HCPT - The Pilgrimage Trust (formerly known as "The Handicapped Children's Pilgrimage Trust") organises a pilgrimage to Lourdes during Easter week of over 5000 people comprising numerous local HCPT groups. Each group is self contained and known as a family group

HCPT Group 35 is based in Wimbledon and welcomes about 15 helpers and 7 children with special needs to join us over Easter week our planning for which starts in September
each year.

In addition to being prepared for anything from song singing and children’s liturgies, to sports days and overseeing swimming away from Lourdes at St Jean de Luz beach, helpers need to be CRB checked (easy for most to arrange) have imagination, the ability to listen, energy and lots of patience.

Anyone who is interested in joining HCPT Group 35 as a voluntary helper or a child with special needs, please refer to the contact details below or fill in a contact form. We are currently also seeking a Group nurse for the 2010 Easter pilgrimage.

The pilgrimage is free of cost for child  pilgrims and  discounts may be available for some helpers. 

Arrangements for our Easter Week 2010 pilgrimage are now being made. Helper and child pilgrim applications welcome. Fund raising plans include a car boot sale at Donhead in November 2009.

For travel in 2010 we hope to revert to  train by taking Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord then switching platforms at the same station in Paris to take an HCPT chartered  overnight train to Lourdes. The expected fare including full board at the Hotel Alba in Lourdes would be considerably cheaper than in 2009 when we travelled from Gatwick, at c. £450 despite the fall in sterling against the Euro.

Contact Jerry Hawthorne / Lucy McDonnell
Telephone Presbytery 020 8946 0305

HCPT Group 35 is part of HCPT - The  Pilgrimage Trust Registered Charity  No. 281074 of Oakfield Park, 32 Bilton Rd, Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7HQ

Easter Week 2010 saw another vintage pilgrimage for  HCPT Group 35 in Lourdes. The group numbered 7 childen and 15 helpers.

Highlights this year were the characters of the children, the dedication of the mainly student helpers and the way in which the long journey down made for a great atmosphere and spirit together.

Liturgical highlights included our Group mass in a rotunde de jeunes on the prairie and the Blessing of the Sick.

The funniest highlight was the London Beaumont regional sports day in the preparation of which many old Beaumont boys/families were involved. The unpsoken rule is to avoid winning as the winning HCPT group has the responsibility of organising the sports in the following year.

By the end of Easter Week we were all happy but exhausted. The stress free journeys by train from London St Pancras International to the Gare de Lourdes and back were in welcome contrast to flights and airport hassles of recent years. Security delays at airports are understandable but do Tarbes airport customs really have to require 22 passports to be presented together with luggage in ascending alphebetical order when the Eurostar customs are quite content to receive any number in any order?