Helen O'Shea will be the 19th National President of the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) in England and Wales when she takes up the mantle from Adrian Abel this November.
In a profile written for the Catholic Times, Helen describes her journey from first hearing about the SVP in her home town of Grangetown, in Cardiff to her recent election as the first female national president of the Catholic charity in England and Wales.
Helen says: "I was inspired by the clear message of the SVP to put your faith into action and help people in need. There was an awareness that there were people in my own local community who really need help. Joining the SVP seemed to be a practical way of doing something more to demonstrate my faith. It was ultimately a way to live out my faith by doing something positive about some of the poverty and vulnerability that was evident around me".