Caritas Round-Up | July 2026
Ursuline Links Empowering Young Leaders Conference
Siân, Director of Caritas Brentwood, had the privilege of speaking at the Ursuline Links Empowering Young Leaders Conference. Presenting alongside Beth (Strategic Project Director, CYMFed) and Kezia (Young Vincentian Officer, SVP), Siân spoke about leadership, the Ursuline values and how leaders can empower one another to create change.
Young people who had just finished Sixth Form from across Ursuline Schools in Brentwood, Forest Gate and Westgate, came together to discuss what’s next and how to continue living out their faith – alongside Ursuline Links and other organisations.
Reflecting on the day, Siân said:
I am very grateful to be able to work alongside Beth, Kezia and James – who I have all worked with throughout different parts of my career. The day was a joy to be a part of.
Feedback from young people has been very positive, with each speaker being rated 5 out of 5. The students came away feeling motivated by hearing about the work of each speaker, and the various projects they are involved in.
A huge thank you to James Ryan (Director of Ursuline Links) and Sr Kathleen, who both organised the day.
CSAN Parliamentary Reception
Mike Kane MP hosted a parliamentary reception for CSAN members and MPs on the theme “Flourishing Communities: Building Communities of Dignity and Solidarity.”
The evening began with Mass in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, followed by a reception bringing together CSAN members and diocesan Caritas agencies from across the country. Fr Dominic Howarth, Caritas Brentwood’s Episcopal Vicar, and Siân, our Director, both attended on behalf of the Diocese.
Mike Kane welcomed guests before handing over to Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, Chair of CSAN’s Trustees, and Raymond Friel, CSAN’s CEO. Both spoke about the significant contribution Catholic charities are making across England and Wales, especially as communities face growing social and economic pressure. They also pointed to Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical Magnifica Humanitas as a timely and relevant guide for that work.
Sir Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham, visited from our Brentwood Diocese, and, as always, we are grateful for his continued support for our work.
Diocesan Student Leadership Conference
Caritas Brentwood in partnership with the Diocesan Education Service and the BCYS held the annuals Diocesan Student Leadership Conference. This year we hosted by The Campion School in Hornchurch.
Taking Pope Francis’ Christus Vivit (‘Christ is alive’) as inspiration, the day gave young leaders from across our secondary schools the opportunity to hear Bishop Alan Williams, sm and Fr Dominic Howarth. Under their guidance the room explored what it means to live with purpose and faith. After their input, the students networked across school groups and considered the steps they could take to build their leadership and legacy.
We would like to thank every student who attended, each of them brought their own energy and passion to the day, reminding us why investing in young leaders is so vital in the current climate.
Students were asked about what key message they would take from the day and pass on to future leadership teams. One student answered:
“The most important part of being a leader is being human. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes as long as you show to get back up.”
Another student said:
“Work together with and for the people you are leading.”
Caritas Brentwood, the Diocesan Education Service and the BCYS cannot wait to follow-up with everyone in October!
‘Called to Act’ Citizens UK Conference
Siân (Director, Caritas Brentwood) and Michael (Development Officer, Caritas Brentwood) travelled to Westminster Cathedral Hall to attend the conference for Catholic member schools of Citizens UK from across the country, including St Bonaventure’s Secondary, All Saints Secondary, St Angela’s Ursuline Secondary and St Antony’s Primary from our Diocese.
Each school presented on the change young people are driving in their communities. Highlights included campaigning for better mental health support in Peterborough, lowering school bus fares in Cardiff and tackling youth housing insecurity in West London. Every testimony was a powerful witness to living out faith through service.
Raymond Friel OBE, CEO of Caritas Social Action Network, gave a short introduction to community organising in Britain, focusing on the Church’s solidarity with those on the margins. He reflected on the Match Girls’ strike and the London Dock Workers’ strike, linking the latter to Rerum Novarum, the founding document of Catholic Social Teaching.
The Tablet & New Hall Festival
Siân and Michael (Development Officer, Caritas Brentwood) attended a powerful two-day Catholic festival organised and hosted by The Tablet & New Hall School in Chelmsford. The event brought people from across the UK together to pray, reflect and act for justice, peace and human dignity.
With opportunities to hear from and network with academics, charity directors, and practitioners, the festival explored Catholic Social Teaching and the fundamental dignity of the human person.
Siân and Michael were delighted to be joined by a few of our volunteers who have supported us, each in their own ways throughout our work at Caritas Brentwood. Our volunteers helped us network and answer questions people had about Caritas Brentwood, and also provided a friendly face for our exhibition stall.
We would like to thank our volunteers: Ed, Bernadette, Liz and Edwin for their continued support and work over the festival.
If you are a young adult and would like to get involved in our growing network, contact us at [email protected]
St John Payne Sponsored Sleepout
Siân and Michael were invited to provide input at the St John Payne Sponsored Sleepout, through which the school raised money for Caritas Brentwood. Siân and Michael spoke about the realities of people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, as well as the various ways that people can become homeless. Through a mixture of information and interactive games, the group explored homelessness before sleeping outside on the school field that night.
Having learnt about the many forms of homelessness, student were then invited to explore further practical actions they could take going forward, including: advocacy, campaigning, and educating friends and family to help ensure the narrative around homelessness changes.
The money raised for Caritas Brentwood helps us continue to raise awareness around the realities of homelessness, as well as helps us to continue to support those most in need throughout the Diocese; whether that be supporting our local charities, or providing resources and support for parishes and schools where needed.
What is a ‘Sponsored Sleepout’?
A Sponsored Sleepout is a fundraising event where people give up their bed and sleep somewhere less comfortable. Over the last few years young people, teachers, parish leaders and catechists have spent the night sleeping out in gardens, car parks and on school fields to better understand how it feels for those sleeping rough throughout the Diocese.
If you would like to run your own sleepout, visit our info page here<<
Medaille Trust Art Roadshow
The Art Roadshow exhibition brought together members of the parish community from St Margaret’s in Canning Town to engage with artwork created by survivors of modern slavery and exploitation. The exhibition raised awareness, encouraged reflection, discussion, and learning, helping to shine a light on issues that often remain hidden from public view.
Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the conversations throughout the event. Caritas Brentwood were honoured to be part of this cause. We are hoping to facilitate another stop along the roadshow in the Autumn term.
What is the Medaille Trust?
Founded in 2006 by Sr Ann Teresa SSJA, the Medaille Trust’s mission is to provide refuge and freedom from modern slavery. They are one of the leading providers of support for survivors of modern slavery in the UK.
To find out more information, visit their website<<
NJPN Conference 2026
Michael, alongside and 3 volunteers sponsored by Caritas Brentwood, attended the National Justice & Peace Network Conference at the end of the month. The Conference centred around the theme of Just Talk, and how we can turn encounters with other people (especially those we disagree with) as opportunities to dialogue and promote the common good.
We are so grateful to our young adult volunteers: Ed, Paula, and Kacey. All three of them engaged deeply with the conference and highlighted that young people and young adults are not distant from issues of social justice, but they want to (and do) play an active part in them.
Our volunteers are working on a longer article about NJPN Conference 2026, so keep your eyes peeled for that soon!
If you are a young adult and would like to get involved in our growing network, contact us at [email protected]
St John Bosco Children’s Camp
Every summer, St John Bosco Camp offers children aged 9 to 12 a week they won’t forget. Combining outdoor adventure with faith, the camp gives campers the chance to explore the outdoors, make new friends, and deepen their faith through Mass and spiritual activities.
This year the camp is serving 170 young people, supported by 120 volunteers, with a packed programme of archery, swimming, football, volleyball, chess, puzzles and team building, alongside prayer and a safe space for arts and crafts. As Fr Dominic Howarth, Caritas Brentwood’s Episcopal Vicar, puts it, the camp is “immense fun” and one of Caritas Brentwood’s special works, with hopes for it to keep growing and supporting young people from across the Diocese in the years ahead.
What stood out was meeting Melissa. Having attended as a young camper herself, she now returns each year as a young leader, giving back to the community that once gave so much to her. “As a girl, I would have never had the chance to go raft building or canoeing, but I got that chance through Bosco, so it’s nice to give back,” she says. Watching this year’s campers find their own sense of achievement is, for her, what makes it all worthwhile: “It brings a lot of joy seeing them enjoy themselves and seeing them with a sense of pride achieving something new.”
To find out more about the St John Bosco Camp, go to: https://boscocamp.co.uk/
