CMF splits the country into nine regions, identical to the ones that UCCF does for CUs.
Recently, the different student CMF groups in the north west have been building closer relationships with one another. This began with a weekend away in the autumn, bringing together medical and healthcare students from the four groups in the north west: Manchester, Lancaster, Liverpool and Preston. We spent the weekend socialising, partaking in a CMF day course (Saline Solution) and going on a very rainy walk! This was the first time in a while that the region had done something like this. Within an hour or so friendships were already deepening.
Since the weekend, a Facebook group for the region has been created, and through this we've been able to keep up-to-date with what different groups are doing, and some of us have had the chance to go to events at different universities. A group of us all went to the student conference in February and this gave us a great chance to spend more time together. Each of the CMF groups in the north west is quite small, but as we were more linked as a region, we knew there would be more people we'd know at the conference.
Being more integrated as a region has brought many advantages. We are able to run events that would be unfeasible as a smaller group, we can share ideas for events and activities between different groups and we have a larger group of people to be friends and connect with. We also have more opportunities to attend CMF events at different universities (this is a particular plus for clinical students who can be placed in hospitals quite far from their own university).
We are hoping to have another weekend away every autumn (if you're in the north west, ask your CMF leader for details) and I hope we can continue to grow closer as a region. It's been a fantastic year!
Jennifer Rossiter is former CMF NSC Chair and a junior doctor in Dorset.
Saline Solution
Every week, more people walk through the doors of hospitals and GP surgeries than through the doors of churches. This course will prepare you to share your faith with patients from day one, looking at questions like: Is talking about faith legitimate? Is it good medicine? Is it practical? Would I have time? How can I learn more?
