Who are the OLS  Mini Vinnies? 

At OLS we have a an amazing group of  Mini Vinnies made up of children from Years 5 and led by an elected committee of   6 children who take care of marketing, leading meetings, communications and finance! Our group, formed in September 2022, is one of many Mini Vinnie groups based in schools and parishes across England and Wales, and in several other countries across the world. The Mini Vinnies are a junior version of the  St. Vincent de Paul Society England and Wales, which is a voluntary organisation dedicated to tackling poverty in all its forms.  

We meet regularly with our school chaplain, Federica, and Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Cid-Fuentes,  to pray, discuss and plan support projects in the local community. For example, last year we supported, visited and hosted the   Ukrainian refugee families living in Chesham and took part in an intergenerational choir with the local care home. So far this year,  we have hosted an afternoon tea for the elderly and vulnerable in our parishes and have organised a food bank at school, to support the local Chiltern Food Bank. 

The outreach work carried out by the OLS Mini Vinnies is a wonderful way for our children to learn about Leading with Love and to see the impact that their collective efforts can have on improving the lives of those that need us most in our communities.