Dear all,

Thanks again for reading my e mail and clicking on to the link.

The St Vincent Support Centre is a charity I've worked  for over the last 3 years. A very short summary of its work and position follows, and if you want to know more, there is a hyperlink at the bottom.

And please don't forget Lawrence's page - www.justgiving.com/lawrence-hibbitt

St Vincent Support Centre - an overview:

Leeds, despite being an affluent city, has many pockets of poverty and deprivation. Now in its eleventh year, the St Vincent Support Centre  exists to provide practical help to the most vulnerable and impoverished.

St Vincent's helps a very wide range of people. The work is wholly non-denominational and both the staff and clients come from a broad range of racial and religious backgrounds.

Help is given to both long term inhabitants, as well as newer residents, escaping war and persecution from around the world.

The approach is holistic with the aim of helping people rebuild their troubled lives and gain  a greater degree of independence.

The centre provides a range of services, including:

* Free counselling, covering both debt and personal issues.

* A learning centre covering language, numaracy and literacy.

* A volunteering programme helping people develop confidence, experience and new skills. This includes placements for people with mental health and learning disabilties.

* A shop selling a broad portfolio of quality second hand goods, specifically targeted for those on very low incomes.

* A community cafe

St Vincents, due to its pioneering work and excellent managment , has received great support over the years from many national funders including the Big Lottery Fund, the DTI, The Co-operative Federation, Lloyds TSB and The Scarman Trust.

However, and especially so during this recession, the call on our services is greater than our funding allows. In may areas, we are simply having to turn people away.

If you would like to find out more about the work that the St Vincent Support Centre and the SVP do, please click here.