Applicants with experience of property management are particularly welcome.

Could you be part of a dedicated team delivering social action throughout the Diocese of Leeds through caring for and supporting adults, children and families who are disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised?

This is an opportunity to live your faith through action.

Click here for further information.

M. is a tenant at Roxholme. She loves cats, but rarely has the chance to interact with one. So, my daughter Lois brought her 8-month-old kitten, Diego, to visit.

M. was thrilled, happy just stroking Diego at first, then building-up the courage to hold him, and finally not wanting to let go! M. said she really enjoyed the visit and asked when Diego would be visiting her again!

In the first month of this year, the Gianna service received a total of 51 referrals, more than ever before in the month of January. Whilst we hope for a society where no mums and babies need help, we’re grateful to everyone who helped us deliver our service. A highlight was helping to prepare for the arrival of twins.

On 29th January the desperately sad news was reported that the body of a newborn baby girl was found in a Leeds pub toilet. Our Gianna service can help struggling parents, so please spread the word about us. We can be emailed (gianna@catholic-care.org.uk) called (07525 406071) and there’s a referral form on our web page.

In mid-February our Gianna Baby Bank received a huge donation of baby goods from JKN Outreach Foodbank. Massive thanks to them for the donation and all the great work they do in the community.

Many thanks also to Catholic Care’s lovely ‘Knit & Natter’ group in Harrogate who’ve been making beautiful creations for the Gianna project. Their creativity and skills are amazing. The group is very grateful to King Cole Wool Manufacturers for donating lots of wool to our charity so they can knit lovely items for babies.

In addition to Catholic Care’s social media accounts, regular updates are posted on the Gianna Baby Bank’s Facebook page and TikTok account. Be sure to give them likes and follows!

Staff at Catholic Care’s Head Office marked Time To Talk during their coffee break. HR Manager Katrina Greenhalf writes: ‘We made great use of our half-hour discussing mental health, learning more about each other through a series of questions, and playing some fun team-building games including Mini-Jenga and Snap. Jo-Anne was the overall winner, but all staff enjoyed the event.’

The 2023 edition of the Celebration of Our Year is being distributed to parishes, religious communities, and schools across the Diocese of Leeds. It’s also available electronically, and will be emailed to Friends of Catholic Care.

Catholic Care’s Communications Manager, Johan Bergström-Allen, said: “I really hope people will enjoy reading about some of our highlights from last year. Putting it together, I was deeply impressed and really moved by the stories and statistics; the sheer number of people whose lives have been improved by what Catholic Care does is astonishing. Every paragraph and every photo represents just a snapshot of the huge impact we make as a Catholic Care family.”

“For the first time this year, we’re including the financial summary from the Trustees’ Report in the Celebration of Our Year. We think it’s important that our supporters know how we use resources, and having worked for various charities over two decades I’m very impressed that 99% of Catholic Care’s income goes directly on our charitable activities and maximising our impact.”

“It’s right that charities should be accountable to the public, and at a time when public and private resources are so scarce, it’s important that we demonstrate how Catholic Care makes an effective difference.”

Click here to read the Celebration of Our Year 2023.

Easyfundraising partners with over 7,000 brands who will donate part of what you spend on internet shopping to a cause of your choice. Participating brands include: Amazon; eBay; Argos; John Lewis; Just Eat; Marks and Spencer; Etsy; Tesco; Moonpig; Currys; Pets at Home, and so on.

It doesn’t cost the consumer/donor any extra as the cost is covered by the brand.

To support Catholic Care when you shop online:

• Go to easyfundraising.org.uk and set up a personal account. When you’re asked to choose a cause to support, type in ‘Catholic Care’.
• When you set up your account, you have the option to install an extension on your web browser called ‘Donation Reminder’. It will pop-up on every retailer website where a donation is available, which means you don’t have to remember to come to Easyfundraising first.
• If you shop through your mobile phone, you can download the Easyfundraising app from the Apple or Google Play stores.

Please tell your family and friends about our presence on Easyfundraising; it’s such a simple yet effective way to raise funds for our life-changing work.

On 25th September the Annual Members’ Meeting of Locala Health & Wellbeing took place at the John Smith Stadium in Huddersfield. Locala is a not-for-profit social enterprise providing NHS community healthcare services in Bradford, Calderdale, and Kirklees. Locala works in partnership with other agencies, awarding grants to support community projects that Locala members vote for.

Last year Catholic Care successfully applied for a Locala grant of £1,500 for our Community Market at St. Winefride’s Church in Bradford. Locala’s Annual Meeting includes an awards celebration of successful community projects, and Catholic Care was represented by Michelle Vink and Sue Parsons from our Community Team. They’re pictured here with Locala’s Social Impact Manager, Donna Oldman, who said: “It’s amazing to witness the excellent work happening in our communities. We collaborate with community groups, ensuring that our communities remain the focal point of our efforts.”