9 attendees: DB = Diana Betts, PL = Peter Lowe, JA = June Adams, GT = Geraldine Thompson, OC = Owen Clutton (Chair), MM = Mary O’Mahony, BF = Breda Ford, RW = Roger Wright, FT = Fr Tom (part)

Apologies were received from: Angela Martin

Agreed actions shown in bold red type.

1.       Opening remarks

A prayer for peace by Pope Francis was read:

God of all glory, You call your people to seek justice, to love mercy, and to humbly walk with you.  Grant that we, inspired by your spirit, may be for ever unsettled until all your people in every land may live in peace, know justice freedom and love day by day, through Christ our Lord.  Amen

Members introduced themselves to Fr Tom.  OC gave FT a brief introduction to the activities of the J&P group.  FT asked the group to consider organising a collection of toys, toiletries and other small gifts to be arranged in church at Christmas for the benefit of abused and battered women.  The first action would be to identify a suitable shelter and JA agreed to look into this.  GT suggested that the Children’s Liturgy group might be interested in joining this initiative as the children would enjoy placing their wrapped gifts (labelled with suitable age group) under the Christmas trees on or before Christmas Day.  FT then gave his apologies and left the meeting.

2.       Minutes of last meeting

RW quickly read out the actions agreed at the last meeting, all of which would be covered in the following agenda items.  RW agreed to add FT to the J&P email circulation list. 

Note that meetings will be held in the Presbytery from now on.

3.       Collection dates for 2015

OC would email Pam Lundy to start the process of allocating collection dates for 2015.  The dates would cover Manna Centre, Foodbank and Traidcraft plus the two weekends for Zambuko second collections.

4.       Zambuko House

The September collection amounted to £744.35 which had been sent to the Jesuit Missions.

It was agreed that support for the Zambuko project would continue until June/July 2015.  Two cash collections would be taken in 2015 as well as the remaining one on 02 November 2014 (for which J&P members should give a short talk the week before if FT agrees).  Two fund-raising activities were proposed for 2015: a quiz night with food in February, and a plant sale on the first weekend of June.  JA would ask a friend of hers (Terry) about running the quiz.  DB would organise the plant sale, hopefully with donations from gardening parishioners, including the LiveSimply Garden team (RW to ask them).  Coordination of dates with other parish groups was essential and OC will investigate this aspect.  He was aware that the Parish Fundraising committee had intended to set up a register of events in order to avoid clashes.

Members were told that there are two known projects which could be followed up after July 2015.  FT has a reliable contact in Fr Ivan, a priest in north-west India.  Also Nick Babb is now on a career break as a volunteer in Uganda and will be asked to describe the work and his experiences with J&P in due course.

5.       Manna Centre

The collection for food on 13/14th September yielded a modest amount.  OC had contacted the Manna Centre and it was collected promptly the next day.

6.       Bromley Borough Foodbank

DB and MM will take over the task of emptying the bin in the entrance area and take the contents to the Foodbank periodically.

7.       Traidcraft stall

The Traidcraft takings for the stall held on 20th/21st September amounted to £236.  DB reported that there was currently a profit of £200 in the sales account which would be closed off after the February post-Christmas sale.  This year the profit will go to Zambuko House.  The next stall will be the big pre-Christmas sale on 22nd/23rd November.  Advent calendars are not being offered for sale this year.  DB and GT will work out a schedule of stall dates for 2015 and forward suggestions to OC for inclusion in his submission to Pam Lundy.

8.       Any other business

RW noted that this year’s Pope Paul VI lecture will be held on 7th November.  The speaker will be Bishop Sorondo of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and the subject “Climate and Poverty".  This is part of CAFOD’s campaign on Climate Change which will be launched on 18th October.  RW and MM are running a workshop at this event based on the St James’ experience of LiveSimply.

The CAFOD Harvest Fast Day will be on Friday 3rd October.  Unfortunately due to a clash of dates, it will not be possible to deliver the usual introductory talk the week before.  Instead an appeal by the Salesians will be made.  More careful scheduling will be needed next year so that a proper Fast Day appeal can be made.

Addendum: DB suggested we should have a Mass said for peace, given that the international news is even more dire than usual.  A collection soon raised enough for three Masses and DB would make the arrangements with FT.

There being no other business, the meeting closed at 9.30pm.

The next meeting will be on Wednesday 22nd October 2014 at 7.45pm in the Presbytery.