The SVP here at St Robert’s has been active for many years and is dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage in all its forms by providing practical assistance to people in need.

Our main purpose is to offer people the hand of friendship, comfort, respect, and the love that springs from Jesus.

The needs of the people we visit vary, but they are mainly:

• struggling with sickness or disability
• caring for sick or disabled family members
• isolation due to ill health or disability
• coming to terms with family breakdown and bereavement
• in need of a little extra support, friendship and kindness

The work of the SVP Conference in our parish includes:

• Visiting people in the parish regularly
• Providing help with school uniforms
• Helping with visits to clinics and hospitals
• Visiting people in care homes and nursing homes
• Accessing furniture, clothing and white goods
• Helping people in need with winter fuel bills
• Signposting people to services and agencies that might help them
• Providing practical help and support to Ukrainian families living locally
• Providing support to the SVP Leeds Children’s Camp
• Taking parishioners to church
• Help for families to provide days out for children during school holidays
• Taking people to supermarkets to help with shopping
• Chats with coffee

We also organise various events in the Parish from time to time, including regular afternoon teas in the St Robert’s Centre.

Our SVP group (known as a Conference) is also linked with other groups in India and South Sudan.

We also support the role played nationally by the SVP in raising issues with the government such as our response to the refugee crisis.

The members of the Conference hope that the work of the SVP in St Robert’s will continue to grow. If you, or someone you know, is in need of help and support, do please reach out to us, and we will do our best to help. 

We are truly grateful for the generosity and support of our Parish through prayer and donations.  Without this support our work would not be as successful.

New members:

We really welcome new members joining our Conference, and if you are interested in learning more, do please make contact with us.

Our contact details are:   

Katherine Merton-Jones, President, 01423 522731, Mobile: 07538 668258

Brain Hobson, Treasurer,  Mobile:  07905 619004

Joan Mallon, Secretary, 01423 526183

The national website can be accessed on www.svp.org.uk , and this will provide more in-depth information about the role of the SVP and its overall reach, both here in the United Kingdom and worldwide.