Uganda Trip for our Gapper: Bon Voyage Madeline

Our Gapper Madeline will be heading off to Uganda this weekend as part of her ‘Step into the Gap’ year of volunteering with CAFOD. Her placement is hosted 4 days per week by our partner Leeds Trinity University Chaplaincy and on a Friday, Madeline supports our schools and parish work across the Diocese of Leeds.

We asked Madeline, how she is feeling and what she is thinking about just before she sets off.

The Chaplaincy team at LTU share a cuppa with Madeline before she departs to Uganda

“My main hope for my trip to Uganda is in what I can bring back to the UK. I will have a unique opportunity which will allow me to learn not just stories, but about the lives of those almost 6,000 miles away. I will then be able to share this snapshot of life with others when I return to the UK, hopefully encouraging people to continue their amazing support of CAFOD.

There is often a divide between prayer and service for a lot of Catholics, myself included. Prayer is one thing, which in my experience is usually quiet and often alone. Service is something entirely different, and focuses on relationships with people rather than a relationship with God. I feel that my time in Uganda will help to change this view. I will be seeing people live their faith, helping others as a service not just to humanity and the world, but also God. I am hoping to share this change in view, as I feel it is important that the connection is made between our relationships with others and our relationship with God.

“It is true that the primacy belongs to our relationship with God, but we cannot forget that the ultimate criterion on which our lives will be judged is what we have done for others.” –Gaudete et Exsultate; Pope Francis 2018

 

When I return from Uganda, I am going to be running a workshop on this topic at Youth 2000 at Leeds Trinity University. In Uganda I will be able to see people truly living their faith, and really living the values set out in the Bible. I will be a living link between the communities in Uganda and those in the UK. I am taking messages of hope to Uganda from those in Leeds, both at schools and at the university. I hope to also bring messages back from those being supported by CAFOD overseas.

I do, of course, also have many hopes for the time I spend in Uganda. I hope to experience a culture hugely different to my own, meet some incredible people and truly get to know the work CAFOD and partners do.

If you would like to book Madeline for a talk or a workshop at your parish or school, please let us know leeds@cafod.org.uk or call (0113) 275 9302

For more information on our ‘Step into the Gap’ programme take a look here

VACANCY: Office Volunteer

Would you like to support our CAFOD Volunteer Centre, minimum one day per week? A typical office volunteering day could involve a mix of the following activities:

Daisy: one of our most recent office Volunteer preparing resources for Parish Volunteer refugee walk events

• Welcoming volunteers
• Updating the database
• Phone calls
• Posting letters
• Photocopying
• Shredding
• Editing the monthly Volunteer eBulletin
• Events and hospitality
• Updating the display board

Full training and travel expenses will be provided

To apply for the volunteer vacancy, click here or call (0113) 275 9302 for more details

 

New Opening times at our CAFOD Volunteer Centre

We are excited to announce the new opening times at our CAFOD Volunteer Centre in Leeds due to recent staff changes.

Joanne Clark (nee Taylor) left CAFOD in Nov 2018 and her duties have been passed over to Bronagh Daly.

Bronagh will be available to support schools, parish, campaign and fundraising volunteers at the following times below:

Volunteer Centre opening times:
Monday            9am – 2:30pm
Tuesday           9am – 2:30pm
Wednesday     9am – 5pm
Thursday         9am – 5pm
Friday              10am – 2:30pm

Bronagh said “We love welcoming volunteers to the Volunteer Centre, and it is great that it will be open all week. Volunteers can come to meet, use the resources and gain support from one another as they help to spread awareness of the systems and structures that create poverty. There is a wonderful energy here at the volunteer centre when we have shared lunches and gatherings.”

To keep up to date of the various volunteer training days, retreats and shared lunches held at the volunteer centre, ALL VOLUNTEERS are encouraged to sign up for the ‘CAFOD in Leeds Volunteer eBulletin’. All you need to do is send an email asking to join the mailing list to leeds@cafod.org.uk

If you would like to become a volunteer for CAFOD in the Diocese of Leeds please look at the vacancies page and apply here