The Allied Professions Work has been busy over the winter – working with Christian Nurses and Midwives towards charity registration, with Christian Therapists'Network towards an administrative support role, and with both groups in helping with the organisation and administration of the joint conference held 3-5 March in Oswestry. The joint national conference saw more than eighty Christians from nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions, and more than a dozen students join together to hear John Wyatt speak on some of the major ethical and practical challenges facing us as Christian health professionals in the 21st Century

I have also continued to be involved in the Nurses' Christian Fellowship International (NCFI) European Committee and the organisation of the NCFI European Conference in the Netherlands this August. This will be a key event in developing some of the emerging Christian Nursing groups in Eastern and Southern Europe, some of which are also being supported through our ICMDA-linked summer teams. The links in Eastern and Central Europe are growing all the time, and it is a great opportunity for a Christian voice to have a positive influence in the development of all the health professions in these lands still emerging from decades of communist rule.

At the same time, links with ICMDA and the World Congress in Sydney this July have got us involved with HIV Pre-conference and the development of a book on HIV care and prevention best practice by Christian organisations. The pre-conference (7-9 July) will bring together a large number of Christian doctors and other practitioners involved in the fight against AIDS from around the world.

CMF, along with CNM and CTN is actively involved in a new initiative called the Christian Workplace Forum (CWF). This is a growing network of people and associations relating together around a shared vision for making a Christian impact in workplaces across the UK. The aim is to see more Christian groups praying for one another in the workplace, and encouraging and equipping one another to share the gospel to colleagues and be salt and light. There have been a number of meetings with MPs and with one another to formulate plans and share resources and news. CMF is now on the Steering Group of CWF, and we have been able to share some of our resources, including Saline Solution and Confident Christianity with other Christian workplace fellowships.

On the mission front, we are involved in organising with Global Connections a major consultation and forum on new models and strategies for the development of mission hospitals in May, drawing in speakers and participants from the UK, Asia, Africa and the Americas.