Glanfield Today
The Glanfield Group welcomes children who are sick, disabled or disadvantaged, as well as some adults with learning difficulties. We go to Lourdes every August with The Catholic Association Pilgrimage, normally in the last week of August.
Aims of the Group
The aim of Glanfield is to provide both a holiday-pilgrimage for the children we accompany to Lourdes, and a much needed time of respite for their parents and carers, who are welcome to join the group if they wish (though several take the week as a time for well-earned rest and recuperation). The children we take usually have learning difficulties, or illness that is chronic or terminal. We also welcome the children's siblings and carers.
The Programme
Lourdes is a place of pilgrimage for 6 million people every year, and taking part in the religious celebrations in Europe's foremost Marian shrine is an important part of what we do. But that is only half the story, because our trip to France is also a holiday for the children we take. For many of the children we bring to Lourdes – some from deprived backgrounds – this is their first holiday abroad. Due to the skills and expertise of the helpers, the group is able to give the children experiences that their disabilities would not usually permit, such as swimming, bowling, arts and crafts, trips to the zoo, and fun and games in the Pyrenees. As well as saying our prayers we also have a lot of parties!
Travel
We travel to Lourdes as part of The Catholic Association pilgrimage, a registered charity. We travel to Lourdes the last week in August. Most of us travel together by air from London Stansted airport.
Accommodation and facilities
The group stays in a modern, well-equipped hotel called The Mediterrannée. Each child is under constant supervision. There is a registered nurse on duty at all times and a doctor is always available. We are able to organise specialist diets and get access to medical equipment.
Faith
The Glanfield Children's Group has a Roman Catholic basis, but we welcome any person of good will who accepts the Catholic ethos of Glanfield. Many of the children and the helpers are of other faiths or none. All appear to gain much from both the spiritual and the sharing aspects of the group. The Glanfield Group has its own Chaplain, Father Tony Rogers, and with him the helpers enable the children to learn about prayer and Christian fellowship through fun and simple liturgies specially adapted for children and those with learning difficulties. An example of this is the fun 'Night Prayer' gathering we have every evening, and the Mass that the children organise for the whole Catholic Association pilgrimage.
Aims of the Group
The aim of Glanfield is to provide both a holiday-pilgrimage for the children we accompany to Lourdes, and a much needed time of respite for their parents and carers, who are welcome to join the group if they wish (though several take the week as a time for well-earned rest and recuperation). The children we take usually have learning difficulties, or illness that is chronic or terminal. We also welcome the children's siblings and carers.
The Programme
Lourdes is a place of pilgrimage for 6 million people every year, and taking part in the religious celebrations in Europe's foremost Marian shrine is an important part of what we do. But that is only half the story, because our trip to France is also a holiday for the children we take. For many of the children we bring to Lourdes – some from deprived backgrounds – this is their first holiday abroad. Due to the skills and expertise of the helpers, the group is able to give the children experiences that their disabilities would not usually permit, such as swimming, bowling, arts and crafts, trips to the zoo, and fun and games in the Pyrenees. As well as saying our prayers we also have a lot of parties!
Travel
We travel to Lourdes as part of The Catholic Association pilgrimage, a registered charity. We travel to Lourdes the last week in August. Most of us travel together by air from London Stansted airport.
Accommodation and facilities
The group stays in a modern, well-equipped hotel called The Mediterrannée. Each child is under constant supervision. There is a registered nurse on duty at all times and a doctor is always available. We are able to organise specialist diets and get access to medical equipment.
Faith
The Glanfield Children's Group has a Roman Catholic basis, but we welcome any person of good will who accepts the Catholic ethos of Glanfield. Many of the children and the helpers are of other faiths or none. All appear to gain much from both the spiritual and the sharing aspects of the group. The Glanfield Group has its own Chaplain, Father Tony Rogers, and with him the helpers enable the children to learn about prayer and Christian fellowship through fun and simple liturgies specially adapted for children and those with learning difficulties. An example of this is the fun 'Night Prayer' gathering we have every evening, and the Mass that the children organise for the whole Catholic Association pilgrimage.