UPDATE MEMBERS’ SPRING 2026
Society of St Vincent de Paul (Scotland)
The Society’s Mission
Our Vision
SSVP Scotland is a Christ-centred charity whose aim is to become recognised as the leading, lay Catholic charity operating Scotland-wide by actively seeking out and bringing hope, aid and assistance to those in our communities experiencing poverty in all its forms.
Christ-Led, Faith Driven
We will respond based on our core belief in the sanctity of human life, the inherent dignity of the human person, and by putting the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.
Accountability
We will hold ourselves and one another responsible for taking good care of resources under our stewardship made possible by the generosity of others.
our values
Justice
Generous
We will be selfless in giving of our time, talents, energy and commitment in the service of people living with and facing adversity in all its diverse forms
Responsive
We will demonstrate agility and empathy, responding with purpose and in a non-judgmental way at all times to people whom we serve in hope.
Kindness
We will act as a strong advocate against injustice, helping tackle the structural inequalities that cause poverty in all its forms, and in pursuit of our goal: a more just and compassionate society 3
We will show compassion, respect and sensitivity for people benefiting from our support, honouring their dignity and worth.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Patricia F. McCartney, National President SSVP Scotland
Welcome to this Members’ Update for Spring 2026 I hope it finds you all in good health. You will be aware that our newsletters, in the form of “The Ozanam News’ have not been issued recently, largely due to low staffing levels in the National Office However, with our team in the National Office now in place, we are looking to re-establish a regular members’ newsletter as a priority As the Society moves forward, we are reviewing many of our current practices, including our newsletter and communications, with a view to ensuring they meet the Society’s needs now and in the future. We invite you to take part in helping to shape our future by joining working groups for different areas of focus, a few of which are outlined in this newsletter. While this work begins, we are issuing this interim Members’ Update to ensure you are aware of key activities which have taken place since the Annual Meeting held in late August of 2025. We hope this will inspire, energise and give you hope as we continue to serve those who need us.
Serving in hope
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION
God sees only the heart
In 1833 Sr Rosalie was asked to mentor a young Frederic Ozanam and his companions who were starting their first ‘Conference of Charity’. She taught them that in serving the poor, they were to "see Our Lord in the poor".
She also mentored the young men on how to visit poor people in their homes, providing not just material aid (food and firewood) but also companionship and spiritual encouragement and she provided the first list of families for the group to visit, effectively directing their initial efforts.
Sr Rosalie Rendu was a simple woman, and lived so poorly, as to let the presence of God shine through her. God saw her heart was full of His love for those who were poor She never held any high positions in life except that of being a Servant of the God she loved.
Her words to many of those she formed in service of those who are poor were:
“Be a milestone where all those who are tired have the right to lay down their load.”
Let these words of Sr Rosalie form you today as you go out in response to God’s call to serve Him in our sisters and brothers who carry the cross of poverty today.
United in our Vincentian call, Sr Maria Robb DC
The tomb of Bl Rosalie Rendu in Montparnassse Cemetery is always adorned with fresh flowers, even 180 years after her death!
WHAT’S NEW? WELCOMING NEW FACES
“Grant the Society the grace of continual growth and renewal and we pray that many others will be drawn to seek membership of this Society and share in its work.”
As we continue to grow and renew, we are delighted to welcome new conferences to our SSVP Scotland family and to welcome some existing members to new positions.
Mark Henry
Mark has been involved with SSVP since he was 9 years old in Conferences in Bearsden, Partick and now a member of The Immaculate Conception conference in Maryhill. He became President of the Archdiocese of Glasgow in September 2025 and is really enjoying working with volunteers who go that little bit extra for those in need. Mark is looking forward to working with the staff, Trustees and volunteers to ensure the organisation continues to go from strength to strength and be a beacon of hope for communities and individuals that are struggling.
Maureen Geraghty Sathi
Maureen began as Operations Manager for the Society in Scotland in December 2025 With a background in Operational Management and a deep commitment to the SSVP, she is committed to this new role and to working to secure the vibrant future of SSVP Scotland
Jackie Halforty
Jackie joined the SSVP, St John the Baptist, Uddingston Conference in April 2024, a vibrant Conference consisting of twelve members, very well supported by the Parish Community. She took on the role of Conference Secretary in July of the same year and enjoyed the challenges that this role brings. When she heard that a Twinning Officer was required for South Africa, she took some time to find out about the role and then decided that this would give her an opportunity to further assist the Society and she began this role in January 26
New Conferences
We are delighted to welcome two new conferences, St Michael’s in Moodiesburn and St Teresa’s in Newarthill. May God bless them in their endeavours.
St Teresa’s in Newrthill
St Michael’s in Moodiesburn
Jackie, Twinning Officer for South Africa and Special Projects, pictured with Stephen Jack, Twinning Officer for India
WHAT’S NEW? DIGITAL GIVING
Digital Giving plans take a big step Forward - Nominations Wanted
The support of donors is invaluable to the Society of St Vincent de Paul Scotland; they underpin so much of the work and support conferences provide to those in need Plans to make it easier for those donating to the Society have taken a big leap forward with the Society choosing Give A Little as its digital giving partner.
Give A Little provide a range of digital donation devices and terminals, adding choice and convenience to donors and enabling them to support charities financially using their bank card or their smartphone Digital Giving is a proven way of driving up donation levels and Gift Aid declarations.
This exciting development follows considerable market and other research, robust evaluation of providers and extensive engagement with the conference network A Digital Giving Working Group, comprising volunteer members from across Scotland, has contributed hugely during this process.
We know that the conference network relies heavily on cash donations. The trusted wooden collection box has served the Society and donors well However, cash is a declining commodity, a trend set to continue. Fewer people carry it and more and more people in their everyday lives rely on contactless payments using their bank card or smartphone.
DIGITAL GIVING
This overreliance on cash donations poses some challenges for the conference network and to the Society The Digital Giving Working Group have been working in the background on how best to respond. This has included looking at new ways to give donors more choice on how they donate while, at the same time, taking care to ensure that approaches working well today, such as the trusted wooden box, are respected and protected
Give A Little’s range of digital donation devices accommodate different needs, context and circumstances that we know exists across the conference network.
"Tradionally,ourconferencenetworkhasderived muchofitsincomefromcashdonationsmade throughthetrustedweeklyboxcollection.Ina changingworld,theSocietyneedstomakeiteasier andmoreconvenientfordonors,includingthose comfortableusingbankcardsorsmartphonesto continuesupportingtheSocietyfinancially Through ourpartnershipwithGiveaLittle,wewillbeina positiontoextendchoicetodonors,enablingthemto makecontactlesspaymentsthroughdigitaldonation devicesandterminals Beginningfirstwith enthusiastictrailblazers,weplantosupporteven moreconferencesacrossScotlandadoptdigital givingduring2026 Theseexcitingdevelopmentsin partnershipwithGiveaLittlearefullyconsistent withourtwingoals,tosecureafutureforthe Societywhileremainingfaithfultothepast".
TriciaMcCartney NationalPresident SSVPScotland
Introducing change brings its own challenges, and the Society fully recognises this. Rather than leave conferences to their own devices, the Society is taking the lead on their behalf. It is planning for the roll out of digital giving in a phased and controlled way, and in ways that are designed to remove some of the effort and cost involved from the conference network
The Society is extending an opportunity for a cohort of early adopters to come forward, trailblaze and lead the field in rolling out digital giving locally. It is anticipated the first cohort will comprise around 25 conferences drawn from across the whole conference network. As well as the chance to find out much more about Give A Little and about what they offer, conferences nominating themselves for inclusion in the first cohort will receive support and training, support for hardware costs plus support from the National Office.
To find out more about what’s involved, or how to nominate your conference to take part in the first cohort of trailblazers, contact membersvoice@ssvpscotland.com by 28 February 2026.
Nominations received will first be assessed by the Digital Giving Working Group. A comprehensive plan has been developed for implementing digital giving with those conferences selected as part of the first wave, allowing donors and conferences alike to begin benefitting from digital giving from on or around Easter 2026 onwards.
Martin Brown, SSVP Working Group for Digital Giving
WHAT’S NEW? WORKING WITH PRISONERS
‘I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
(Matthew 25:36)
Over the past year or so one of the main focuses of our SSVP social justice work has been support for those in prison We have collected liturgical items for prisoners and delivered them to Deacon Kenny McGeachie the Roman Catholic Advisory Chaplain. We have also undertaken to support the newly established Dignify Fund with a donation of £5000 annually. This fund gives small monetary grants to prisoners.
We hope now to encourage SSVP members to become personally involved in this work by becoming prison visitors, working with families of those in prison or supporting those newly released. Given these possibilities, we have organised an Information Day so that SSVP members can find out more about the opportunities available.
The morning and early afternoon sessions of the day will focus on the work of the Scottish Prison Service and Prison Fellowship, and alert SSVP members to the opportunities to work with these and other organisations. Officers from these organisations will give a presentation and answer questions.
WORKING WITH PRISONERS
The last session will present to members a vision for a prison visiting scheme for Scotland, such as that presently operating in England and Wales. It is anticipated that it will run in a partnership with SSVP, Prison Fellowship and Scottish Prison Service This scheme is at its very early stages, and the session will provide the partnership organisations with the views of SSVP members on possibilities for working together on it.
The Information Day will take place at: The Royal Court Hotel, Stirling on the 25 April from 11am - 3:30pm th Registration and Coffee at 10:30am
For further information or to register for the day, contact: socialjustice@ssvpscotland.com by 28 March 2026 th Honor Hania, Volunteer Social Justice Coordinator, SSVP Scotland.
ANNUAL MEETING ‘ 25: REPORT AND UPDATES
The Annual Meeting held in Stirling in August 2025, was well attended and well received Member feedback from the day was very positive, rating highly the venue, presentations made during the day and opportunity to network with other members
Thank you. Very informative and helpful
A very enjoyable conference with great opportunity for networking. Great discussion as well as plenty of ideas moving forward
The meeting is very energising and great for learning and sharing.
ANNUAL MEETING - UPDATES
As part of the meeting, members were taken through the journey of SSVP Scotland in recent years and the outline of next steps committed to by the Trustees.
Slides presented during Annual Meeting 2025
ANNUAL MEETING - UPDATES
Where are we now: The three key priorities
Priority one: Recruitment
Appointment of an Operations Manager
Since starting her role in December 2025, Maureen has been focused on understanding all opportunities and challenges facing the Society and its members. She has begun to visit Dioceses and projects in order to meet members directly and is keen to hear from as many as possible as we continue our journey of renewal in the Society
Priority two: Communication
Work has begun to develop an effective communications strategy to ensure we can engage with, and hear from, members, potential new members, supporters, and those we help. There is an opportunity to be involved in this important work through volunteering to join our Communications Working Group More information is given on page 19.
The audit forms for 2025/2026 also include a section to capture up to date contact details for each of our current members. This information will allow us to ensure our membership database is accurate and will facilitate direct communication with members in the future.
Maureen (left) pictured with Bridget Ann Devanney, President of Motherwell Diocese (centre) and Mary Brawley, Volunteer at Wishaw Furniture project (right) during a visit to the project in January 26.
ANNUAL MEETING - UPDATES
Members of the National Office Team have also begun visiting and engaging with members to provide training and assist in running of events. These have been well received, providing members the opportunity to raise queries and resolve issues directly with the team
Priority three: Youth Development
Since beginning her role as National Youth Development Coordinator in April 2025, Margo Morris has been working tirelessly to understand the needs of our Youth network and drive growth and engagement in each age group.
Mini and Senior Vinnies:
The Mini Vinnies are thriving across Scotland with over 130 Mini Vinnies groups. That’s more than 1 in 3 Roman Catholic Primary Schools taking part The number of Senior Vinnies groups in Secondary schools has increased to seven with a further nine set to come onboard Established Mini and Senior Vinnies groups are engaged in fantastic work. If you missed the recent report on their Advent initiatives please follow the link here: Youth Advent Report
A resource pack for conference members is in development to provide support and ideas for linking with local schools.
Karolina Tarnowsa, Finance Manager, pictured with members of Motherwell Diocese in a recent Financial Bookkeeping and Audit training session
ANNUAL MEETING - UPDATES
Senior Vinnies Conference: Tackling Poverty - Responding to Dilexi Te
Youth SSVP in partnership with Justice & Peace Scotland held a conference for Senior Vinnies pupils on Feb 3 2026. Pupils were invited to learn about poverty in Scotland through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching and how they can be advocates for people living in poverty. The day was well attended and well received A full report will be circulated soon!
SSVP 1833
Our university conference in Glasgow university continues to flourish, operating initiatives such as a street outreach programme for homeless people in Glasgow.
Discussions with Stirling University and Strathclyde have also proven fruitful and while they have not yet set up SSVP 1833 groups, students have been linked with other local conferences and have been volunteering with activities and our existing tutoring group
Business Plan Updates
Aside from the three priority areas, the Trustees and National Office have also been working to ensure the operations of the Society are fit for purpose, meet all required compliance requirements,. and have robust continuity strategies that will allow us to continue to operate should any incidents occur Work to date has included initiating updated infrastructure to the national office to allow improved broadband and phone systems to be installed, expected to be completed in the coming months This essential work will minimise periods of low connectivity in the office and difficulty talking to members and people who call for help as is currently experienced.
Safeguarding also remains a key focus with Mark Henry taking on the role of Safeguarding Officer as part of his trustee duties Work to improve the information and resources available for members in this area has begun.
Mary McCarron, National Office Administrator, ready to welcome and register pupils at the conference
RENEWAL OF THE SOCIETY: WORKING GROUP OPPORTUNITIES
Now is the time to be involved in the renewal work within our society! YOU are personally invited to take part in shaping our future.
There are numerous opportunities to become involved, either in nominating your conference to take part in the Digital Giving early adopters group (more details on pages 10-11), or by volunteering to join one of the new working groups being established Where do your skills and interests best fit?
Communications Working Group
With communication a key priority, this working group will be pivotal in researching and developing the Communications Strategy for the Society, reviewing all existing platforms and content and providing a clear plan for updating each. Recommendations will be presented to the board of trustees for consideration prior to approval on completion of this work. We are looking for members with skills, experience or passion for:
Utilising social media
Copy editing Graphic design Journalism Strategic communication Digital content creation Website creation
If this could be you then please send an email with ‘Communication Working Group’ in the title, briefly outlining your relevant experience or interest to membersvoice@ssvpscotland.com by 28 February 2026. th
WORKING GROUP OPPORTUNITIES
Partnerships Working Group
Our Society provides help, assistance and support to those who need us However, we recognise that there are times where we are not able to provide the specific, personalised support that a person may need The Partnership Working Group will be research common requests for help or advice that falls outwith the capability of the Society to provide (such as advice on eligibility for financial support or asylum advice), and identify national and local organisations who can provide this support that SSVP Scotland may wish to establish a formal agreement with, to widen our ability to support those we serve. Recommendations made by the working group will be presented to the board of Trustees on completion for consideration prior to approval. We are looking for members with skills, experience or interest in:
Third Sector Organisations
Creating partnership models
Building a network of national and local level organisational links
WORKING GROUP OPPORTUNITIES
Banking Working Group
As the financial industry continues to introduce changes to banking practices and regulations, the current banking model used by the Society has become increasingly problematic for all users. The Banking Working Group will review the banking requirements for the Society at National and local conference level, research banking provisions offered in Scotland and compile recommendations for changes to our banking policy to mitigate the current issues. Recommendations made by the working group will be presented to the board of Trustees on completion for consideration prior to approval
We are looking for members with skills, experience or interest in:
Ethical Banking
FCA and working practices
Management of multiple charitable branches under one charity number
Financial reporting and auditing
If this could be you then please send an email with ‘Banking Working Group’ in the title, briefly outlining your relevant experience or interest to membersvoice@ssvpscotland.com by 28 February 2026. th
FINANCIAL APPEAL
As the financial year draws to a close at the end of March 2026, this is a perfect opportunity to review the bank balance in your conference
Our purpose is to support those in need. If your conference is in the privileged position of having surplus income, please consider that supporting those in need can also be achieved by donating to other SSVP Initiatives
Opportunities include:
Diocesan Level Initiatives
Consider donating to your SSVP Diocesan account. This money can be used to establish new projects or to support conferences in the Diocese with lower levels of income in carrying out their work.
Established Projects
Consider donating to established SSVP projects.
SSVP furniture projects operate in Motherwell, Paisley Diocese and St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese
Ozanam Centres operate in Paisley and Motherwell Diocese and Glasgow Archdiocese
The Caravan Project operates in St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese St Vincent Hospice operates in Paisley Diocese
Holy Spirit Special Project operates in Paisley Diocese
FINANCIAL APPEAL
National Level Initiatives
Youth Development
Continuing to expand and develop our youth initiatives is imperative. These are our Vincentians of tomorrow! Monies donated for youth development will be utilised to develop increased resources and opportunities to engage our youth across Mini Vinnies, Senior Vinnies and SSVP 1833, our University groups.
Special Projects
Our overseas Special Project Fund supports local initiatives in countries such as Myanmar and India. SSVP colleagues from other countries can apply for support through this fund and current projects include providing fishing nets and rice.
Established in 2025, the fund supports prisoners, enabling them to apply for small monetary funds to buy items such as phone cards or suits for court. This means they don’t have to ask family members for support when the family has often lost a source of income following the individual being remanded in prison
DATES FOR THE DIARY 2026
Key Dates to take note of for upcoming events
Date
Event
7 February th Blessed Rosalie Rendu Feast Day
28 February th
28 February th
Closing date for conference nominations to join the Digital Giving early adopters (pg 10)
Closing date for members to register interest in joining a working group (pg 19)
28 March th Closing date to register for the Prisoner information day (pg 12)
25 April th Prisoner Information Day, Stirling Pg 12
5 September th Proposed date for Annual General Meeting
CLOSING PRAYER
Saint Teresa’s prayer
Christ has no body b No hands, no feet on
Yours are the eyes w Compassion on this
Yours are the feet w to do good,
Yours are the han blesses all the world
Yours are the han feet,
Yours are the eyes, y
Christ has no body n No hands, no feet on
Yours are the eyes w Compassion on this
St Teresa of Avila