Faith in Action Lecture
Faith in Action lecture to Sixth Form by Stephen Currid. 12 members of staff and local parishioners also attended.
We welcomed Stephen Currid from the Cardinal Hume Centre, Westminster to deliver a talk entitled “A Tale of Two Cities”, the city we see and the city we don’t see. The Cardinal Hume Centre was founded over 30 years ago and it provides a wide range of services to the young, homeless and families who are in need of help. The Centre provides: housing advice; legal support for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants; money management clinics; advisers who help with learning and employment skills; a full GP surgery for homeless people with a focus on mental health issues; and a family centre which helps families who have been evicted or those who are living in poverty and overcrowding. The Centre also provides hostel accommodation in 34 single rooms as young adults aged between 16 and 24 are given the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Stephen reminded us that sadly 37% of London children live in poverty and 45% of children are considered homeless, he went on to say that people from deprived background are three times more likely to die before they are 25 than those from the least deprived. This is linked to housing, neighbourhoods, health inadequacies, nutrition, outdoor space, education and access to activities as the stresses poverty causes families. What young people need in these situations is people in the Centre who listen to them, believe in them and support them. Cardinal Hume founded the Centre to help this in need, as Jesus says in Matthews Gospel: “In so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me”. He went on to say that “Each person matters no life is redundant”. This year our Sacred Heart Goal is Social Awareness when we will be challenged to take time to serve one another especially those who need us most. Students will have the opportunity to visit the Centre and work with the residents and staff and, during this academic year, our Sunday collection will be donated to the Cardinal Hume Centre to support the great work they do in transforming the lives of young people and families who rely on their guidance, help and support.
Aims
To show Faith in Action in regard to our Sacred Heart Goal of Social Awareness
Background
Our Chaplain has a long standing relationship with the Charity
Pupil Involvement
86 girls from Woldingham School Sixth Form were involved as well as local parishioners.
Frequency
This was a one-off single event lasting 2 hours.