Our Work

Marcus laughing outside shop on a busy street at night.

What we do

We help anyone experiencing poverty in England and Wales or overseas at any point before, during or after a crisis.

Select the service you require below or scroll further down for a summary of each service.

I was at my wits’ end. I never thought I would be in this situation. St Vincent’s has really helped my family through this.

Overseas work

While the bulk of the SVP's work takes place in England and Wales, we never lose sight of the often desperate plight of people in the developing world. Member groups do this by offering practical and financial support for sustainable projects which offer long-term solutions to the ever-present problems of poverty, illness and lack of education through Twinning in India, Romania, Grenada, Guyana, Sudan and South Sudan.

Services in England and Wales

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Visiting People

Visiting is at the centre of what we do. The essence of our work is person-to-person contact and spending time with people, giving them a sense of belonging, is our greatest gift. We call this befriending.

Legs of pair of children facing each other in yellow and pink wellies Youth

Along with supporting the most vulnerable people, the Society takes its responsibility for safeguarding our young seriously. Through our youth programmes, we can provide the relief and guidance that, developmentally, helps every child that we encounter.

Camps

There are seven children’s Vinnie Camps around the country giving supervised activity and fun to youngsters aged between eight and 14 years. They offer a week of fun, excitement and friendship to boys and girls who may well be in need of a break because of family problems such as unemployment, illness, bereavement or relationship breakdown. Find camps...

Young Vincentian programme

Our Young Vincentians programme takes our Vincentian ethos into schools, colleges and parishes, inspiring young people to give their time to volunteer and sow the seeds for a lifetime of service. With more than 600 groups in England and Wales, Young Vincentians are the youngest members of the St Vincent de Paul Society who turn their concern into action! Join Young Vincentians...

Smiling bald man in apron carrying tray of mugs Community Support

Community Support Projects (CSP) is the collective term we use to describe all the project work we do in the community:

Furniture stores
Support centres
Re-use partnership
Supported accommodation and two local Approved Premises. More...

If you have items of furniture that you wish to donate, click here

Couple outside SVP shop window decorated for Christmas Community Shops

We operate over 40 St. Vincent's community shops across England and Wales as well as having an online offering. Our charity shops are a major part of our support for local communities. They provide affordable goods, employment and volunteering opportunities. They sell good quality preloved items at reasonable prices, play a significant role in the local reuse and sustainability agenda, and provide a visible presence of the Society. Shop locally...

Please use our interactive map to find your local charity shop or community support centres:

Illustration of old man in wheelchair wheeled towards sunset End of Life Companionship support

We have partnered with the Art of Dying Well to support dying beneficiaries. We are doing this through a free online course to teach people how to offer companionship when people need it the most.

Volunteer as an End of Life Companion

A sad looking little girl darkly lit Social Justice

We campaign for social justice by identifying and tackling the root causes of poverty and discrimination.

Our main policy areas are:

We bring together our members and Community Support Projects with policymakers, empower people to speak truth to power and influence policy and legislation so that everyone can live with dignity and free of social injustice. Our work on social justice...