Charities

Charity derives from the Latin word caritas which means love such as in "Deus caritas est" (Jn4:8 - God is love). Charity is a key element of the Christian faith. At St Thomas of Canterbury, Sevenoaks we have numerous opportunities for charitable involvement. Charity is much more than financial, important as that is. Charity also involves the giving of our time and of our talents. The numerous charitable initiatives would not be viable were it not for the dedication of those involved. There is much to choose from. Please get in touch to learn more and find out how you can be involved.

Supporting your parish is an important priority, please see this link to find out more about the tax efficient opportunities of Gift Aiding.

Second Collection

The Catholic church is the world's biggest charitable organisation. Many rely on the generosity of support provided through the Catholic Church's numerous charitable institution - Caritas Internationalis, Cafod, Aid to the Church in Need, Stella Maris (formerly Apostleship of the Sea), to mention but a small handful. Our own Diocese of Southwark co-ordinates parish "second", after each of the Sunday Masses, collections for an approved list. Many of these are first response institutions in times of famine, natural disaster, war and reaching out where no governmental support is provide for health care, schooling, etc. Please give generously to these appeals.

St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP)

With SVP there are many opportunities to help financially, practically, and through visits to the isolated or housebound. Contact Paul Boyle 07407 041922 or Kathie Gonzalez.

Loaves and Fishes Foodbank

Charity begins at home so it is said. Here in Sevenoaks we have many people impacted by economic hardship. Often the difficulties are short term, but it is a great comfort and even a "God send" to know that people in our local community care and are willing to provide a hand up. At the Loaves and Fishes foodbank there are opportunities to assist in collection of items from various collection points, volunteering at the distribution centres. And in our own Parish churches food items can be left in the entry porches which will then be delivered and distributed as required. Please contact Isabelle Mercer for more information.

Rural African Children's Education Trust (RACET)

This is a very worth while charity with its roots in Sevenoaks. To find our more please contact MaryAnn Perasso 01959 522337 and/or click through to the RACET website.

Malawi Appeal

For many years now we have enjoyed the regular visits and support of Mgr Boniface Tamani (Fr Boni). Fr Boni works in Malawi among some of the poorest of people. Each year our parish seeks to support the work he does through financial and other material donations. Periodically parishioners have visited him in Malawi - please keep him in your prayers and watch this space as well as the parish News letter for opportunities to continue this worthwhile support.

St. Vincent de Paul Society or SVP

Welcome to the St Thomas of Canterbury Sevenoaks SVP page. Here you will find a summary of what we do, and information on how you can get involved.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” – Matthew 25: 35-36

“Make it a practice to judge persons and things in the most favourable light at all times and under all circumstances.” – Saint Vincent De Paul

About Us

The SVP, or the St Vincent de Paul Society, is an international Catholic Society active in 150 countries. Befriending people in need is at the heart of what we do through person-to-person contact. We aim to tackle poverty in all its forms, not only through financial aid but particularly through visiting the lonely, the sick, and the housebound.

We have a small but active group in our parish, that meets regularly. Please get in touch with us if you would like to join us, or if you or someone you know is in need. We are also able to offer some financial assistance on a case-by-case basis.

You can contact our group’s president Paul Boyle at 07918 808222

Donating to the SVP

We are very grateful for the support of members of the parish whose donations allow us to continue our work. If you would like to make a donation to the St Thomas’ SVP group, we have included bank details below. If you would like to earmark your donation to go towards our support of a local food bank please include the word FOODBANK in the reference, otherwise it will be allocated to the SVP general funds.

Sort code: 60-60-04

Account no: 46076484

Account name: St Vincent de Paul Society

Current Projects of the St Thomas’ SVP Group

Visiting the sick, housebound, and lonely within the parish, providing friendship and practical support where we can.
Undertaking monthly shops for Sevenoaks Loaves and Fishes foodbank (we have done this every month since the COVID-19 Pandemic began).
Providing £50 cheques to help families referred to us by local organisations towards a day out in the summer, and £50 Tesco vouchers at Christmas (funds permitting).
Providing Remembered Gifts and/ or cards at Christmas to those we visit, or who are visited by other parish members.
Providing financial support to an SVP project in Andhra Pradesh, India, to provide milking buffalos to three families, in order for them to be able to use and sell curd, butter and buttermilk to support themselves.

Past Projects of the St Thomas’ SVP Group

In 2023 our group supported the SVP Vidya Jyothi Scheme for Schoolchildren. We sponsored seven students, in various states across India, to support them in their education. To find out more about this work, please visit: the twinnage and overseas aid page of the SVP website.
In 2023 we used our annual Lenten Collection to support the victims of the of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, as well as supporting the educational needs of ten students in Kerela, India.
In 2022 we supported the St. George SVP Conference in Irumbil, Neyyattinkara, Kerala, India, to provide funding for self-help agricultural projects, specifically a “goat bank”. This initiative involved providing goats to families in need, on the condition that the goat’s offspring were donated to other families in the area, providing families with a much-needed source of income. We raised £920 to buy ten goats for the community, and in May 2022 we received confirmation that the project had been successfully completed.
In 2022, we used our annual Lenten collection to raise £2610.30 for those suffering in Ukraine as a result of the invasion, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The proceeds of the 2022 collection went to DePaul International (an umbrella body for national SVP groups) as part of their Ukraine appeal, which provides direct, on-the-ground support to organisations in the country.
In 2019 we raised funds through our annual Lenten collection to support the St Mary’s Mogalthur SVP in Andhra Pradesh, India, with whom we are “twinned”. We raised £961.37 to provide nine bicycles for the village, so that those who live there have the mobility to travel to nearby villages and market towns both to look for work, and to sell their produce.
In previous years we have also raised money to support baby feeding stations in Sudan.
Between 2017 and 2022 we organised five collections of clothes and sleeping bags for refugees which were transported to a warehouse in Northern France. They were then distributed by the charities working there with refugees.

Malawi

On Sunday 1 September 2024, Mgr Boniface gave an informative, although heart rending, update on the critical work being undertaken in his home diocese in Malawi. The full deck of slides from his presentation are set out below, providing great insight into the challenges faced and the significant difference the many projects are making to the lives of people in Malawi. Many Sevenoaks Parishioners have contributed generously to the work over many years - such is indeed faith in action.

If you feel able to assist in this initiative/appeal please make a contribution either directly to Fr Boni, or through the Parish Bank account, RCAS Sevenoaks, 60-19 02, 25782002 (marked reference Fr Boniface).