What Caritas Westminster does

Caritas Westminster is the social action agency of the Diocese of Westminster, founded in 2012 and registered as a charity (No. 233699) in England. Headquartered at 46 Francis Street, London, the organisation coordinates Catholic social outreach across north London and Hertfordshire, a catchment of roughly 5.5 million people. It operates as a portfolio of branded service programmes: Bakhita House (a safe house for women survivors of human trafficking, having sheltered 224 women to date), Caritas St Joseph's (a lifelong learning centre in Hendon with four Connect@ satellite hubs for adults with intellectual disabilities, enrolling 220+ students), the Caritas Deaf Service (British Sign Language-interpreted Masses, Bible studies, and 25 years of BSL mental health support), Seeds Hub (a start-up incubator for entrepreneurs experiencing economic inequality), Caritas Hope/Safe in Faith (domestic abuse counselling), a Food Security Programme (food banks, pantries, cooking initiatives, and an emergency supermarket voucher scheme supporting 34,000 people), Parish & School Support, and a Volunteer Service that runs the annual "Love in Action" Volunteering Awards.

The organisation's underlying technology stack is a conventional web and case-management footprint: a WordPress-hosted website at caritaswestminster.org.uk, presence across Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, email newsletter fundraising, and traditional parish-based service delivery via community development workers. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, and no integration platform referenced. Service delivery is volunteer- and staff-intensive, with 17 paid employees coordinating a much larger volunteer base and parish network.

Caritas Westminster is funded entirely through donations, grants, and corporate partnerships — no fees are charged to beneficiaries. Revenue streams include individual and Gift Aid-eligible donations from parishioners, foundation grants (e.g., £6,150 from Westhill Endowment Fund; support from The Mercers' Company), and corporate sponsorships (notably Astorg Philanthropy Investments for Bakhita House). The Diocese of Westminster serves as parent entity, with governance via a board chaired by Bishop Paul McAleenan; Richard Harries has served as Director since September 2023, succeeding John Coleby. No revenue figures, fundraising totals, or grant amounts beyond individual programme allocations are publicly disclosed.

Name

Caritas Westminster

Legal name

Caritas Westminster

Website

https://caritaswestminster.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caritas Westminster is the Catholic social action agency of the Diocese of Westminster, delivering services across north London and Hertfordshire including trafficking-survivor housing, lifelong learning for adults with intellectual disabilities, deaf community support, and food and domestic abuse programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Social Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Religious Organizations (8131), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Charitable social services
• Human trafficking support
• Food poverty relief
• Lifelong learning disability
• Deaf community services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: Individual donations from supporters and parishioners, including one-off and regular giving options. Gift Aid scheme available for UK taxpayers to add 25% to donations.
2. Foundation and Trust Grants: Grants from charitable foundations such as Westhill Endowment Fund (£6,150 for horticulture programme) and The Mercers' Company. These fund specific programmes and capacity building.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsors and partners support specific projects and initiatives. Examples include Astorg Philanthropy Investments supporting Bakhita House.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Caritas Westminster is the social action agency of the Diocese of Westminster, delivering charitable services across north London and Hertfordshire. Its core offerings include Bakhita House (safe house for women survivors of human trafficking), Caritas St Joseph's (lifelong learning for adults with intellectual disabilities), Caritas Deaf Service (British Sign Language worship and pastoral support), Seeds Hub (entrepreneurship incubator for the economically disadvantaged), Caritas Hope/Safe in Faith (domestic abuse counselling), a Food Security Programme (food banks, pantries and supermarket vouchers), Parish & School Support, and the Caritas Volunteer Service.

Product overview

Caritas Westminster is an agency of the Diocese of Westminster providing social action services. It operates as a unified charitable organisation offering multiple distinct programmes: Bakhita House (human trafficking survivor support), Caritas St Joseph's (intellectual disabilities lifelong learning), Caritas Deaf Service (BSL accessibility), Seeds Hub (entrepreneurship incubator), Caritas Hope/Safe in Faith (domestic abuse counselling), Food Security Programme (food banks and pantries), Parish & School Support, and Caritas Volunteer Service. These services serve individuals across North London and Hertfordshire who face circumstances requiring support, united by the Catholic ethos of charity and social justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Caritas St Joseph's: Lifelong learning centre for adults with intellectual disabilities
• Caritas Bakhita House
• Caritas Deaf Service
• Seeds Hub
• Caritas Hope
• Caritas Volunteer Service

Products and services

• Bakhita House Safe house providing accommodation, medical and psychological support, therapeutic activities, and practical skills to foster independence for women survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.
• Caritas St Joseph's Lifelong learning centre in Hendon offering courses to adults with intellectual disabilities, ranging from accredited creative arts programmes to practical skills for living independently, with satellite Connect@ sites across the diocese.
• Caritas Deaf Service Provides sign-interpreted Masses, Bible study sessions in British Sign Language, mental health counselling, and accessibility support for religious services across the Diocese of Westminster.
• Seeds Hub Start-up incubator for entrepreneurs experiencing economic inequality, providing workspace, training, and support to enable financial independence.
• Caritas Hope / Safe in Faith Provides counselling, prayer support, and access to resources for individuals affected by domestic abuse and survivors of abuse.
• Food Security Programme Addresses food poverty through a network of food banks, food pantries, food collections, cooking initiatives, and emergency supermarket vouchers across the Diocese of Westminster.
• Parish & School Support Provides resources and support to parishes and schools across the Diocese to enable social action, community development, and engagement with those in need.
• Caritas Volunteer Service Coordinates volunteering across the diocese, links volunteers with organisations seeking to recruit people, and hosts the 'Love in Action' Volunteering Awards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 224 women found refuge at Bakhita House safe house
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Stir to ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to host 'They shall build up the ancient ruins' conference on bringing new life to unused church land and property for community benefit. Held at Mercers' Hall with experts from faith, charity, academic, civil and property sectors.
• The Felix ProjectminorOthersFood donation partner providing surplus food for Half Term Holiday Clubs. 409 meals served with every family receiving a bag of food.
• Queens Park Rangers Community Outreach TeamminorOthersFootball workshops provided for children at Half Term Holiday Clubs as part of creative and sports activities.
• Lord Khan of BurnleyminorOthersMinister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement delivered keynote speech at church property conference, highlighting social, spiritual and cultural importance of places of worship.
• Medaille TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity supporting survivors of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. Bishop met with survivors supported by Medaille Trust.
• Mercers' HallminorOthersConference venue for church property conference, bringing together faith, charity, academic, civil and property sector leaders.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Caritas Salford: The social action agency of the Diocese of Salford, structurally identical to Caritas Westminster — Catholic diocesan charity delivering multi-programme social services across a defined UK geography with parish-based delivery.
• Jewish Care: Faith-based social services charity serving a defined UK community (Jewish community) with services for older people, people with disabilities, and mental health — directly comparable operating model to Caritas Westminster's faith-based multi-programme structure.
• Hestia: UK charity providing specialist support to survivors of modern slavery, domestic abuse, and mental health challenges — directly comparable to Caritas Westminster's Bakhita House safe house for trafficking survivors.
• Refuge: Leading UK charity for survivors of domestic abuse operating the National Domestic Abuse Helpline — directly comparable to Caritas Hope / Safe in Faith counselling and domestic abuse services.
• The Passage: London-based Catholic charity providing homelessness services, food support, and community outreach — directly comparable to Caritas Westminster's Social Apostolate meal service and faith-based London homelessness support.
• Caritas Diocese of Brentwood: Catholic diocesan social action agency serving Essex and East London with refugee support, homelessness services, and family support — a direct operational and governance peer to Caritas Westminster within the UK Caritas network.

Broad incumbents

• The Trussell Trust: UK-wide food bank network operating hundreds of foodbanks and voucher programmes — directly comparable to Caritas Westminster's Food Security Programme and voucher scheme but at much larger national scale.
• Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN): The national umbrella body for Caritas diocesan agencies in England and Wales, of which Caritas Westminster's director sits on the board. Operates as the broader Catholic social action federation across all UK dioceses.

Others

• The Felix Project: London food redistribution charity partnering with Caritas Westminster for Half Term Holiday Clubs — a food-security ecosystem peer and direct operational partner in the London food poverty response.

Regional players

• St Joseph's Hospice (London): Catholic-affiliated London charity providing specialist care services — comparable regional Catholic-charity delivery model though focused on end-of-life care rather than social services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CaritasWestm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCJWth01NqxjaF2PbARlwRg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaritasWestminster
• Instagraminstagram.com/caritas_westminster
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caritas-westminster

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caritas Westminster