report concerns. A major and independently-authored report then followed, with key points of learning and recommendations about what the Church can do to continue and improve its culture of safeguarding.

One important step that the Church now takes is to offer a public and heartfelt apology to survivors of abuse, along with their families, supporters and communities, and to acknowledge that there have been institutional failures. 

While western Europe celebrated the end of the First World War on 11 November 1918, there was no sense of jubilation in eastern Europe, Russia, and Africa where fighting continued.

Leading historian, Dr Anne Samson, an Elder at St John’s United Reformed Church, Northwood, coordinator of the Great War in Africa Association and author of numerous books on the subject, including World War I in Africa: The Forgotten Conflict Among the European Powers, explains why.