See special report:  

They organised several fund raising activities during the year and regularly raise funds to present an annual cheque to Cafod. This year it was over £6,000 !

Want to know more?
Click the link at the top of this page

Do you feel that we live in an incredibly wasteful society?
Do you feel that so much is thrown away?
Do you understand the scale of poverty and deprivation throughout the world?

Many people have begun to realise just how unjust is the distribution of the world's goods
We get upset if we cannot get the latest fad food, the latest technological gizmo. People throughout the world cannot get any food or access to technology. What would God say about such an injustice. We fed ourselves to bursting point at Christmas at the same time as people were dying of hunger.
We are bombarded from morn till night by advertisements in newspapers, magazines, on the T.V. and so on. Do you sometimes feel that it's all too much?

Many people have felt that way and have got together to launch a campaign entitled 'Live Simply' It means what it says. It asks us always to look at our lifestyle and see if we cannot simplify it more. In that way we can align ourselves with the world's poor.

On the Cafod website (Click the link at the top of the page) you will find some ways in which people have found themselves trying to live more simply: It is reproduced below:

Make a promise to live simply Tired of a world of consumerism and hype? Want to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with people who are poor? Then get involved with livesimply - and get ready for change Why promise to Iivesimply? If you sign up to a promise and promote it to others, you'll be helping create a community action. Not only are you being the best you can be, you're encouraging others to do the same. Also, if you're finding your promise hard to keep, you'll know there are others out there you can turn to for support. LISTEN Chris Bain: 2007- the year of livesimply view details > Our faith tells us that God calls us to examine our lives, to reach our own full human potential and enable others to reach theirs. It's time to put that faith into action. Make a promise online Want to make the world a better place for everyone? Then start here by taking a livesimply promise. Make a simple change in your life and get others to do the same! We have set up a range of promises to get you started. If you have any ideas, questions or comments, please let us know. How a promise works >> FAQs >>   In this section: Promise: The 99% challenge "I will take the 99% challenge and make a monthly donation to CAFOD. But I want 100 people to promise to do the same" Promise: Take campaign actions "I promise to take three or more CAFOD campaign actions in 2007 but I want 100 others to do it too" Promise: Sharing a simple lunch "I will share a simple lunch once a month with my work team and give what we save to CAFOD, but I want 100 other people/groups to do the same" Promise: To pray and reflect "I will spend at least 10 minutes a week praying the livesimply prayer and reflecting on the issues that keep people in poverty but I want 50 other people to do same" Promise: No to cars “I will walk, use my bike or public transport where possible for the next six months instead of driving, but I want 20 other people to do the same.” What is livesimply? Live simply, live sustainably, live in solidarity. Find out everything you need to know about this exciting new challenge, and why CAFOD wants you to get involved in it Order a livesimply Action Pack Get involved - order the livesimply Action Pack, with reflection and worship resources for groups and communities

CAFOD NEWS
FOCUS ON AFRICA
This spring saw the launch of 'FOCUSAFRICA', Cafod's new parish fundraising scheme. Parishes are being asked to raise funds to support our work, responding to food shortages and building secure futures and livelihoods for families and communities across the African continent.
In East Africa, as elsewhere, Cafod has long established links with local partners enabling us to continue supporting people as they work to cope with the most severe drought in recent history, which has led to the current crisis where eight million people are facing severe food shortages.
But there are food shortages across Africa and none of them are simply caused by drought. They are caused by a range of factors including unfair trade rules, debt, conflict and HIV and AIDS. Cafod is therefore appealing for your help in the next 18 months to raise £1,000,000 to fight some of the most deeply rooted causes of poverty and hunger in Africa. Cafod knows that there is no quick fix to the challenges facing Africa.  But, along with you and our partner organisations, we are able to tackle these challenges in every way possible. It is working but we need to do more. Will you be part of the solution?

St. Bartholomew's Parish Cafod Group Mission Statement.
 

Cafod believes that all human beings have a right to dignity and respect and that the world’s resources are a gift to be shared equally by all men and all women whatever their race, nationality or religion.

The Parish Group endeavours to promote the core beliefs of Cafod by raising awareness of poverty and social and tyrade injustices in the developing world by:

1.               Supporting the Fair Trade movement  through sales of fairly traded goods on Cafod Corner in church and at various ecumenical venues in conjunction with St. Ann’s and St. James churches.

2.               By organising other parish fund raising activities throughout the year (e.g. local sponsored walk) in order to assist in medium and long term projects in the developing world and emergency disaster appeals.

3.               Involving the parish in national and international campaigns (e.g the Make Poverty History campaign in 2005) to tell politicians and world leaders that poverty is not inevitable and that, if political leaders have the will, that it can be eliminated eventually.

4.               The Group asks for the continual support of the parish so that we can jointly walk with confidence into the future, buoyed up by our faith, which underpins all our action.

Fairtrade goods on sale at the back of Church at weekend Masses.