“What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
Luke 13:18-19
Caritas is delighted to announce the launch of The Mustard Seed Fund, a grant programme to provide initial funding to help practical parish based social action projects get started. This seed funding can be used to cover initial costs, such as training, marketing materials, equipment and other essentials as well as early mobilisation costs. The projects should be aimed at supporting people in the wider neighbourhood as well as in parishes, helping us to look beyond our own walls and be the Church in our communities.
The fund launches on September 5th, the International Day of Charity and the feast Day of Mother Teresa. Projects will be considered on a quarterly basis with the initial application deadline of October 15th 2025.
The fund will be built up of donations received from parishioners, parishes, trusts and foundations from across the diocese – anyone who is inspired by their faith to love others by generous giving. It will be managed by the Caritas Committee and the Caritas team is available to support applications and projects.
To support the fund, donate online at
https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/campaign/caritas-grant-programme visit our website or contact us at caritas@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
For more information or to apply, email caritas@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.
Recent Posts
This Sunday, parishes across the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth are being invited to support a leading Catholic charity’s mission to eradicate leprosy. St Francis Leprosy Guild (SFLG), the UK’s Catholic [...]
St Peter’s Church in Winchester warmly invites people of all faiths and none to experience the building transformed into a place of beauty, hope and wonder. Through illuminations, live music, [...]
The Columbans in Britain have launched their next Schools Competition 2025/26, which has the theme: Becoming a refugee is never a choice. But how we respond is.” It is a [...]
On Monday 8th December, St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Maidenhead Lower Junior Choir, had the opportunity to perform at Windsor Castle for all the visitors. The children were supported [...]






