St. Mary's Mini Vinnies
Who are the Mini Vinnies?
Mini Vinnies follow in the footsteps of Christ and St Vincent de Paul.
The Mini Vinnies are the youngest members of the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP), an international Christian voluntary organisation dedicated to tackling poverty in all its forms by providing practical assistance to people in need.
At St. Mary's The Mini Vinnies get together regularly to live out their mission of see, think, do, supporting our school community and beyond alongside the SVP. Children can apply to be in a Mini Vinnie from year 3 though every child in the school community gets involved in the many ways. We are intentional disciples who turn concern into action in the following ways:
- We make cards for the sick lonely or isolated
- We visit those in the community who may need some company
- We create crafts and art to share with others
- We run food collections during harvest to support local foodbanks
- We fundraise for the SVP as well as other charities
- We support children in school through friendship groups
- We campaign
- We run prayer groups in school
Bake Sale - May 10th
Thank you to the families and children who baked, delivered and helped out at the bake sale in May with the Mini Vinnies. We were so proud of the children and we raised an amazing £350 for St. Vincent de Paul! We are planning to make them a termly event so please don't put your aprons and rolling pins away yet!
Mini Vinnie Bake Sale
A reminder for our families that we are holding a bake sale for St Vincent De Paul on the 10th of May (Sunday) after 10.30am mass. Please support us by bringing delicious baked goods (no nuts please) to mass for 10.15pm. Please note that this is a cash only event.
Lenten Calendar
A big thank you to the Mini Vinnies (particularly the year 5 children!) who created a bespoke Lented Calendar to count down the days to Easter Sunday. The children came up with excellent ideas of ways in which we can all get closer to God.
Red Wednesday
This year, St. Mary's marked Red Wednesday (19 Nov) as part of our commitment to standing in solidarity with those around the world who suffer persecution for their faith. Rooted in our Catholic ethos, the day encouraged pupils to reflect on the values of courage, justice, and compassion, recognising the importance of religious freedom for all people. Children and staff wore red as a visible sign of support, took part in prayer and reflection, and explored age-appropriate stories that highlight the resilience and dignity of persecuted communities. Red Wednesday provided a powerful opportunity to deepen pupils’ understanding of global citizenship while strengthening our mission to foster empathy and moral responsibility within our school community. Each child wore a red item of clothing and we added red ribbons to our gate to show our solidarity. The school raised almost £90 for this worthwhile cause. The organisation of the day as well as assemblies and posters were all made by the Mini Vinnie children as their first project.