Notre Dame de France Outreach

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OUTREACH

Visitors

Homeless

Refugees

WELCOME, LISTENING, ACCOMPANIMENT

The Church Welcome Room

At the church of Notre de Dame de France, a room has been put at the disposal of visitors wishing to pray or talk to someone. It is situated inside the church on the left handside. Information about retreats and other spiritual events are also available.

Since 1996, there has been a welcoming team at Notre Dame de France. These days, it is made up of five members who are both French and/or English speaking and are trained for listening and for spiritual accompaniment. They can also put visitors in contact with a priest in view of receiving the sacrament of reconciliation if they so desire.

You will find a list of members of the welcoming team and a timetable by the door.

Contact : Margaret Peacock (English)

E-mail : margaretoc@hotmail.co.uk

Contact : Martin McAnaney

Tel : 020 7440 2647

Margaret is contactable in the welcoming room on a Tuesday afternoon.

Associated organisations and links:

The Retreat Association :
www.retreats.org.uk
The Central Hall
256 Bermondsey Street
London SE1 3UJ
Tel : 0845 456 14 29

The Westminster diocese

Department of pastoral affairs
www.rcdow.org.uk/pastoralaffairs

Marriage Care: marriage prep and counseling
www.marriagecare.org.uk
Central Office
Blythe Mews, Blythe Road
London W14 ONW
Tel: 020 7371 1341

Mount Street Jesuit Centre

114 Mount Street

London W1K 3AH

Tel : 020 7495 1673

www.mountstreet.info

SigN (Southern Ignatian Network)
Secretary: Christine Risebero
4 Oval Road
London NW1 7EB
www.signuk.net

The London Centre for Spirituality
www.spiritualitycentre.org
The Church of St Edmund the King
Lombard Street
London EC3V 9EA
Tel: 020 7621 1392
e-mail: info@spiritualitycentre.org

There are French speaking counselors in the following centres:
Notting Hill Gate
Tel: 020 7243 1898
Wimbledon
Tel: 0845 1283937

The Dympna Centre
www.thedympnacentre.co.uk
Rev. Terry Mc Grath
Iron Spa House
Station Bridge
Harrogate
North Yorkshire HG1 1SS
Tel: 01423 817515

SERVICE TO THE HOMELESS

Notre Dame de France has been serving sandwiches to the homeless of the area for many years. This distribution used to take place at the door of the presbytery with the help of a a team of five or six dedicated volunteers.

Recent laws affecting the presence of the homeless in the streets of Westminster has led the church to review the format of its assistance.

Notre Dame de France also seeks to work in harmony with other projects which operate in the area and has decided to offer sandwiches from the groundfloor of the Maison Pierre Chanel, 16 Leicester Square, on Saturdays from 12h30 to 14h30.

Volunteers interested in this service can get in touch with Fr. Martin Mc Ananey (Tel : 020 7440 2647)

THE REFUGEE CENTRE

An environmentaly-friendly means of supporting Notre Dame Refugee Centre:

Here, at the Notre Dame Refugee Centre, we recyle all ink and laser printer cartriges, as well as fax cartridges, to raise funds for our work.

We also gratefully accept clothes that are clean and in good conditions, that we redistribute to refugees in need. Thank you for remembering that we need above all men's clothing

Thank you for all your support. Donations can be left at the centre on Mondays and Thursdays, or at the Church' s reception all other afternoons and week-ends.

For further detail, please contact us by email at: drop-in@notredamerc.org.uk

The Notre Dame Refugee Centre welcomes all asylum-seekers and refugees regardless of age, sex, ethnic origin or faith.

What do we offer?

a warm welcome, assured by a team of dedicated volunteers

advice, advocacy and representation with regard to housing, benefits and social services provided by our qualified advice workers

a first-stop immigration advice surgery run by immigration lawyers on a Thursday

a health service (presence of a nurse) on a Thursday ;

a counselling service (our counselor speaks English and French) on a Monday

a chaplaincy service

provision of various support services, including interpreting (especially, but not exclusively, for french speakers), home visits, accompanying asylum seekers and refugees to interviews and appointments

When are we open?

The Drop-in centre is open every Monday and Thursday between 11am and 4pm. The advice workers and volunteers can meet with refugees and asylum-seekers outside these hours by appointment.

How to find us ?

We are located at the 'Maison Pierre Chanel', 16 Leicester Square (premises belonging to the church of Notre Dame de France). Buses for Charing Cross Road, Shaftesbury Avenue and Trafalgar Square, all pass close by. The Piccadilly and Northern lines of the Underground stop at Leicester Square station, just around the corner. We are 5 minutes walk from Charing Cross main-line railway station.

How to help us?

Gifts in kind:

Non-perishable food such as: rice, sugar, powdered milk, tinnned-food, instant coffee, tea-bags, oil, etc.

Some toiletries such as: toothpaste, soap, shampoos, toothbrushes.

Some clean and well-maintained clothes; nearly-new baby-clothes, baby-necessities, well-maintained and in good working order such as little cots, prams, covers and bedclothes, toys for children from 0 to 10 years old.

We have a blog where you can read all our news : http://ndrefugeecentre.canalblog.com

Gifts in cash:

Your contribution would help to pay the wages of our employees as well as maintain our services.

Send cheques payable to: Notre Dame Refugee Centre.

Our address:

Notre Dame Refugee Centre

5 Leicester Place

London WC2 7BX

Tel: 020 7440 2660/61

Fax: 020 7437 3848

E-mail: christinediaz@notredamerc.org.uk

Some of our members wearing the result of their work

at the sewing workshop.

Publications :

NDRC Annual Review 2008-9

Article by Martin McAnaney and Gillian Patterson published in The Tablet, click on Living ghosts.pdf

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