Merrick was a faithful, loyal member of the Market Harborough Prison Fellowship group over many years. He showed up for the monthly meetings, his good nature & humour was always a joy to behold.
The Fellowship meetings open with a time of prayer & reflection. During these times we pray for those affected by crime, prisoners, their families, victims of crime, the justice system etc. On Prisons Sunday a few years ago Merrick spoke at a service in the local Anglican Church, he quoted Winston Churchill as saying “a nation will be judged on the way it treats its prisoners”.
Merrick had a heart for prisoners every week for a six week period, in the prison, he volunteered as a group facilitator on a Restorative Justice course run by Prison Fellowship called Sycamore Tree.
Each year at Christmas the local PF group would send presents to children who had a parent in prison, Merrick took on the role of writing Christmas cards to the prisoners informing them of the gifts sent to their children at Christmas. He will be very much missed by those of us who volunteered with him in prison and most notably the ex-offenders he supported on the outside. His good works go before him. We thank God for Merrick’s life – he has made a lasting impression on us all.
May Merrick Rest in Peace & Rise in Glory.
Maureen Douglas, The Prison Fellowship, Northamptonshire
