Our Charities & Outreach
The works of mercy are not an extra to the Christian life. They are the Gospel lived out.
The Christian faith was never meant to stay within the walls of a church. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." The love we receive at the altar is given to be carried out of the door: to the hungry, the lonely, the suffering, and the stranger.
Faith That Reaches Outward
When Jesus described the Last Judgement, He measured a life not by its success but by its mercy: "I was hungry and you gave me food … as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Matthew 25). The Church has long held these acts of love before us as the Works of Mercy: the practical shape that charity takes in ordinary life.
"Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18)
The Corporal Works of Mercy
To feed the hungry
01
To give drink to the thirsty
02
To clothe the naked
03
To shelter the homeless
04
To visit the sick
05
To visit the imprisoned
06
To bury the dead
07
The Spiritual Works of Mercy
To instruct the ignorant
01
To counsel the doubtful
02
To admonish sinners
03
To bear wrongs patiently
04
To forgive offences willingly
05
To comfort the afflicted
06
To pray for the living and the dead
07
Everything that follows on this page is simply our parish 
trying, in small and faithful ways, to live these out.
How Our Parish Reaches Out
Our charity reaches in three widening circles. On our doorstep, we serve the people of our own towns and villages. Across our nation, we join the wider Church in support of causes that no single parish could meet alone. And to the ends of the earth, we stand with the universal Church in her care for the poorest and most persecuted, wherever they are.
On Our Doorstep: Local Outreach
The most immediate face of charity is the neighbour in need nearby. Both of our communities run a food bank, and every donation, even a single item in your weekly shop, makes a real difference to a local family.
The Stamford Food Bank
You’ll find a collection point at the back of the church in St Mary & St Augustine’s. The shelves are stocked by what the parish brings, and your generosity keeps them full.
Currently most needed: fruit juice · biscuits · tinned hot dogs
Thanks to some recent and very generous cash donations, we’ve been able to replenish shelves that had grown nearly empty. Thank you for your continued kindness.
The Oakham Food Bank
At St Joseph’s, our food bank works in partnership with English Martyrs’ School. Please leave donations in the collection box in the porch, and a representative from the school collects them.
Currently most needed: long-life milk · tinned meat & vegetables (blue & green) · pot noodles, noodles & instant meals · packets of rice · microwaveable sachets (preferred) · snacks & cereal bars · squash & cordials · washing pods · toiletries
Our thanks, as ever, for your generosity.
Beyond the food banks, the quiet charity of our parishioners reaches further still, in visiting the sick and housebound, supporting the bereaved, and caring for one another week by week. If you, or someone you know, would value a visit or the prayers of the parish, please see Caring for the Sick & Housebound.
The Charities We Support
How You Can Help
Give financially. Support our second collections, set up Gift Aid so your giving goes further, or give to the wider Church through the diocese. See Supporting Our Parish for all the ways to give, or donate via the Diocese of Nottingham.
Give your prayers. Behind every act of charity stands prayer. Hold these works, and all who benefit from them, before the Lord.