Visiting people
For decades, the essence of our work has been that person-to-person contact and spending time with people is our greatest gift. We call this befriending. Volunteer members visit to understand and assess each request for help individually but also to give people a sense of belonging through the work of providing essentials, helping with transport, providing financial assistance (where able), supporting integration into a new community to name but a few ways.
Our befriending takes place across many areas in England and Wales, if you need support, you can request this by emailing request@svp.org.uk.
Supporting local communities
St Vincent's Centres offer a wide range of free services and practical support which reflects the specific needs of their local communities. We work to empower people who are struggling financially, out of employment, education, social networks and community support to help them build brighter futures.
We currently have 11 centres located in Ely, Chorley, Sheffield, Newcastle, Bradford, Brighton, Leeds, Brixton, Southend-on-Sea and Wirral. You can learn more about each Centre here.
Working in prisons
We turn concern into action by working with prisons directly, usually in the form of visiting or writing letters to people incarcerated. Spending time with people is our greatest gift. Our SVP groups also work with probationary services by providing clothes for those leaving prison, as well as supporting ex-offenders. Learn more about our work with prisons here.
Influencing policy makers
We advocate and campaign for people living in poverty and seek to influence policymakers by evidence-based policy solutions. More about our social policy work, our key areas of work and how you can get involved can be found on our dedicated page here.
Inspiring young people
All over England and Wales children (5-11), young people (12-18) and young adults (18-35) are taking up the invitation to join the Vincentian family and turn their concern into real action. These groups are based in schools, universities and parishes across England and Wales. The energy they bring are hugely important to the greater work of the St Vincent de Paul Society.
For any enquiries, please email youngvincentians@svp.org.uk or learn more here.
Helping those in need overseas
While the bulk of the SVP's work takes place in England and Wales, we never lose sight of the often desperate plight of people in the developing world. We do this by offering practical & financial support for sustainable projects which offer long-term solutions to the ever-present problems of poverty, illness and lack of education in India, Romania, Grenada, Guyana, Sudan and South Sudan. Learn more here.