A Sheffield charity group has urged the community to take part in a daily walk to raise money for overseas development amid recent government cutbacks.

CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) has started the “Big Lent walk” as a means to raise money during the Lent period, which is 40 days. The challenge consists of a 200km walk.

It has received support from stars like This Morning’s Dermot O’Leary as well as ITV newsreader Julie Etchingham.

CAFOD is an international charity, their Sheffield branch is based on Ecclesall Road next to St. William of York Catholic Church.

Clare Gardner, a volunteer at the Sheffield CAFOD branch and former trustee of CAFOD as a whole said: “You can walk in any way you want, if that’s walking around your kitchen, going on a hike or doing it in large or small blocks.”

Clare has recently been in Kenya a country that has seen devastation from recent droughts and flooding, with people losing their homes and livelihoods. She said the work CAFOD does can often be crucial to these communities, so initiatives like the Big Lent walk are very important for funding relief efforts.

The walk has been successful in previous years. In 2024 the charity raised over £400,000 and in 2022 it was over £350,000.

The money goes to efforts across the globe regardless of faith or belief. CAFOD is active in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Palestine and many other areas of the world facing poverty and disaster. A lot of which CAFOD blame on the effects of climate change.

The charity has been critical of the British government’s recent decision to cut the international aid budget from 0.5% of GNI to 0.3%.

Christine Allen, Director and CEO of CAFOD said: “This decision by the British government to reduce ODA 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.”

This comes along with the USA’s recent decision to freeze USAID.

Clare said: “The decision to freeze all of USAID is going to have an enormous impact on many organisations working in the communities we serve

“CAFOD couldn’t possibly fill the gap in a million years

“Charity money is a tiny percentage of international aid compared to the money governments give.”

Donations for the Big Lent walk can be made online via CAFOD’s website.

Picture: CAFOD