SMG Charism

From 1954 until 1992, St Anne's Catholic Primary School was run by the Religious Congregation, Poor Servants of the Mother of God (SMG).  

SMG Charism is very much alive in our school. This means that we believe it is important to recognise that God has given us gifts that we must use to help others, especially those who need it the most.

We must use the gifts that God has given us for others, not for ourselves only.

(Mother Magdalen Taylor) 

How does St Anne’s live out the SMG Charism?

Charity Support

Throughout the year, the children participate in various fundraising activities to support those in need, both in developing countries and in our local community.

CAFOD

CAFOD Pledge Map Certificate

In the Jubilee 2025 Pilgrims of Hope, we committed to a long term pledge to build a better world, where every person, and the earth, can flourish with CAFOD. During our Lent Charity Day we raised £290 for CAFOD.

CAFOD - The Big Lent Walk

During Lent, all of our children took part in CAFOD’s Big Lent Walk. This is a national challenge where schools and communities walk during the 40 days of Lent to support people around the world who don’t have access to safe water. Schools across the country joined the walk as a simple way to live out our faith in action.

We began our walk with a short Lenten prayer, asking God to guide our footsteps and help us grow in love, generosity, and hope.

The children showed real kindness, encouragement and teamwork as they walked together. The activity also helped them put key Catholic Social Teaching principles - solidarity, human dignity, and care for God’s creation - into practice.

Thank you for the generous and ongoing support you show to CAFOD and all the charitable causes we share as a school community.

CAFOD KS2 Workshops - A Better World Needs All of Us

In June 2026, Years 3 to 6 took part in a CAFOD workshop run by a CAFOD representative about the importance of fundraising for their charity and how this links to the Catholic Social Teaching Principles that we follow in our school, especially solidarity.

Our school choir is highly regarded and participates in numerous events throughout the year. As well as leading hymns in school and church, the choir participate in events in the local community. Prior to Christmas, the choir spreads festive cheer by carol singing at our local care home and during our Christmas Fair event. The choir sing hymns and Christmas carols for local people and our whole school community. At some of our events, we collect donations for CAFOD.

Faith in Action

As part of our journey to achieve the Faith in Action Pin Award, our school will take part in a variety of activities that will help us discover how faith influences our daily lives and how we can serve others in the spirit of Jesus.

Working together as a school, we will participate in fundraising events and support charities that help people in need. We will raise awareness of charities we are supporting during school Celebrations of the Word, prayer services and Masses, and we will work together on important social issues. We will also support campaigns such as CAFOD Family Fast Day and other charitable initiatives.

Through Reflection Points, prayer and discussion, we will learn more about our relationship with God and how faith calls us to care for others. We will create prayer cards for people who are sick, housebound or in need of support and take part in projects that encourage kindness, compassion and service within our community.

The activities we will complete for our Pin Award will include:

• Fundraising in school and parish
• Raising awareness in Celebrations of the Word and in our school newsletter
• Full and active participation in liturgy and Mass
• Supporting CAFOD Family Fast Day
• Participating in Reflection Points
• Creating prayer cards for people in need
• Contributing to charity collections such as Christmas shoeboxes, hampers and backpack projects
• Taking part in Mini Vinnies and other service activities.

Through the Faith in Action Pin Award, we will discover that faith is not only about what we believe, but also about how we put those beliefs into action by helping and serving others.

Corporal Works of Mercy

Explore the Corporal Works of Mercy: Visiting the Imprisoned

As part of their RE learning on the Corporal Works of Mercy, the children have been exploring what it means to Visit the Imprisoned. They reflected on how Jesus calls us to show compassion, kindness and mercy to all people, especially those who may feel forgotten, lonely or isolated.

Although we were unable to visit prisoners in person, the children found a meaningful way to live out this important work of mercy. Inspired by our Catholic mission to bring hope and care to others, they created a collection of thoughtful cards to be shared with prisoners through the prison chaplaincy.

The children designed two types of cards:

• Prayer Cards featuring simple Christian prayers, including the Our Father and Hail Mary, accompanied by bright and cheerful artwork.
• Messages of Hope Cards containing colourful drawings and uplifting messages such as, "We are thinking of you," "We hope this makes you smile," and "We care about you." These cards were created to be suitable for people of all faiths and those of no faith.

Every card was lovingly illustrated by the children and carefully prepared so that they could be shared safely with prisoners. Through this project, the children recognised that a small act of kindness can make a significant difference to someone who may be experiencing loneliness, sadness or separation from family and friends.

The children learned that the Corporal Works of Mercy are not simply actions from the past; they are practical ways in which we can follow Jesus' example today. By creating these cards, they demonstrated empathy, compassion and respect for the dignity of every person.

We are incredibly proud of the children for embracing this challenge with such generosity and care. Their work reminds us that even the smallest gesture can bring hope, comfort and a sense of connection to those who need it most.

"I was in prison and you came to visit me."
Matthew 25:36

This project was a wonderful example of our school community putting faith into action and living out our mission to serve others with love and kindness.

Epsom and Ewell Foodbank

At Harvest time, we collect food for the Epsom and Ewell Food Bank. Each year, the Food Bank states they collect the most contributions from our school!

Royal British Legion

During November, we support the British Legion by selling poppies and other poppy items to our school community to support the families of those who have fought in wars.

Missio - Mission Together

In Advent, we raise funds for 'Mission Together'. This is an organisation focused on ‘Children helping Children’. This initiative places children at the heart of the Church’s efforts to support those in need. As well as this, we collect for CAFOD at the end of our Year 5 Advent service and the infant Nativities and Carol concerts. Children also make Christmas shoe boxes for children in Africa. These shoe boxes include toiletries, small toys and stationary.

In the summer, a small group of our children were lucky enough to visit Worth Abbey. Mrs Jeeves prepared a beautifully painted anchor, reflecting our school colours, our school’s charism of ‘Serving the Poor’ and our school motto.

The children proudly carried the anchor and our school banner, watched a liturgical dance and took part in a special service. A cheque for £3,300 was presented to Mission Together, with our school contributing a third of the total.

Fairtrade

As part of our RE curriculum learning, and a special Celebration of the Word during Fairtrade Fortnight, we observe and explore the importance of Fairtrade globally. This focuses on issues such as justice, fair wages, and our responsibilities as global citizens. During Fairtrade Fortnight, we decide together what we can do at home to support Fairtrade.