Delia leads the call to Give it Up after UK Aid match funding award
CAFOD ambassador Delia Smith has called on the Catholic community to make a special effort to raise money for the Church’s official aid agency, after the Government agreed to match all donations made during Lent.
The UK Government will match pound for pound every donation given to our ‘Give it Up’ Lenten Appeal, during which many thousands of parishes, schools, communities and individuals across England and Wales are giving up treats and donating the money to CAFOD instead.
Donate to our Give it up! appeal today>>
Delia Smith, the UK’s best-selling cookery writer and long-time CAFOD supporter, welcomed the news, saying “This is not just any Lent; this is THE Lent for CAFOD. So effective has their work been in inspiring individuals, groups, and parishes to raise funds, and equal to that, so effective have their programmes overseas been, they have been chosen to receive matched government funding. This Lent, every pound raised will be matched by the Government. So, fellow Catholics, parishioners, school children, and indeed all those in our nation who want to reach out to the very poorest people on our planet, let’s use the short time we have to double all our efforts and really make a difference.”
Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell said "CAFOD is working to improve water access, sanitation and hygiene for some of the world’s most vulnerable and neglected people, including those affected by war, climate change and disease. It is potentially life-saving work, tackling cholera, helping girls attend school rather than having to fetch water and ensuring that children know about hygiene and waterborne diseases. By matching pound for pound all public donations, the UK Government will help CAFOD double its impact, ensuring tens of thousands more families have access to clean water and sanitation and are provided with everything from water purification kits and soap to training in how to fix a broken borehole.”
CAFOD has also launched the Thirst for Change campaign, seeking access to safe drinking-water and sanitation for all. A billion people in the world currently lack access to clean water, and 1.7 million die every year because of dirty water and unclean sanitation. Recognising the strong track record the UK has in supporting international development, we're now asking David Cameron to call on world leaders at the G8 summit in May to turn the tide on water poverty.
