Our objective is to raise the level of awareness in our Parish Family here in Esher and Claygate on issues of Justice, Peace and Social Concerns Locally, Nationally and throughout our world.

The Justice, Peace and Social Concerns Committee meets three or four times a year (evenings). Members of the Committee are usually responsible for an Aid Agency or a charity. Events in the past have included joining forces with the Social Committee for a Quiz Night to raise funds for the Cardinal Hume Centre, a Book Sale for the Newmans Trust, taking soup up to the homeless for The Passage. Each year we host the Care Mass at this Church in the Spring. Also we do a Coffee Morning for the retired people of the Parish after Mass on a Tuesday every few weeks.

CHRISTMAS 2011

GREETINGS CARDS FOR PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
The Justice and Peace Group is linking with Amesty International to ensure that Prisoners of Conscience get remembered this Christmas.  You can help in two ways:
1) Donate cards to send (general greetings cards and/or religious ones)
2) Write a card to send - details of prisoners will be made available at the beginning of Advents.  Donations to cver postage are welcome.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT!
"The second most deprived children in England live in Norbiton near Kingston on Thames"
"Elmbridge has 2% of the nation's highest earners and 2% of the nation's lowest earners"
"In England almost one in four children live in poverty"
"47% are from homes with at least one working parent on a low income"
"3,500 families in Elmbridge are entitled to free school meals.  Almost half don't take this up"

This can be through low self esteem of parent, illiteracy, mentl illness and poor general health.  Our Justice and Peace group are addressing these issues, you can help just by volunteering some of your time. 

MOTHER OF PEACE CHILDREN'S HOME, SOUTH AFRICA
We have recently started supporting a new charity in South Africa called "Mother of Peace Children's Home" www.motherofpeace.ie This is an orphanage located in Kwa Zulu Natal on an old sugar plantation. The orphanage houses 50 HIV orphans and vulnerable children. The charity's contributions go towards providing training volunteers who care for HIV/AIDS patients; agricultural skills training; family-care of abandoned children in the community and a day care centre for young children.  For more information or if you would like to give a donation to the charity, please see the website details or speak to a member of staff in the Parish Office.  Many of the social events run in our Parish currently support the Mother of Peace Children's Home.

Other projects we Support are: Twinning Projects with Mexico and Kenya (Faces of Africa)

•  Twinning Projects with Mexico and Kenya
• Cafod www.cafod.org.uk
• Cardinal Hume Centre www.cardinalhumecentre.org.uk
• The Passage www.passage.org.uk
• Traidcraft www.traidcraftinteractive.com
• Amnesty International www.amnesty.org.uk
• Newman Trust www.newmantrust.org.uk
• Kingston Advocacy www.kag.org.uk
• Thames Homeless angelahorsey@thp.virgin.net

The Chairman of the Justice, Peace and Social Concerns Committee is Tony O'Grady.