The St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) works in communities across England and Wales, offering support to people facing poverty in all its forms, friendship when loneliness seems inevitable, and kindness when the world feels unfair.

We may give a moment or a lifetime of support, but whatever the case, our mission is to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, accompany them on their journey and empower them to achieve their ambitions.

Our services are community-led because we believe that the people who best know
the challenges and problems in any area are those who live there. From our St Vincent’s centres to our community shops, and from our local groups to the summer camps we run to give children a holiday to remember, we give the same warm welcome to anyone who needs us.

All of our locations across England and Wales offer sanctuary from the turbulence of life, a place to learn, grow and feel accepted and empowered. Our approach is as individual as those we serve because each person we help is unique.

The essence of our work is befriending. That person-to-person contact is extremely special, and spending time with people is our greatest gift. We visited nearly 36,000 people in 2021/22, equating to 206,735 hours of donated time by our volunteers. Every visit provides a compassionate response to a crisis, and every conversation offers comfort and companionship.

Meanwhile, our St Vincent’s community centres are unique, and no two are alike, but they share the same values, offering a warm welcome, respect for those we serve, a non-judgemental approach and above all, a safe environment where our guests can be themselves. Across England and Wales, our centres are our response to the particular problems and challenges faced by their communities.

There are currently nine St Vincent’s centres, a furniture project in Sheffield, supported and move on accommodation in Newcastle, three houses in Norfolk offering temporary accommodation, and two approved premises for offenders on supervised early release from prison. All are linked by our mission to help anyone in need irrespective of background, through actions delivered with kindness, compassion and love. Our centres are created by local SVP groups who have identified a need for them. They embrace innovation and change, offering bespoke solutions where necessary.

During 2021/22, St Vincent’s centres provided over 35,000 free meals and food parcels. They also provide a wide variety of support, including activities for older people, people with dementia and their carers, opportunities for younger people, training courses, debt advice, help for refugees and asylum seekers, and much, much more.

The SVP also has 47 St Vincent’s shops across England and Wales which provide vital funds for our transformational work, but they are first and foremost there for the community, providing low cost items and signposting for those in need. Our St Vincent’s shops along with our St Vincent’s centres provide supported volunteering opportunities for over 700 people who want to give back to their communities while enjoying a wonderful sense of fulfilment.
The SVP is a diverse organisation encompassing people from a variety of backgrounds and ages. We want to inspire young people through the transformational experience of volunteering in a safe and supportive environment, which helps them grow positively by giving them the opportunity to turn their concern into action. We have 306 active Mini Vinnie groups (for 7-11 year olds) and 63 Youth SVP groups (for 11-18 year olds). Additionally, there are nine Young Adult/1833 groups (for 18-35 year olds). Our young people make an enormous difference to the lives of people in their communities.

We also work in prisons and with those newly released from incarceration. The SVP currently has a regular presence in at least 16 prisons, and contact with 50 others. Our work in prisons and with ex-offenders focuses on the needs of these individuals and their families.

Our social justice work in an integral part of our mission, tackling inequality and injustice wherever we see it. We empower, advocate and campaign for people living in poverty of any kind, and those facing discrimination. Our grassroots approach to advocacy engages individuals, communities, organisations, faith groups, local and national government.

Our compassion and practical support crosses borders to help our brothers and sisters across the globe. Through our Twinning programme, SVP Conferences across England and Wales support Conferences in developing countries through prayer, correspondence and financial support. Our Conferences are currently twinned with SVP groups in India, Sudan, South Sudan, Grenada, Guyana and Romania, and more recently we have also supported the SVP in Ukraine.

Our mission is to turn concern into action and in doing so provide practical support delivered with kindness and compassion, empowering those in need to live a fuller life with dignity.