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Moved by the plight of refugees, members of the SVP volunteer with the Jesuit Refugee Service to visit people detained at the immigration removal centres near Heathrow airport. After training in January 2019, we began visiting inmates at the Harmondsworth and Colnbrook facilities. Up to 1,000 men are held here, often for weeks, months or even years while courts consider their claims for asylum. When they are bailed, they’re sent into communities with little or no support. They are often traumatised by war and trafficking. Our job is to visit them, see them as fellow human beings and accompany them on their difficult and lonely journey.

B-Attitude, our young person’s SVP group in the parish, is for members between 14 and 18 years of age. These youngsters are full of ideas to help in the community.

Last year they were involved in a bake sale which raised funds for elderly residents of a local care home. This week they are out in force again – doing a spot of gardening around the parish’s Garden of Our Lady. They had some help from volunteers from HSBC in Eastcote. Pop over and take a look at what has been achieved. There is still lots to do, but this is a good start!

A few dates for your diary:

• Wednesday, June 2, from 10.30am to noon.

This will be the first face-to-face session for the bereavement care group since we went into lockdown in March 2020. The team will be in the church hall. Please come and join them for a cup of tea or coffee and a chat. Whether your bereavement is recent or maybe older, we are here to listen.

If you can not make the session the team is available on the telephone: Call 07562475720 and leave a message, a member of the bereavement care group will call you back.

The SVP started a bereavement care group in the middle of 2019. After our volunteers received the necessary training, we opened our doors on the first Wednesday of every month in the church hall. We offered those who attended a cup of tea or coffee and a friendly face to chat about any bereavement issues that they wished, whether they be new or old issues. If you or someone you know could use a friendly ear, give the bereavement care group a call on 07562475720.

The SVP has many initiatives that we run at the moment, many of which we have been unable to run effectively due to the pandemic. However, the food bank is one area where we have grown and the number of families we are now serving has increased exponentially.

There are two sides to the food bank at St Gregory’s: On one side, the SVP are a distribution centre for Hillingdon Foodbank, a separate charity based in Uxbridge. Families come and collect a limited number of pre-packed bags of food that are delivered to us each week. On the other side, there is St Gregory’s food bank, supplied by parish and community donations. When a person does not qualify for a Hillingdon Foodbank parcel then we use these to assist those who are struggling to make ends meet and buy food for their families.