“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 5^th, 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 15^th 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.