The Society of St Vincent de Paul is a worldwide Christian charitable organisation of lay people.
It was established in 1833 by a young French student called Antoine-Frederic Ozanam who, troubled with the social conditions of the day, decided that the best way to help the vulnerable people of Paris was by direct action.
In 1848 the first branch in the north of Ireland was established in Enniskillen. By 1900 fifty conferences had spread across the northern counties of Ireland.
Today there are 182 Conferences in the Northern Region and almost 1,000 Conferences throughout Ireland supported by 9,000 volunteers.