By Bernadette Waddelove
A rainy Saturday morning in October. “Now’t different about that”, one might say, channelling the Northern tones around us. Except that, on this particular Saturday, sixteen courageous student pro-life leaders were converging in the beautiful city of York for our 2019 Leadership Training weekend.
Introductions were made, friends reunited, and journeys discussed – although the Queen’s University Belfast leader easily won the prize for the most traumatic trip, which involved a late flight and a nearly-missed train! Nevertheless, by 12 noon, everyone was in place ready for the next 24 hours to unfold.
And what a 24 hours! Sessions included discussions on how to defend the value of human dignity in all the spheres of a student’s life – in the lecture hall, at the Students’ Union, online, and in the street.
We also hosted the first screening of the film, Unplanned, in the UK, a heartachingly beautiful biography of ex-abortionist, Abby Johnson.
The importance of our mission to help save lives was emphasised later in the evening. We were approached by a waitress, during our dinner out, who told us that she had had an abortion and would not wish it upon her worst enemy. This encounter reaffirmed for us that we must never stop campaigning for all the lives affected by the horrors of abortion – those of both mothers and children.
From Aberdeen to Exeter, Belfast to Durham, students came to our leadership training from all over the United Kingdom to discuss the most pressing issue of our time and what WE can do about it. Our brave student leaders are steering their societies and keeping the pro-life torch bright at their universities. Here was some of their feedback from the weekend:
If you are affected by an abortion, please contact ARCH’s helpline at 03456 038501 (https://www.archtrust.org.uk/)
Are you a student? Join the movement! Contact us at sso@allianceofprolifestudents.org.uk.
