Charity

Opportunities in our Parish

Volunteers required for Winter Homeless Shelter

The Merton Winter Night Shelter is going to be run in the Parish church hall every Thursday from 4th December to 26th March.

Merton Winter Night Shelter offers those who are street homeless and with nowhere else to go, somewhere safe and warm to sleep over the coldest winter months. Each guest is given individual support to help address their support needs and work towards a more stable living situation.

Up to 12 bed spaces will be provided every evening by a team of trained volunteers who provide an evening meal, a safe place to sleep and breakfast each morning, before guests leave for the day.

Contact the Parish using the contact page if you would like to be involved.

Volunteers required for 11 O’clock mass

Volunteers, who need to complete DBS Checks, are still needed to be involved in leading children at the 11 O’ clock mass. We would like to start the children’s program in October.

Contact the Parish using the contact page if you would like to be involved.

Catechists required to help prepare children for first holy communion

The first Communion and confession preparation will depend on volunteer catechists, usually parents, working in pairs for each group. Following an excellent guide for catechists they help and exemplify the importance of the sacraments. If you are interested, contact Fr Simon.

Appeal for Ethan

We are reaching out to ask for your support for Ethan, a bright and kind little boy from our school community who has recently been diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor.

Following his recent biopsy, Ethan’s family has been given the devastating news that the tumor is a stage 4 aggressive tumor and it is inoperable. This heartbreaking news has brought immense challenges for Ethan and his loving parents, Natalia and Dimitri, as they navigate an uncertain and difficult time together.

Ethan is currently undergoing treatment in hospital, and throughout this time we want nothing more than to support the family, and to give them the time and space to focus fully on being together.

This GoFundMe has been created to help the family during this period — to allow them to focus on being together and to support Ethan with anything he might need along the way. Donations will go toward things such as travel to and from the hospital, time away from work, accommodation if required, and any treatment or therapy costs that arise.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference. If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing this page and keeping Ethan and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you for surrounding Ethan, Natalia, and Dimitri with love, hope, and support during this unimaginably difficult time.

With heartfelt gratitude.

Fundraising GoFundMe link.

Flower Arranging

St Winefride’s Flower team is a group of volunteers who make the flower arrangements the church every week throughout the year (except Advent and Lent).

We are currently in need of more volunteers to join us. No experience is needed, but experience is welcomed. You need to like flowers and be able to spare around 2 hours once a month. Come join us in this lovely way to get involved with our Parish.

If you would like to know more, or would like to give it a try without any commitment, please contact Amy and Alice via the Contact Us form.

Contact Us

A Spiritual Visit to the Sick

The Catholic Chaplaincy at St George’s Hospital invites those who are willing to join in praying for the sick at the Chapel of St George’s hospital.

Major hospitals are a kind of liminal space where heaven come close to earth as many people face their mortality at the alter of suffering. Here, so many are rightly “anxious and troubled about many things”. Yet “one thing is necessary” still – prayer (Cf. Luke 10:41).

If you can, of your charity, please consider joining in these mornings of prayer for those in need.

🕐 Times:

10:30am Quiet Adoration
11:30am Benediction followed by rosary
12pm Mass for Patients, Staff, Students, Volunteers and Visitors

📅 Every Thursday

📍 Chapel of St George’s Hospital Tooting.

Police Presentation

A recent presentation by the Police to the Ministers of the area, from Catholic to Hindu made two important points. Victim support now includes victim contact, keeping victims informed of an impending trial as well as supporting them.

A second point was the need for advocates to support victims in phrasing their stories and also appropriate adults to help Police process young adults they are investigating. Both of these can be done by people in the parish. Please contact Fr Simon if you are interested.

Christmas Cards

The Catholic Children’s Society Christian Christmas Cards Brochure available at the back of the church.

The Catholic Children’s society helps children and families in need. They sell Christmas cards that are Christian pictures. Their card brochures are in the narthex, the spaces between the glass doors and the Church doors. This can also be found online at Christmas Cards Archives – Catholic Childrens Society

Give an ethical gift from Cafod this Christmas and help others. Cafod offer gifts which will help another person, these funded gifts develop the lives and hopes of people throughout the world, and should be a worthwhile alternative to chocolate or red wine. You can see the range of gifts available at CAFOD ethical charity gifts collection – CAFOD World Gifts