Haiti Earthquake – please help

As a member of the Caritas Federation, we are supporting our partners to assist with the relief effort following the earthquake on the Caribbean Island of Haiti on January 12, 2010

As rescuers search for survivors among the rubble following the earthquake, our partners will be carrying out needs assessments.

At present there are no accurate figures of the number of dead and those made homeless by the quake, but it is clear that with a population of around nine million people – with three million living in the devastated capital Port Au Prince – substantial humanitarian assisance will be required.

Any money pledged will help our partners supply water, food, medicines and shelter to the worst affected areas.

Please support our appeal, or the DEC appeal, via www.cafod.org.uk/haitiappeal

You can follow our bloggers on the ground at: http://blog.cafod.org.uk/category/haiti/

And get all the latest news on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cafod

CAFOD Salford Presents Halle Choir in Concert

CAFOD SALFORD would like to invite you to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the first Lent Fast Day in a very special way: “An evening of Sacred Song & Light Opera by the world famous Halle Choir“. Celebration is a key to the evening, marking the foresight of the ladies of the National Board of Catholic Women (NBCW) who organised the very first Fast Day and the commitment of all our CAFOD supporters, who over the last 50 years have generously continued this tradition.

Our venue is St Patrick’s Church, Livesey St, Collyhurst, Manchester, M4 4JF at 7.30pm on the 6th March. St Patrick’s is a very beautiful church on the site of the first Catholic Church built in the city after the Restoration of the Hierarchy. Tickets are available from the CAFOD Salford office on 0161 705 0605 or by credit card on 0207 095 5684. Do join us for this evening fundraising celebration. Tickets are £18 and refreshments will be served.

Please click on the following link for a downloadable flyer for the event:

Halle Choir Flyer

CAFOD Salford is Developing – be part of it

As a result of the volunteer consultation last year and CAFOD Salford staff experience over the last few years, CAFOD Salford is undergoing exciting developments in this special year. As CAFOD celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the first Lent Fast Day, CAFOD Salford is launching it’s new Area Strategy. 

We would like to invite YOU to attend the 30th January Launch Meeting and be a part of this exciting new development,  please get in touch with the CAFOD Salford Office: salford@cafod.org.uk if you intend to join us you will be very welcome. The meeting takes place at the new Cathedral Centre behind Salford Cathedral, on Ford Street, off Chapel Street with secure parking. If you are concerned about travel arrangements the CAFOD Salford Office may be able to help you, so please don’t let that hold you back.

CAFOD Salford attend the Wave in London

CAFOD Salford Campaigners in the shadow of Big Ben

London Saturday 5^th December saw the largest ever UK climate change march, where over 40,000 people took part in the Wave, and CAFOD Salford campaigners were there. They represented CAFOD supporters throughout the Diocese of Salford, from Clitheroe in the north to Didsbury, Manchester in the south.

CAFOD Salford Newsletter

The latest edition of the CAFOD Salford Newsletter is now available on the Salford Blog. It contains all the latest news and information for future events. These include volunteer events: 30th Januaury Meeting at Cathedral Centre for all CAFOD Salford volunteers; and fundraising events: Halle Concert on 6th March 2010, which celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the 1st Lent Fast Day. There’s  plenty more inside so please click on the link below, download the newsletter and enjoy a right riveting read!

CAFOD Salford Advent Newsletter 2009

CAFOD Salford's "A Walk in the Park" 2010

Rod Allen & Neil Watts who took part in April 2009

CAFOD Salford’s annual “A Walk in the Park” fundraiser for 2010 will take place on Sunday 25th April at 1pm. The event takes place around the beautiful grounds of Heaton Park , Prestwich, Manchester. Last year participants raised over £4,000, the fundraising focus was our HIV and AIDS work. The target for 2010 will be to raise £4,000 for a health clinic.

The focus for 2010 seems very appropriate as we mark the 5oth Anniversary of the first national Lent Fast Day fundraiser.  The target back in 1960 was £600 to build a mother & baby clinic in Dominica, this target was smashed, so let’s hope we can do the same!

We were delighted with the response to our Walk in the Park event last year – with more than 180 participants, young and old, walkers and runners taking part. Many families took on the challenge together and one family even entered to celebrate their daughter’s 4th birthday.

The 2009 event was our fourth annual Walk in the Park and the event has gone from strength to strength, building each year – we hope this year will be even more successful as it is a great way to celebrate the arrival of Spring.

Interested in taking part in 2010?

This year’s Walk in the Park is on Sunday 25 th April. If you would like to register your interest now, simply click on the link for registration, or contact the CAFOD Salford office on 0161 705 0605 or at salford@cafod.org.uk.

We will then send you details of the event when they are ready. Please note, everybody is welcome to join in, but children must be accompanied by an adult.

Monthly Prayers – for Colombia

Following a visit to our office by Mgr Hector Fabio Henao Gaviria (pictured), one of our partners from Colombia, we took the decision to offer our October monthly prayers for the work of Caritas Colombia and all those working across Colombia under Mgr Hector Fabio’s department.

CAFOD Salford supporters were moved at the account of how our partners in Colombia are working to support the vulnerable communities.

We therefore decided that on Friday 30th October at 11am the focus of our prayers will be for that trouble region of our world. Prayers will be followed by a shared lunch.

Please join us if you are able at Katherine House 26 Singleton Rd Salford

Posted by CAFOD Salford

Bishop signs up to Climate Justice

In the run up to The Wave Event in London and the G20 meeting in Copenhagen, Bishop Brain of Salford Diocese has endorsed our Climate Justice campaign by signing one of our “hands” cards.

Volunteer Vin Allerton and CAFOD Diocesan Manager Anne Marie Coppock visited Bishop Brain who signed the card which will go with many others from around the diocese to be handed in at Copenhagen.

Vin commented: “We were very warmly received and it is great to have CAFOD’s campaign endorsed by our Bishop as so many people across the diocese feel this is a very important issue.”

If you wish to join the group from Salford diocese who are travelling to London on the 5th December to be a part of the mass mobilisation please contact Mary Clark in the CAFOD office on 0161 705 0605 or e-mail: salford@cafod.org.uk for travel details.

Posted by CAFOD Salford

Retreat Cancelled

Please note that our annual retreat advertised for the 17th October 09 has been cancelled. While we greatly regret this it is due to various circumstances out of our control.

Thank you for your understanding

Anne Marie and the Salford Team

Supporters Day at Lee House

How CAFOD steps into difficult situations to bring support.

Once again we held our annual supporters day complete with BBQ at Lee House near Chipping. Following a moving liturgy Geoff O’Donoghue , Head of CAFOD’s International Department, shared with the group how CAFOD works in the developing world.

He modelled how CAFOD steps in, when through crisis, people suddenly loose the ability to cope through no fault of their own. Through Geoff’s model we could all dentify with how easy, even within our own comfortable circumstances, forces outside our controlled bring us to situations where we can only pull through with support from outside our own resources.

In the developing world this is where CAFOD steps in to help people begin to cope with their current situation and come out the other side.

The afternoon was followed by our usually BBQ and once again we were blessed with a fine Sunday afternoon which every-one enjoyed.

Pictures courtesy of Mr Bernard Mercer