The decision by the government to reduce overseas development assistance from 0.5% to 0.3% means that, in some of the most vulnerable places on earth, more people will die and many more will lose their livelihoods.
But with your parish's support for our Lent Fast Day Appeal you can share hope with these communities and stand with them in solidarity against the impact of this cut.
We have partners making a difference right now across the world, committed to working wherever the need is greatest.
Partners like Wakera, helping women in Kenya to adapt to a changing climate. When drought hit, he shared his expertise and provided mothers like Lokho with the tools and seeds they needed to grow food for their families.
Lent Family Fast Day is on Friday 14th March. Your parish's support will help mums like Lokho to grow food in harsh climates, building safety nets for their families.
5 ways your parish can get involved this Lent
1. Hold a Fast Day collection - Hand out our green Fast Day envelopes as people come into church and share CAFOD's Family Fast Day with your parish by putting up our Lent poster and reading our short talk at Mass. You'll be amazed by the difference your parish can make!
2. Big Lent Walk - As a parish or school, on your own or with friends, sign up to take part in the Big Lent Walk and walk 200km in 40 days to help fight global poverty.
3. Simple parish lunch - Come together as a parish community to share a simple lunch and raise vital funds for communities living in poverty around the world. Find recipes for simple soups, stews and curries for your parish lunch.
4. Make a Jubilee pledge - Share our newsletter announcement and invite parishioners to make a monthly donation to share hope with communities around the world in the Year of Jubilee.
5. Pray with us - sign up to receive our weekly Gospel reflections for ways to give, act and pray with us this Lent.
Try our new virtual envelope
Try our new virtual envelope which allows you to make your Fast Day donation online and link it to your parish. Share the link cafod.org.uk/envelope in your parish newsletter or on social media so parishioners who no longer carry cash can still make their Fast Day donation.
We also have a new poster featuring a large QR code. Place them by entrances and exits to the church for parishioners to scan and they will be taken to the virtual envelope where they can make their Fast Day donation.
Fast Day resources for your parish
Visit the CAFOD shop to order posters, prayer cards and collection envelopes or you can download resources straight onto your computer below.
Note: If your parish hasn't received its Fast Day envelopes or prayer cards yet, please speak to your local CAFOD co-ordinator before ordering any replacements. They may already be on their way!
Download our Lent prayer video to share with your parish.
Fast Day resources to download
Short talk - editable version - Lent 2025
Alternative short talk - Lent 2025
Parish newsletter announcement - Lent 2025
Prayers of intercession - Lent 2025
Parish poster - Lent 2025
Parish poster (Welsh) Lent 2025
Parish poster (Polish) Lent 2025
Volunteer checklist - Lent 2025
Donation form - Lent 2025
Jubilee resources to download
Parish newsletter announcement - Jubilee 2025
Parish poster - Jubilee 2025
Contactless for CAFOD
Make donating as easy as tapping a card by signing up for a contactless account with CAFOD. Order a card reader device now or give it a try first with the new 'Tap to Pay' function. You can be set up in minutes and start collecting donations straight away using just your phone!
Find out more by visiting our contactless webpage or get in touch with us at contactless@cafod.org.uk for additional questions and support.
Other ways your parish can get involved
Big Lent Walk
Sign up for the Big Lent Walk and you'll help communities thrive in even the most difficult environments.
Simple community lunch
Come together as a parish community. Share a simple lunch and raise vital funds for communities living in poverty around the world.
Fundraise for a World Gift
Join together as a parish to fundraise for a World Gift and help to transform the lives of families living in poverty.
Our A-Z of fundraising ideas
Our fundraising ideas include fun and quirky ways to raise money and can be done online, at home, with family and friends, or on your own.
Three ways to pay in your Fast Day collection
Pay in your parish's collection using our online form. Once you have entered your card details and submitted, you will be asked to input your parish details.
Send a signed cheque payable to 'CAFOD' to CAFOD, 55 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7JB.
Make sure to include your parish details and to mark it for 'Lent Family Fast Day' so we can send you a proper thank you. Please include any Gift Aid declarations and direct debit forms. You can use the Freepost envelope provided in your Fast Day pack.
Please don't send cash in the post – we don’t want your vital donations to get lost!
N.B. Please send personal cheques from parishioners as soon as possible
Transfer your Family Fast Day collection to the account details below.
Account name: CAFOD
Account number: 11769410
Sort Code: 16-00-30
Bank: Royal Bank of Scotland
Please include your parish details as the payment reference and send an email to dpt@cafod.org.uk to confirm the amount, date of remittance and to mark it for Lent Family Fast Day.
Fundraising tools and advice
CAFOD online shop
Visit our online shop to order fundraising resources like posters, collection boxes and lanyards.
Sponsorship form
Download your form, complete your event and raise those funds for CAFOD!
How to fundraise for us
Follow our handy step-by-step guidance for planning, promoting and hosting your fundraising event.
How to pay in your fundraising
Advice on how to send us the donations you worked so hard to raise using our website, or by post, phone or bank transfer.