Church invests £1.6m in support for vulnerable in Westminster

The Diocese of Westminster has pumped a whopping £1.6million into helping some of London’s poorest people in the last four years.

Those who have benefited from the diocese’s St John Southworth Fund include children whose parents suffer from HIV, disabled children and the homeless. Projects tackling knife crime, youth nuisance and poverty have also received aid.

The fund is administered by the Pastoral Affairs Department for the Diocese of Westminster.

The Director of Pastoral Affairs, Edmund Adamus, said: “The St John Southworth Fund continues to help many in London suffering various levels of deprivation. We are deeply grateful to all who have donated to the Fund, either individually or through parishes, to make this vital assistance possible.

“Supporting grassroots social action at the heart of communities has such potential for the mission of the Church, as these are the good works that serve the common good.”

“From 2010-2011, it was a particular privilege to facilitate the award of larger grants exceeding £10,000 in the wake of the economic downturn which is having an increasingly adverse affect upon families and causing more individual cases of hardship. This has, however depleted the fund’s overall capital.

“The number of applications that the fund receives is increasing. It is imperative that we maintain a sustainable grant fund for the future. One of the ways to achieve this is to build the fund up through parish and private donations as well as legacies. Please help us to expand this vital work of building a deeper culture of practical love and charity by giving to the St John Southworth Fund.”

The St John Southworth Fund is named after a priest, born in 1592 who was ordained in Douai, France, in 1618. Returning to England, Fr Southworth ministered in the area close to where Westminster Cathedral now stands. During the plague of 1636, he tended to the sick with devotion and courage.

Set up in 2007, the St John Southworth Fund assists the homeless, migrants and refugees, children in need, youth education, disability support, pastoral support for the elderly and other projects in London.