The Parish Charter
This Covenant embraces the work of all groups and individuals in the parish who express their faith in Our Lord by their actions for the poor, as well as all the prayers and acts of kindness, and gifts of time, energy and resources.
The Parish Charter
This Covenant embraces the work of all groups and individuals in the parish who express their faith in Our Lord by their actions for the poor, as well as all the prayers and acts of kindness, and gifts of time, energy and resources.
Latest Appeal
Covenant With the Poor (CWtP) – RedTribe Appeal – May ’25
COVENANT WITH THE POOR (CWtP) is supporting RedTribe – a charity dedicated to preserving Maasai traditions while providing education and sustainable resources in rural southern Kenya. Their current appeal aims to raise £3,000 to establish five farms at Maasai Academy in the Loita Hills, home to 350 children and 18 teachers. The farms will help feed students and reduce reliance on costly external suppliers, improving food security and nutrition. Protected with chain link fencing, they will provide a long-term solution to rising costs and fragile food systems. As the only charity in this remote region, RedTribe relies on donor support to continue its vital work. Donations can be made in the usual way – offertory, contactless machine, and envelopes. To learn more or contribute, please Click on the heading above to find out more.
Covenant With the Poor (CWP) – Firefly International – March ’25
Supporting Syrian Child Refugees….
Firefly International have provided essential education opportunities to war-affected Syrian children since 2016 and Covenant With the Poor has supported them previously. Click on the heading above to find out more…
Anyone can join the parish Covenant With the Poor appeal group and decide which projects to support. There are four evening meetings n the parish centre and four appeals annually. The remaining meetings this year are at 6pm in the parish centre on: 7 April, 14 July, 3
November.
Covenant With the Poor (CWP) Home Start – Advent ’24
Helping families to a better start in life…
The CWP latest appeal is to help fund a supportive and nurturing group in Winchester for young families who, due to social anxiety and health issues, find it difficult to access toddler groups with their children.
Covenant With the Poor – Awareness Campaign Oct ’24 – 27 Years of CWP in the Parish
Covenant With the Poor Appeal May 2024 – The Promise – Karibu Nyumbani Orphanage water project
Covenant With the Poor Appeal March 2024 – Support for a school in Andhra Pradesh, India
Covenant With the Poor Appeal December 2023 – Support for destitute asylum seekers with SWVG
Our Mission
In practice, a small group of parishioners meets regularly to plan a sequence of appeals which take place four times a year—at the beginning of Lent, on Trinity Sunday, in September and at the beginning of Advent. Some of the projects undertaken in recent years are illustrated by the photographs on this page. The group strives to hold a balance between international projects and those more locally based. Some long-term projects are supported a number of times, typically 3-4 years apart.
To qualify for support, a project must be undertaken by a registered charity, and should have measurable outcomes. Contact with each charity is maintained so that proof of the planned outcome is available, and the group reports back to the parish via a quarterly newsletter.
A typical amount raised for a given project is £4-5,000, sometimes more. Over the past five years, over £100,000 has been donated by parishioners to 17 different charities, 12 working overseas and 5 in the UK.
All parishioners with a passion for social justice are welcome to join the group, and to bring their ideas and proposals for the group to discuss. Group members prepare the quarterly leaflets and make the appeals at all masses on the chosen weekend. They also help to collect the donations at these masses.
Do please contact the parish office if you would like to come to a group meeting – these are advertised in PeterPost. We always welcome new ideas and would like to feel the whole parish is actively taking part in our efforts to relieve poverty and distress wherever we can make a difference.
Previous Appeals
- Covenant With the Poor Appeal December 2023 – Support for destitute asylum seekers with SWVG
- Covenant With the Poor Appeal October 2023 – Supporting Firefly International with Syrian refugee children’s education following devastating earthquake
- Covenant With the Poor Appeal June 2023 – Changing Girls’ Lives in Malawi
- Covenant With the Poor Appeal December 2022 – Making an impact in rural Bolivia
- Covenant With the Poor Appeal October 2022 – helping children in Uganda get into school
Parish Contact: Barry Poffley