Sat 30th June, 10:30am: Volunteer Training (Speaking at Mass and Understanding CAFOD)

We warmly invite anyone interested in becoming a CAFOD volunteer to come along and join us at 10:30am Saturday 30th June at our Volunteer Training session including ‘Speaking at Mass’ training and ‘Understanding CAFOD’ awareness session

The volunteer training session will be held at our Volunteer Centre, located in the grounds of Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds, LS6 2BX

You will meet other volunteers who have recently joined and find out more about the work of CAFOD. Even if you have been involved in your local CAFOD group, and would like to get more involved, we would love to see you.

Come along and find out how you can get involved in your local parish or school as a CAFOD volunteer

 

Book your place by sending your contact details to leeds@cafod.org.uk or call (0113) 275 9302 for more information

Please bring along your own lunch, hot drinks will be provided.

 

28th June; My opportunity to meet CAFOD’s Sudan country representative

I have been volunteering for 4 weeks as a  office volunteer at CAFOD in Leeds. I have been  invited to meet Michael Monginda CAFOD country representative for Sudan  and Fergus Comme CAFOD’s Head of Region; Africa, on the 28th of June here at the CAFOD volunteer centre in Leeds.

Me researching CAFOD’s work in Sudan with fellow office volunteer Kathy

 

So, I have been researching the work that CAFOD have been doing in Sudan.  From the CAFOD website, I learned that Sudan is one of the largest and most geographically diverse nations in Africa, which is situated in the North east of the continent, between Egypt and Eritrea and bordering the Red sea.

CAFOD have been supporting projects in Dafur since 2004 as part of a major emergency programme organised by the two main international church based networks, Caritas Internationalis and Action by Churches Together Alliance. More over the programme is a lifeline for half a million people, providing water and sanitation, health clinics, treatment for malnutrition, education, and support for people in making a living.

Furthermore, they have been supporting children whose families who have been displaced by fighting in other parts of the country.

I watched a video on the Sudan page and found out that CAFOD helped a woman called Khadija whose village was attacked by militia. When she arrived in Kubum camp, the programme gave her materials to build a shelter and an emergency kit including cooking utensils.

As well as this, I also found out that a clinic for malnourished children was set up in a hospital in Garsila in central Darfur, which is supported by the ACT Caritas programme. This for me was very important as malnutrition is a major issue and it made me feel hopeful that there was a clinic set up as it will help children affected by this

On Thursday the 28^th, of June  Michael Monginda and Fergus Comme are visiting CAFOD in Leeds at 11:30 am to discuss  their work in Sudan, followed by a shared lunch.  I have prepared some questions  I  would like to ask  when I meet them.

• What has happened since the last time CAFOD helped Sudan?
• What happened to the £2,082,000 that was spent in 2012/13?

I would encourage you to come along and meet our international visitors. If you would like to attend and find out more about Sudan please email us to let us know leeds@cafod.org.uk

if you can’t attend please email us with any questions  leeds@cafod.org.uk  and I will ask them on your behalf.

Bingley Parishioners walk for refugees

In solidarity with people who flee their homes due to conflict and humanitarian disasters, CAFOD and the Catholic Church have been conducting a Share the Walk Campaign whose aim is to raise awareness of the plight of refugees throughout the World. In support of this initiative on the 10^th of June 2018 at 11am Paddy Spiller and Maria Beckwith from Our Lady and St Joseph, Aire Valley joined with members from their parish and took part in the Share the Journey Walk.

The walk started from the Bingley Fire Station, then via 3 Rise Locks and along the canal bank to Roberts Park, Saltaire. They shared a picnic together around the bandstand at about 1pm. The walk was about 4.5 miles and was supported by resources provided by CAFOD including a user guide as well as a organisers guide and a fact sheet.

Parishioners walk in solidarity with refugees

Parishioner  Paddy Spiller organised the walk along with members of the Third World Interest Group (TWIG) said “Everyone who attended enjoyed the walk, it helped us all to think more deeply about refugees and their journey to safety. It also helped to increase our awareness about the refugee crisis. The walk was a success, the weather was great and we said as a group we would like to do something like this again. I would encourage other parishes to take part in the ‘Share the Journey’ walk, the resources are easy to use, the stories helped to put the crisis into context.

 

 

Office Volunteers Rachael Chapman and Nhlanhla Moyo are helping parishes across the Diocese of Leeds to take part in the ‘Share the Journey’ action, if you would like to organise a walk in your parish, please contact us on 0113 275 9302 or leeds@cafod.org.uk