The wonderful generosity of our parish community has paved the way to a new initiative that will raise funds for a much-loved Catholic charity.
Our parish SVP (St Vincent de Paul) group has recently installed a Clothes Bank in the car park to Cathedral House.
The bank will collect a wide range of textile items, including clothes, shoes, blankets, bedding, towels, and more, which will be collected and sold in local SVP shops, creating vital income for this fantastic charity.
Royston Colaço, Membership Support Officer for the Manchester region of the St Vincent de Paul Society, said: “The income will go into helping fund SVP initiatives diocese-wide. One recent example was the Manchester Vinnie Camps, held last month, where 37 children from parishes across the diocese went on a week-long trip to Snowdonia, at no cost to their families.”
The SVP Vinnie camps are part of a much-loved programme run by the charity. For more than 100 years, they have provided safe, inclusive, and caring getaways for children in need of a break, for reasons such as family problems, unemployment, illness, bereavement, and more.
Royston continued: “These initiatives require a lot of money, so every little bit makes a difference.
“With regards to our parish, we have recently been in touch with the Cathedral School and have been providing some support to the families and schools via the headteacher.”
Supporting the local community is a vital part of our work as a parish, and the SVP team hope the new bank will also prove to be a valuable resource that will help us in responding to the needs of those around us.
The installation of the bank came on the back of continued generosity from our parishioners, who have always responded with great kindness to various appeals and campaigns organised by the parish SVP group.
Delighted by the wonderful support from parishioners, the SVP group began to consider if there was an opportunity for a longer-term option to provide a more regular supply to SVP shops, leading to the decision to install a bank at the parish.
The Parish SVP group thank parishioners for their ongoing support and encourage people across the Salford community and wider diocese to consider if they have anything that could be donated.
Royston said: “To you, that old jumper is just a bit of space in your drawers, but to another person that might be the jumper that gives them the confidence to walk outside unashamed or keep warm during winter.
“By donating your clothes, you will be helping people in the throes of the cost-of-living crisis, helping the environment by encouraging reuse of items, and decluttering your cupboard.
“It’s an easy way of doing good, being good, and feeling good. So please take the time to see if you have anything you’d be willing to give away to someone who might need it.”
