Parish Groups

notting hill interior

Our faith community can be nourished by active participation in parish groups that meet for prayer, social action, Sacramental preparation, youth work and the support of others in the life the Church. To share our lives in these ways allows us to offer ourselves and draw strength from each other.

PARISH COUNCIL

The Parish Council meets on a monthly basis to discuss issues regarding Parish life. The Council represents a cross section of the Parish community and aims to ensure that the needs of both the Church and the community are met so that Parish life is fruitful for everyone. We aim to ensure that the message of Christ is truly at the core of everything the Parish stands for.

GET TOGETHER CLUB

A group formed some years ago with the sole purpose of providing senior citizens of the local community the opportunity of meeting for an informal chat over a cup of tea.

The group is totally self-supporting and organises days out and an annual trip to the seaside in the summer. The group is open to both men and women and on average we have about twenty members who attend each week and new members are always very welcome. We meet at St. Francis Community Centre on Tuesdays at 3pm.

THE HAND IN HAND GROUP

During the International Year of the Disabled in 1981, a small number of parishioners from St. Francis of Assisi got together to form a group to enable the elderly, disabled and housebound members of the parish to take a fuller part in the activities of their local community. This group became known as the “Hand in Hand” Group. Although it originated in the parish of St. Francis of Assisi, its activities are now open to any elderly, disabled or housebound person living in the local community of Notting Hill, irrespective of their colour, creed or class.

We provide a regular schedule of activities that especially help our housebound members to relieve their isolation and also enable and encourage them and all of our members to make their own contribution to community life.

Our activities include:

Taking people to Mass every Sunday and other special occasions such as Christmas and Easter etc.
A monthly tea/coffee morning at the Community Centre
Organising outings to the seaside, gardens and parks, museums and the theatre
Regular shopping trips to nearby supermarkets
Befriending and visiting the sick both at home and in hospital
Today the group comprises of 85 elderly and/or disabled members and 30 volunteers who include minibus drivers and helpers, visitors and committee members. The group is run by a Committee and each member of the Committee has a specific area of responsibility.

If you need help or could offer assistance in any of the above areas please contact the Committee member concerned.

Chairperson: Cendrine Douillet
Treasurer: Hugh Richards
Secretary: Susan Murphy
Befriending &Visiting Co-ordinator: Sr. Yvonne Coudurier Tel no. 020 7243 2844
Transport Co-ordinator: Margaret Donnelly

visit the Hand in Hand website

ST FRANCIS WOMENS GROUP

The group was established about a year ago and aims to bring together local women from a variety of backgrounds for informal discussions over nibbles and a drink. We’re open to all women… We are interested in exchanging ideas and experiences about contemporary issues of relevance to Catholic women today. We might discuss excerpts from books, invite an outside speaker or simply share our own thoughts. We meet on the last Wednesday of every month (no mtg in December) at the Community Centre, St Francis of Assisi Church, at 7.30pm for about an hour. Joining is free and it’s a great way to make new friends, feel part of a community, and find some time for reflection and spirituality. All women welcome!

ALTAR SERVERS

Altar Serving involves the integral ministry of assisting the celebrating Priest during Mass. Altar servers must approach the ministry with the required reverence and may be in primary or secondary school.

CLEANING

Teams are responsible for cleaning the Church, vestments, liturgical linens and the courtyard. This ensures the Church and liturgical linens are prepared for Mass always and is therefore an essential element in the maintenance of the Church. If you would like to help with cleaning, please contact the Parish Priest or the Parish Administrator.

WELCOMING AND HOSPITALITY TEAM

The Welcoming and Hospitality Team are responsible for preparing the Community Centre on Sunday mornings and providing tea, coffee and biscuits after Masses. The teams operate on a rota system. If you would like to help with welcoming, please contact the Parish Priest or Parish Administrator.

AL-ANON

Al-Anon offers understanding and support for families and friends of problem drinkers, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not. Alateen, a part of Al- Anon, is for young people aged 12-20 who have been affected by someone else’s drinking.

The parents, children, wives, husbands, friends and colleagues of alcoholics could all be helped by Al-Anon and Alateen whether or not the drinker in their lives recognises that a problem exists.

At Al-Anon group meetings members receive comfort and understanding and learn to cope with their problems through the exchange of experience, strength and hope. The sharing of problems binds individuals and groups together in a bond that is protected by a policy of anonymity. Members learn that there are things they can do to help themselves and indirectly to help the problem drinker. Changed attitudes, which come from greater understanding of the illness, may result in the drinker seeking help.

Al-Anon is self-supporting through members’ voluntary contributions and the sale of its literature, The groups are non-professional and have no religious affiliations and no opinions on outside issues.

There are approximately 1000 groups meeting regularly throughout the UK and Eire. Worldwide more than 30,000 Al-Anon and Alateen groups meet in over 100 countries. For further information and details of meetings please phone the Al-Anon helpline 10am to 10pm daily on 020 7403 0888 or visit www.al-anonuk.org.uk

KALAYAAN

Kalayaan is a charity that aims to improve the quality of life of all migrant domestic workers residing in the UK. Migrant domestic workers have accompanied employers from overseas to work as part of their private household in the UK, typically as nannies, cooks, chauffeurs and housekeepers. Unfortunately, migrant domestic workers frequently experience abuse, exploitation, discrimination, racism and social exclusion.

We aim to reduce these problems through offering advice, services, advocacy and project work that will benefit migrant domestic workers. We also aim to influence policy affecting migrant domestic workers through negotiation with policy-makers and campaign work. Kalayaan is especially concerned that all migrant domestic workers are aware of their rights in the UK and are ble to access these rights in practice.

Kalayaan is staffed by paid workers, Management Committee members and volunteers. Immigration and employment advice is given by paid workers and Management Committee members. Advice given by appointment only. To contact the office please call 020 7243 2942 or email: info@kalayaan.org.uk

Staff Members:
Project Co-ordinator: Rita Gava/Kate Roberts
Community Support Worker: Jenny Moss
Health & Advice Worker: Camilla Brown

Opening Hours:
Monday: Employment 11am – 4pm, Advice 1pm – 5pm
Tuesday: Advice & Registration 10am – 8pm
Wednesday: Advice & Registration 10am – 4pm
Thursday: Advice & Registration 10am – 4pm
Friday: Emergencies only 10am – 4pm
Saturday: Closed all day
Sunday: Office open 11am – 8pm, Advice & Registration 1pm – 5pm

John Paul II Foundation for Sport

The John Paul II Foundation for Sport (JP2F4S) was launched by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Britain in 2010. The new organisation is inspired by John Paul II’s vision for sport, which has as its primary focus the building of spiritual character through excellence in sporting skills and fitness.

The Foundation aims to enable an ever increasing number of people – in particular the young initially – to achieve inner peace through sport guided by the principles identified by  Pope John Paul II  and set out in his declarations and writing.

Building on the legacy generated by the 2012 Games, the new Catholic charity JP2F4S promotes sport as a catalyst and conduit to enable all people to embrace a greater vision of, and higher values for, themselves and those around them.

With this in mind, the Foundation will seek to support the creation of new sports clubs in parishes and schools across the country, starting in the Catholic Dioceses of Westminster, Southwark and Brentwood (the diocese that incorporated the 2012 Olympic Park).

The foundation is based in the parish community centre. http://www.johnpaul2foundation4sport.org/about-us