SAFEGUARDING
Representative
Anne Green
The Safeguarding Team supports group leaders in the safe recruitment of volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults. It is essential to make sure that volunteers understand their roles, have undergone DBS checking where necessary, have references suitable for their roles, and have undergone safeguard training before commencing their ministry. The Parish Safeguarding Team works with the Diocesan Safeguarding Office to ensure that our Parish is a safe place for everyone. The Safeguarding Policy can be viewed here. Anne Green can be contacted through the parish office.
MARRIAGE CARE
Representative
Catherine McFarlane
Marriage Care has maintained both its counselling and marriage preparation services via Zoom throughout the pandemic.
We continue to prepare couples for marriage within the Church via our Preparing Together course and FOCCUS. The Preparing Together Anywhere course now taking place via 3 sessions, with couples completing reflection activities both in between each session and after the course.
For marriage preparation please contact Fr Jamie McGrath, our Parish Priest in the first instance, email: abingdon@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk or Tel: 01235 520375 to make an appointment. Thereafter more information can be obtained from: https://www.marriagecare.org.uk/marriage-preparation-2/
Despite an increasing demand for our services, as an organisation we remain extremely cautious as to when we will be able to safely resume our physical face to face activities, looking at a possible return in the late autumn. Since the pandemic situation seems to be changing on an almost daily basis and we are bringing together couples and facilitators of different ages and from different households, this may be in the Spring of 2022
For information on our relationship counselling service please visit: https://www.marriagecare.org.uk/how-we-help/relationship-counselling/ Sadly, we are seeing ever increasing numbers of couples booking counselling places. Since the cost of private relationship counselling often acts to prevent couples from seeking help, our counselling sessions are on a donation only basis, which is a lifeline for many. We do ask for a £15 registration fee to reserve a place on the waiting list.
SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL (SVP)
Representative
Andrew Nash
A local group of the SVP was established in the parish in 2014. It exists to ‘turn concern into action’ by helping the poor or those in need. So far our work is mainly visiting the housebound. We are not social workers or experts – just volunteers who are willing to befriend and help. We meet fortnightly in the Parish Centre for 45 minutes.
If you feel able to join us as a volunteer, please use the form on this page to get in touch.
BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT
Representative
Barbara Habayeb
If parishioners are in need of support, there are people who can help you. Please use the form on this page to get in touch.
OPEN DOORS & WARM SPACE
Representative
Bernadette Pratt
Our Lady and St Edmund’s Church joined the Warm Spaces initiative in Abingdon in January 2023 offering a warm place, hot meal and conversation to members of the Parish and local community. When Warm Spaces finished it was clear that what we offered during the initiative was both valued and much needed and so we have continued as Open Doors. Open Doors runs most Mondays (except Bank Holidays) from 11.30 am until 2.30pm in the Parish Centre. We welcome anyone who is on their own or would just like some company, to join us for conversation and lunch or just pop in for a tea/coffee. We also always need more volunteers, so if you are able to help please use the form below to get in touch.