Mini-Vinnies
What are Mini-Vinnies?
At St Bernadette's we have a group of children in Key Stage 2 who are our Mini-Vinnies. These children have decided to help organise charity work, build links in our local community and lead Catholic Social Teaching, helping us all to follow in the footsteps of Christ.
Our Mini-Vinnies work to guide the school in looking after members within our school community, locally, nationally and internationally. The Mini- Vinnies fundraise for those less fortunate by responding to and identifying need. The children run the meetings and have in place a pupil president and vice president. All meetings begin with the Mini-Vinnie prayer and each year an action plan is created.
This year 2024-2025 we are working towards achieving the CAFOD Live Simply award. The Mini-Vinnies are working alongside our Eco Council and School Council and living out our school mission and gospel values.
Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, the LiveSimply award encourages pupils to spend time in prayer and reflection, while also taking action
together to respond to global poverty, injustice and the environmental crisis. The award reflects Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato
Si’ and is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships, with God, with our neighbour, and with the earth itself (Laudato Si’ 66). Nine faith-inspired actions will enable pupils to respond in a holistic manner to the three core principles of the award.
The Mini-Vinnies have ambitious plans. They make a tangible difference to the lives of our school and wider community and want to carry on the good work of St Vincent De Paul by turning concern into action.
Here are some of the things our Mini Vinnies have been involved in 2023-2024.
The Good Shepherd Appeal for Caritas 2024
During Lent 2024 the Mini Vinnies planned a whole school sponsored St Bernadette's Got Talent and a non uniform day to raise money for the Caritas Good Shepherd Appeal. Each act raised sponsor money and we managed to raise a total of £567.
Chelwood Food Bank Autumn 2023
Our Mini Vinnies organised collections for our local food bank and children donated lots of food and toiletry items in exchange for a non-uniform day. Chelwood were very pleased with the generosity of our school community.
SVP Prison Project December 2023
At Christmas our Mini Vinnies re-purposed Christmas cards to send to families who have someone in prison and are suffering their own sentence outside and those who are isolated within prison - friendless and full of regrets.The children used the recycled Christmas cards to make new cards.
SVP District Youth Mass 2023
We attended the SVP District Youth Mass along with other local schools and members of the SVP at Our Lady and the Apostles Church, Stockport. This was a joyful celebration. Some of our children led readings and helped with the offertory as part of the Mass. The children enjoyed meeting other Mini Vinnies.
Shrewsbury Diocese Young Vincentian Newsletters
Spring 2024 Newsletter Can you find St Bernadette's? Look on the front cover at the district Mass.
Summer 2024 Newsletter Can you find St Bernadette's? Look on page 11.
