New Director of Caritas Westminster

 

The £80k PA role for Director of Caritas Westminster has been filled by Richard Harries, a former civil servant who, according to the CBEW spent many years working on criminal justice, voluntary sector and local government policy issues. One immediately has to wonder if he has not been very effective, based on the trajectory of government in all these areas!

Richard fills the place of John Coleby who had been director for almost all of Caritas Westminster’s 11 years, until June this year. Richard has been tasked with expanding the reach of Caritas within the diocese of Westminster, and growing the impact of its services and the projects which it supports, as well as raising awareness of the underlying issues and socio-economic challenges facing those who live and work in the diocese. Makes you wonder what John was doing for 11 years!

Caritas makes me nervous. It is an umbrella organisation for Catholic Charities. In Westminster it is the social outreach of the diocese. In Brentwood (my diocese), it is a bit more amorphous - the mission being "to support those working on charitable projects throughout the Diocese" which leaves it fairly open as to what they are actually going to do with your money.

The lack of transparency surrounding the activities of Caritas Westminster is alarming. It is carefully hidden away amidst the £58m return of Westminster Diocese.

Although it is clear that Richard will be one of the top four earners in the Archdiocese:

Caritas Westminster does have a much more typical Catholic social justice appearance than say my diocese of Brentwood where the Caritas website is obsessively over-populated with links to homosexual groups.

I wish Richard all the best in his new role. I hope he can make a difference and I hope a bit of clarity and openness about the financials could be a good start!