Values

Pupils at the Knowledge and Service Secondary School in Accra, Ghana, take part in a workshop about HIV and AIDS [Annie Bungeroth]

As the international development agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and part of the global Caritas family, we're inspired by core values which inform all the work we do.

Compassion: Confronted by global poverty and suffering, our fundamental response is compassion rooted in love. We refuse to accept the suffering of our brothers and sisters and we are compelled to take action to alleviate it.

Hope: Our hope is inspired by Christian faith and the strength and resourcefulness of our partners and the people whom they serve. In the knowledge that Christian hope is not passive we believe that, by working together, a better world can and must be achieved so that all can enjoy fullness of life.

Dignity: We believe in the intrinsic dignity of every person. We work with all people regardless of race, gender, religion or politics. We try always to be an inclusive and diverse organisation, which celebrates difference and creates relationships of mutual respect.

Solidarity: We walk alongside poor and disadvantaged communities, making their cause our cause, uniting in action and prayer. We share our resources, and we work together to challenge the policies and systems that keep people poor so that the whole of humanity can flourish.

Partnership: We build links between poor communities in the global South and the Catholic community in England and Wales. We work alongside our partners at home and overseas, acknowledging that we receive as well as give. We work within and beyond our wider Catholic family seeking justice to change our world for the better.

Sustainability: We recognise the intimate relationship between protecting and sustaining the environment and promoting human development; we aim to take proper account of ecological sustainability in our work and in our lifestyle, believing we are enriched by living simply.

Stewardship: We strive to be good stewards of all the resources entrusted to us. We endeavour to be openly accountable for our work, transparent in our decision making, focusing on positive change through systematically evaluating our impact and effectiveness.

take action

Give For every £1 given to our Give it up! Lent Appeal today, the Government will donate another £1 – doubling your gift and changing even more lives.

Pray 884 million people do not have access to clean, safe water. Pray with us this Lent that waters may flow and injustice may be washed away.

Act Help us turn the tide on water poverty. Join our Thirst for change campaign and ensure world leaders hear our call: taps and toilets for all.