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St Gregory\'s Youth SVP, Cheltenham St Gregory\'s Youth SVP, Cheltenham Just over a year ago the priest at St Gregory\'s Cheltenham challenged the congregation to stop saying how things should improve, and actually do something about it. As a result some young people decided to put their faith into action by forming a YSVP group in the Parish.
Supported by the adult SVP group, they invited the SVP\'s National President to tell them over pizza and coke how to get started. About 40 14-19 year olds attended that evening, and about 20 have chosen to join the YSVP. Since then they have been visiting local residents at Nazareth House and are planning on helping out on visits and pilgrimages wuith severely disable residents of the local Leonard Cheshire home.
Click here to read more about the work they have been doing in their local community...
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St Edmund Arrowsmith\'s Youth SVP, Ashton in MakerfieldThere are approximately 50 members of the Youth SVP at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Ashton in Makerfield. Activities range from helping out in the various departments in school, fundraising for our twinned group in India, acting as reading buddies for children in local Catholic primary schools, visiting Walkden House sheltered accommodation, as well as organising a talent show and holding a Christmas Party for the elderly in the local parishes.
The residents of Walkden House are appreciative of the young people. Comments from residents include: “they are always well-mannered,” and they “like to participate”. Jeanette Luscher, the scheme organiser at Walkden House says : “The young people\'s presence helps overcome preconceptions about young people and the old. They really enjoy one another\'s company”.
Click here to read more about the work they have been doing in their local community...
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St Mary\'s Youth SVP, Horsforth As a Youth SVP group, St Mary\'s are involved in many events and activities including Christmas Fairs, parties for senior citizens, collecting donations to help asylum seekers in their local area, not to mention helping out with the running of a club for the disabled every week!
On top of this they still find time for fundraising. Their next challenge is to organise a sponsored walk for the parish up one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks. Their newest members from last year\'s Confirmation group came up with the idea because they have a number of people in the parish with heart problems, including baby Gabrysia who has had a heart transplant and whose family have been an inspiration to the local parish.
Click here to read more about the work they have been doing in their local community...
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Holy Family Youth SVP, Boothstown The Holy Family Youth SVP group have been very busy! They have organised a free "Shrove Tuesday" lunch for parishioners with soup, pancakes, bingo and games. Throughout Lent they are doing "Stations of the Cross" - the Youth SVP wrote the stations last year themselves. On 21st March they are are doing a sponsored walk of about 10 miles visiting 5 churches within their pastoral area. Then, on 7th April they are organising an "Easter bunny ball" for young families in the parish. The "mini Vinnies" is up and running at the primary school which we set up and plans are underway for the construction of a "Peace Garden" there.
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Youth SVP Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, Worcester
The children of Youth SVP Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, Worcester have become very active and are full of ideas which their teacher helps them achieve. Recently the children have held a sponsored walk across the Malvern Hills with a support team from the adult SVP Conference. They raised more than £500 for street children in Mumbai.
The group have also forged links with an old peoples home nearby and visit them on a regular basis. They sing, read poetry, play musical instruments and talk to them. The residents have been delighted with their efforts.
Click here to read more about the work they have been doing in their local community...
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Corpus Christi\'s Youth SVP, Boscombe, BournemouthCorpus Christi parish Youth SVP group, started in July 2003 with 6 newly-confirmed 13 year old members. During the Summer holidays they made regular visits to a local Drop-in centre to help with a range of activities for the children, and also raised funds for the Centre via a Sponsored Abseil. Since then a further sixty or more 12 to 17 year old members have registered or re-registered over the years, and regular visits have been made to the elderly in 3 local nursing homes and to after-school clubs in 2 Primary Schools. Additional activities include participation in SVP and parish events, collecting socks and Christmas gifts for the homeless, and stamps for Jesuit Missions. Members have also enjoyed fundraising, described by one member as ‘having charitable fun’, on behalf of both local and overseas projects.
Click here to read more about the work they have been doing in their local community...
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St Mary\'s SVP Group: Sponsored Homeless Sleep-outOn March 31 st 2010, a group of 18 Youth SVP members (from Year 11 through to the Upper Sixth) took part in a sponsored sleep-out in the grounds of St Mary\'s Catholic College . The event took place outside in the Year 7 Quad. The intention was to raise awareness of the plight of homelessness throughout the country but particularly in the Blackpool area. Earlier in the day, three 6 th Formers were interviewed by BBC Radio Lancs to publicise the event. The sleep-out began at 7pm. All students had to make a shelter using only cardboard boxes to protect them from the elements. It was a very cold night!
Click here to read more about their Youth SVP sleepout...
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Holy Cross School Youth SVP, ChorleyHoly Cross School in Chorley hold a Christmas Party for residents of local rest homes. The event is held in school - which gets over the problem of children having to go out of school to do voluntary activities. The event was a real success, the young members and the elderly people had a great time!
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