Outreach
Friendship Group
Fortnightly meetings with a guest speaker, a raffle, a cup of tea and a quiz or bingo session. A number of outings are also arranged during the year together with a 5 day holiday, usually in the early Summer.
Meet: 2.00pm alternate Wednesdays. At: St. Mary's Parish Centre
Caring Group
Members of the Caring Group visit parishioners who are sick or who are unable to leave their homes and who would welcome a visit and a chat. The Group is currently organising the parish Food Bank Appeal which, along with other churches and organisations, helps people in the Derby area who have hit hard times and are struggling to feed their families.
New members of the Caring Group are always welcome. Contact: Bob Hadway
CAFOD
CAFOD is the official overseas development and relief agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. The parish CAFOD group does not have meetings as such, but those participating are invited to make an offering each week by using the envelopes available from the table at the back of church and simply placing them in with the normal offertory collection. The envelopes also have provision for donors who pay Income Tax to claim 'Gift Aid'. See www.cafod.org.uk
Contact: Judith Honey
Project Arusha
(Registered Charity no. 1124283)
The Project sponsors ex-Year 13 students to go to Arusha, a town in Tanzania, East Africa during their gap year to teach for 3 months. The young people fund half of the costs for their flights and board and lodging themselves, and St Mary's and Holy Family parishes fund the rest.
Following the initial selection process the young people receive a number of briefings which includes cultural awareness and basic language lessons in Kiswahili and Kimaasai.
During their three months in Arusha – mid-January to mid-April - between them they teach in several schools at primary and secondary level. In the classroom they mainly help the students with their English though some also ventured into the Maths and Music curricula.
When the young people return from Arusha they are asked to submit an individual written report on their trip. These quotes from their reports give some indication of the impact the experience has had on them:
“This experience has had a massive impact on me ...it is an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life. .... I now look at Arusha as my second home; a place where I feel I learnt so much about myself, matured and made lifelong friends.”
“I was surprised that people could live happily and contentedly whilst lacking what we would deem to be basic essentials. The people of Tanzania have a far greater awareness than us of what are the really important things in life.”
Applications for sponsorship are invited in October each year. This opportunity is open to young people in Year 13 (upper 6th) and either at St Benedict School or in Holy Family and St Mary's parishes at other schools.
Contact Denis Homer -
dchomer@ntlworld.com or
Pauline Roberts -
catherine67@btinternet.com
Donations
Since the launch of Project Arusha in 2004 over £170k has been donated to schools and students in and around Arusha. Donations have also been sent in times of crisis when there has been drought and danger of famine.
All donations big or small - are welcome and very much needed. The money you donate goes directly to the Arusha Project.
Each summer we welcome one of the Arusha priests to Derby for two months to help in St Mary's and Holy Family parishes.
See also Charity Commission website: www.charity-commission.gov.uk entering Project Arusha or number 1124283.