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Diocese of Leeds Justice and Peace Commission (1)

Tag: CAFOD

CAFOD Harvest Fast Day

Will your church community be supporting CAFOD's Harvest Fast DAY this year?

This Family Fast Day, CAFOD are sharing a story of their work from northern Zimbabwe, where drought has left communities facing severe food and water shortages. Twelve-year-old Tayla told CAFOD  she often arrived at school hungry and tired after fetching water for her family. Without enough to eat and drink, she struggled to concentrate and feared she would fall behind in her studies.

But thanks to the generosity of parishes across the country, CAFOD's local Caritas partners worked with Tayla’s school and community to build a solar-powered water system. Now the school has safe water for drinking and for growing vegetables, meaning they can provide nutritious meals to the children all year round, helping them to stay in education and develop their God-given talents.

The Debt Crisis

Posted on by Gina Cavanagh
by Sara Forrest, Commission Member

In day 2 of this heat wave, I have been listening to fears that our electricity grid needs investment to help us to cope with the increasing incidence of heat waves in the UK. The extra electricity load for significant numbers air conditioning increases the risk of blackouts ( and electric car charging) as happened in France recently.

The CAFOD / Live Simply group in our parish promoted the new CAFOD petition lobbying the Prime Minister to use our hosting of the G20 next year to cancel some third world debt to enable poor countries to support their populations better and to pass a new UK law supporting Debt Justice.

We are privileged in that we have been a major world economy for hundreds of years and have built up more wealth than many of the nations who are suffering greater environmental changes due to climate change. Yet our Government is borrowing more money to ‘keep us in the manner we expect’.  Smaller country economies must raise the capital to help their people from displacement and natural disasters. In addition to the humanitarian aid from organisations such as CAFOD, Medicines Sans Frontiers and DEC, plus many others. But with their credit rating are worse than ours so their costs of debt are higher than ours.

It has recently been reported that a certain President has increased his personal wealth in the last 12 months by $1 Billion. Looking at the alleged multi-million payments made to various politicians do we really believe that they are seeking to do anything other than protect their current source of wealth and wealth?

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer across the world. It is not right or just.

So, please visit CAFOD, sign the petition and maybe write to your MP to ask for their support in achieving debt justice across the world. And if you can donate to their Venezuela appeal.

Sign the petition
Donate to Venezuela

CAFOD Vacancy in Leeds

Posted on by Gina Cavanagh
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Could you inspire Catholics to help the Church’s overcome poverty and injustice throughout the world?

Do you want to work for CAFOD and encourage support and partnership within the Church?

We are looking for a part-time Community Participation Coordinator to work in the Diocese of Leeds.

Please follow the link for more details and please pass on to any friends or relatives who might be interested.

Closing date: 21 June 2026. 

See cafod.org.uk/work-with-us

Find out more
Community Participation Coordinator - Leeds

Starting Salary: £35,668 - £39,005 (pro-rata, for part time is £17,834 - £19,502)

Contract: Permanent

Location: Home

Hours: Part-time: 2 ½ days (17.5 hours) per week.

While this is a home-based role, it involves regular travel throughout the Diocese of Leeds to build relationships and work closely with volunteers, clergy and other key stakeholders. We are therefore looking for someone who is flexible, mobile and based within, or close to, the Diocese of Leeds and can travel widely around the area covered. 

Job Profile

CAFOD’s work in the Catholic community of England and Wales is to inspire and resource our diverse Catholic community to participate in the Church’s mission to overcome poverty and injustice in partnership with CAFOD.

The main purpose of Community Participation Co-ordinators (CPCs) is to inspire and increase the participation in CAFOD’s work of Catholic parishes, schools and the broader Catholic community within the Leeds Diocese. The successful candidate will take the lead on parishes and the broader Catholic community. This will be accomplished by recruiting and supporting a team of committed, inspired and well-resourced volunteers working in parish and school communities and by building fruitful relationships with clergy, church administrators, networks and other stakeholders across the diocese to enable and equip Catholics to give, act and pray with CAFOD.

The CPC is part of a regional team working across a group of dioceses and whilst having a primary focus on a diocese, is responsible for the results of the regional team plans in relation to volunteer recruitment and retention and parishioner and school participation. It is likely the postholder will work with others as part of a Leeds team. Flexibility regarding the area covered is important as we may need the postholder to cover a different area in the future.

The role will be home-based, although it is expected that the post holder will be mobile and flexible to frequently meet volunteers, clergy and other stakeholders as required around the Leeds diocese so living within or near the Leeds diocese is helpful. The post holder will also be meeting with other regional team members as required, both virtually and face to face.

The role involves extensive travel across the diocese; access to a car is essential. Mileage expenses will be reimbursed in line with organisational policy.

From time to time, the post holder will be required to transport equipment and resources, and to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends, for which time off in lieu (TOIL) may be claimed

The post holder must be willing to adapt to the needs of the regional team, contributing skills, knowledge and, where appropriate, supporting activity in other parts of the region.

Find out more
Key Responsibilities

Delivering participation plans

  • Contribute to the development and delivery of annual plans in the region (a group of dioceses) with a primary focus on the Leeds diocese, and for fundraising, education, campaigns, and other targets, as delineated by the participation plan for the region.
  • Ensure that the regional plans are delivered taking local context and opportunities into account.
  • Share reports, information and insights on the participation of parishes and schools in CAFOD’s activities and on the recruitment, activity, development and retention of volunteers. Adapt the plans and priorities through periodic reviews with your manager. 
Managing volunteers

  • Be the lead volunteer manager for an identified portfolio of volunteer roles locally and ensure effective coordination and communication.
  • Agree on targets for recruiting and retaining volunteers 
  • Match the offers, skills, experiences and expectations of volunteers with opportunities and needs in relation to CAFOD’s plans.
  • Ensure each volunteer is appropriately inducted, briefed, trained and resourced
  • Organize and promote volunteer meetings and training opportunities online and offline to be delivered either by national programme teams or self or members of her/his regional team
  • Ensure data is regularly recorded, accurate and up to date on CAFOD’s database.
Managing relationships

  • Represent CAFOD in the diocese and ensure CAFOD retains a diverse range of fruitful relationships (eg the bishop, clergy, administrators, senior representatives and chaplains).
  • Ensure CAFOD is promoted via various diocesan communication channels, working with diocesan communications officers and church administrators
  • Be a point of contact for local broadcast and print media, to increase opportunities for Catholics to hear about CAFOD’s work, working with and through media volunteers where possible.
Safeguarding 

All CAFOD staff share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.  

Job-specific competencies

  1. A demonstrable commitment to volunteering and understanding of its potential as a force for change 
  2. Experience of managing multiple relationships eg with clergy, stakeholders and a wide variety of volunteers.
  3. Experience of managing volunteers, including recruitment, retention, deployment and celebration.
CAFOD is a welcoming, supportive workplace committed to a safe, inclusive culture where everyone is respected. CAFOD will make reasonable adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process to ensure candidates with disabilities or individual needs are fully supported. 

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect. CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse. CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount. Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. This post involves responsibility for people who will have contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults and applicants will be subject to specific checks related to safeguarding issues. The post holder is required to present or obtain a Disclosure from the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service).

Find out more

15 May – CAFOD Webinar coming up

Posted on by admin
The global debt crisis: the example of South Sudan

Join CAFOD online at 1pm on 26 May to hear how low-income countries like South Sudan are struggling with huge debt burdens.

Hear from:

  • Kumi Anthony, Programme Manager, South Sudan

  • Maria Finnerty, CAFOD’s Lead Economist

  • Helen Moseley, Campaign Coordination Manager, who will share how we can all help push for change.

Low-income countries are struggling with huge debt burdens. Hear from South Sudan speakers on how their country is coping, Maria Finnerty, CAFOD’s Lead Economist, on some practical solutions, and CAFOD’s campaigns team on how we can all help push for change.

Register for Free images (7)

4 May – Cancel the Debt

Posted on by admin
Call for debt justice with CAFOD, in solidarity with millions of our sisters and brothers around the world

Last year, our Catholic community supported a global church campaign to tackle the debt crisis, but we need continued support, to change the devastating impacts of debt on low-income countries. During the Jubilee Year, 35,000 people signed CAFOD’s petition including 18 parishes across the diocese of Leeds, including a group of parishioners who joined others in London to speak to their MP’s face to face about this issue, let us now build on this hope. Please see cafod.org.uk/cancelthedebt

images (5) All countries borrow money. But low-income countries need to borrow more and are pushed into deepening debt crisis, paying high interest rates to wealthy lenders. Often, they have paid their original debt back, but spiralling interest means they cannot break the cycle. Money that should be spent on food, healthcare, and education is flowing out of countries that can least afford it. Governments across the global south must choose between serving their people or paying creditors.

Wesley Chibamba, Caritas Africa’s Policy and Advocacy Officer, explained people are dying because they can’t access healthcare. Children cannot go to school. People are going hungry because the governments have debt obligations. Governments don’t have the capacity to respond to humanitarian crisis, like floods or drought – they don’t have the funds.

Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, says

“The current debt crisis represents a profound failure of our global economic system…If a mother cannot access prenatal care because the government has cut healthcare spending to service debt… if communities cannot rebuild after disasters because the resources are diverted to foreign creditors, we must acknowledge that there has not just been a serious economic failure but a moral one.”

Next year, our government is hosting the G20 in 2027 - a crucial gathering of the world’s 20 most powerful economies. These leaders have power to fix the global debt system; we need to call for debt justice now. 

Please sign CAFOD’s new petition this spring and build on the momentum of 2025.

As Wesley Chibamba says,

“It is not an issue of compassion, it is an issue of justice."

If you care for humanity and development, we urge you to support the debt justice campaign.

AFRICAS-DEBT-CRISIS.-Photo-by-Serrari-Group-

9 Feb – Lent: a spiritual springtime

Posted on by admin
The word Lent finds its roots in the Old English word lencten, meaning "spring." It describes that quiet, persistent season when the days begin to lengthen and the earth slowly wakes from its winter sleep.

We began this journey with a stark reminder: "Remember that you are dust." While these words can feel bleak, they contain an invitation to wonder. We are intimately connected with the earth and everything on it – we are all members of one human family sharing one common home, all beloved creations of God. As we acknowledge our interconnectedness and reliance on God, we create space for new growth.

In the field and garden, this is a vulnerable, expectant time. Seeds are sown in an act of quiet trust—that a tiny grain, buried in the cold, dark earth, carries within it the potential for new life. Our Lent springtime calls us to such faith: that the seeds of hope and love that we plant even in the hardest soil will take root and blossom.

Plant_Sprouting_2000x Across the world our neighbours are also planting seeds. Yet climate change is making it harder for them to grow enough to eat. In parts of Zimbabwe there is too little rain. In parts of Bangladesh and South Sudan, there is too much. The result is the same – seeds fail to grow, plants die, and families go hungry.

Our fasting, giving and prayer in this season remind us of our dependence on God and our longing for a world in which all people flourish. This Lent, as the light lengthens, may we stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers throughout the world, knowing that God can work through us to bring new life.

43168 Find out more about CAFOD’s Lent appeal is helping our global neighbours grow food in climate-resilient gardens: https://cafod.org.uk/lent

27 Jan – CAFOD Lent Appeal

Posted on by admin
CAFOD Lent Appeal: help families put food on the table

This Lent, as we deepen and enliven our faith, we can reflect on Jesus’ call to “love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:31) and pray that we can give more help to families facing hunger today due to floods and droughts.

Christine Allen, Director of CAFOD says: “Last year I travelled to South Sudan. I would like to tell you about one person our local experts have been working with there, a young mother named Rejoice. Rejoice fled conflict twice to protect her children. Imagine losing everything and starting from scratch, only to be forced to do it all again. Then, after all she’d been through, Rejoice’s new home was hit by severe flooding.”

Rejoice - South Sudan “The farmlands were submerged underwater,” Rejoice told us. “Everything including livestock was completely destroyed.”

With support from our local experts, Rejoice and her community created floating gardens. These are simple beds that rise above floodwaters, so amazingly, they can grow food even when the land is underwater.

Whether there is too much rain, or too little, crops around the world are being destroyed. In Zimbabwe, drought left Shorai and Hamunyare with nothing. They told us how the solar-powered water pump, funded by donations from people like you, allowed their community to grow a thriving, drought-resistant eco-garden. Now they can feed their family year-round and share food with neighbours. Shorai reflected that, “A good neighbour is someone who can help me in periods of need.”

Shorai and Hamunyare - Zimbabwe By fasting and giving this Lent, you’ll be a good neighbour helping families find ways to grow enough food to eat. Donate online at cafod.org.uk or call 0303 303 3030 to help parents put food on the table today.

28 Dec – Good News from 2025!

Posted on by admin
by Kathy Shaw, SPARK Manager

As we come to the end of the year, it's good to reflect not only on the ongoing issues throughout the world, but also to celebrate some of the successes, large and small.

 

Here are just a few examples of what's been happening this year.

20251213-advent-fair-1000px-1 Our first ever Diocese Eco Fair was organised by Rowan, Director of Communications and was a resounding success! 

Within this beautiful building and peaceful grounds, we were able to reflect on the end of our Jubilee Year.  As Pilgrims of Hope, we were reminded that we are stronger together and the effective networks and partnerships represented in this event will be the building blocks to a brighter new year.  We are looking forward to Eco Fair 2026!

Read more... day_259_Tim Devereux 3431 mile fundraising ride for Medical Aid for Palestinians

Pudsey cyclist Tim Devereux rode 3431 miles in 2025, the distance from Leeds to Gaza, to raise funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians, raising over £6000.

 

Read more... image004 Several of our SPARK members graduated in the summer, and are continuing to work towards justice and peace in pastures new

 

Read more... Laudato Si Party On 15th June there was a 10th birthday party of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si, to remember how justice for the poor and justice for the planet are related. 

Laudato Si is named after the Canticle of St Francis of Assisi which begins ‘Praise to You (Laudato Si’), Lord, in all your creatures’.

 

Read more... pope-leo-xiv-050825-9-1f856aa9fabd4f97a913fde4974eb4f7 Habemus Papam!

Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected pope and is now known as Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV holds dual citizenship in both the US and Peru where he served as a bishop. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America where he is fondly remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities and helped build bridges in the local Church.

Read more... Just over 50 people gathered at Wheeler Hall on the Bank Holiday weekend Saturday to find out more about the LiveSimply award scheme. It was a hectic day with 3 different workshops in the morning. In the afternoon people chose to attend another three workshops (out of 6 offered).

LiveSimply asks parishes to draw up a plan of action for

· Living more simply

· Living more sustainably

· Living more in solidarity with those experiencing poverty

Read more... Exploring Social Justice with Notre Dame 6th Form College

The Social Justice group are interested in organising a marketplace event and future leadership activities, with a focus on their particular interest of poverty in the UK. 

Working closely with key staff and Notre Dame Chaplaincy, we are listening to what these group members want to achieve and finding ways to support their passion for social justice.

Watch this space for a Social Justice event soon!

Read more... image for excavating hope Oscar Romero Lecture with Fr Luis Orlando Pérez Jiménez

The title of the lecture “Excavating Hope” reflects the desperate and dangerous work undertaken by 240 networks of mainly women across Mexico who are seeking answers and hoping to find the bodies of their loved ones.   They connect locally and regionally to share information and support, building a community in the face of great challenges.

Read more... Humpback Whale, Great Barrier Reef The Global Ocean Treaty has now been ratified by over 60 governments worldwide, this creates legal frameworks for High Seas Sanctuaries, protected areas where threatened ecosystems can recover and thrive. If this treaty meets the expectations of conservationists, it will protect a third of our oceans (approximately an area bigger than Canada).

 

Read more... Screenshot 2025-12-10 145026 FareShare was originally created as part of the homeless charity Crisis in 1994 but since 2004 they have been running as an independent charity.  In 2023 FareShare and Tesco won a charity partnership award working together to reduce poverty in the UK.  They ensure surplus food in the Tesco supply chain goes to feed people in need.  In 2023 and 2024 they redistributed 56,000 tonnes of food to nearly one million people in need.

Read more... 0_LC_220625mice_00 Eva Wishart and Emily Smith spent 3 years breeding harvest mice in 27 tanks in their bedrooms and garage, in order to reintroduce our smallest rodent to Devon.  They discovered the species is threatened in England due to current farming practices and habitat loss.  They set up a Crowdfunder which was picked up by TV nature presenter Chris Packham, he shared it to his millions of social media followers.  This helped them release more than 220 harvest mice into the wild.

Read more...

16 Dec – Advent Eco-Fair at Hinsley Hall

Posted on by admin
Our first ever Diocese Eco Fair was organised by Rowan, Director of Communications and was a resounding success! 

Hinsley Hall was a thoughtful choice with accessible bus routes and free parking right outside, to encourage as many people as possible to enjoy the experience.  One attendee had travelled all the way from Grassington, the Settle area was also well represented as well as more local communities.

20251213-advent-fair-1000px-1 Stalls spilled out into different rooms and attendees and stall holders alike enjoyed the relaxed and positive atmosphere.  The Justice and Peace Commission were there in strength, along with the Laudato Si group.  SPARK, CAFOD and others talked to attendees about our work raising awareness of climate action and encouraging sustainability. 

Climate change is one of the priority areas for action by the Commission and the Climate Action Group within the Commission is very active. It was the Climate Action group that was responsible for the drafting of what is now the Diocesan Environment Policy. Two members of this group are now part of the official Diocesan group for promoting sustainability throughout the diocese: the Laudato Si Sustainability Group. We had various leaflets and information sheets available about, for example, installing solar panels on church roofs or things that individuals can do to reduce their carbon footprint.

20251213-advent-ecofair-1000px-2 Leeds Church Institute shared a thought-provoking display that linked creativity with faith, the local artist showing the beauty to be found in unexpected places and how urban areas offer a lifeline for nature.   Local entrepreneurs set up their baking and craft work for unique and original Christmas stocking fillers.  Rosie was the youngest stall holder at 21 years; her amazing miniature gingerbread houses were a real winner! 

There were all sorts of stalls at the fair including a lovely biscuit stall using fairtrade ingredients, a stall supporting Medical Aid for Palestinians and an impressive plant stall. Climate Action Leeds were also represented with an engaging board game for people to try their luck (prizes were packets of seeds!).

There were a steady stream of visitors who were not all based in Leeds. We noted visitors from Settle, Clapham, Grassington, Mytholmroyd and Bradford – amongst others. It was also a good opportunity to meet with supporters and activists and share information about what each of us has been doing.

Within this beautiful building and peaceful grounds, we were able to reflect on the end of our Jubilee Year.  As Pilgrims of Hope, we were reminded that we are stronger together and the effective networks and partnerships represented in this event will be the building blocks to a brighter new year. 

We are looking forward to Eco Fair 2026!

3 Dec – J&P Christmas ideas

Posted on by admin
How can we be mindful of others at Christmas? How to we continue our support of Justice and Peace in a time of year so often characterised by commercialism and waste?

Thoughtful Christmas Gifts

World Gifts are CAFOD's range of life-changing virtual gifts.

World Gifts are a range of virtual charity gifts that will delight the people you give them to and help transform the lives of families and communities living in poverty.

Oxfam Unwrapped is a range of charity gifts or charity donation gifts that support Oxfam’s work around the world. But what’s an Oxfam charity gift? - It’s the gift of donation to honour and celebrate your loved ones while contributing to a fairer world.

The Pax Christi shop sells a variety of Christmas gifts, and also has resources for Peace Sunday 2026 on Sunday 18th January 2026.

PS-Image_2025 Live Simply at Christmas

  • simply - buy gifts which people need, instead of excess that will be wasted

  • sustainably with creation - reduce, reuse, recycle. Why not shop for gifts at your local charity shop and re-use wrapping paper and gift bags? Shop local and avoid air miles

  • in solidarity with people living in poverty - buy fairly traded and ethically sourced gifts. Is there a social enterprise near you that you could support? What about giving to a local foodbank? Or a reverse advent calendar?