DO JUSTICE PROJECT IN WINSLOW

MK Pastoral Area Council asked Jim Hannigan, Director of Caritas, to speak about new social action projects in their area. As a result the MK Pastoral Area has been working on a ‘Do Justice’ project across its parishes, where parishes investigated the needs of the  poor and marginalised in their area, and how they could respond in the context of Christian witness. 

Vron Corben, chair of the Pastoral Area Council said:

 “St Albans Winslow felt our local needs are pretty well covered, so we decided to partner with an area that might be struggling to get help to meet its needs. We approached the head teacher at Bishop Parker Primary School in Bletchley, who we had already met at the PAC meetings. We were able to provide him with 2 parishioners who have been going into the school weekly and helping with reading etc since January.  They are also using their other skills, one being a dyslexia expert, and the head and form teacher are delighted. The children and the volunteers seem equally pleased.

We were also able to fund, partly through parish fundraising, and partly through a successful grant application, the cost of a school trip to the seaside for those children whose parents couldn’t afford it, as well as to buy each child an ice cream!

Many of the children had never been on a coach before or seen the sea. It was a wonderful day with the 2 volunteers accompanying them. We aim to continue this partnership across the pastoral area  and increase what we are able to offer. The model of “twinning” with another parish / school across the PA is also a way of helping parishes become more connected and less insular. We are hoping to “twin” with a local prison in another parish too this autumn.”