YCW Attends Annual Conference Of GEPO

The European Group for Workers’ Pastoral Care (GEPO) met in Manchester between the 15th-17th of November for its annual conference to discuss topics around the theme of the Conference: “Social Europe, Workers’ Movements and Social Dialogue - A Common Vision for the European Social Foundation.”

The YCW were invited to attend the conference and represent a perspective of young workers in the overall discussions, which were themselves guided over the Conference days by the SEE-JUDGE-ACT method.

Day 1 - focusing on the SEE stage - included an introduction to the topic of social rights within Europe and a presentation from a British perspective on the current challenges being faced by workers in many industries today. Representatives from the GMB union highlighted the growing concerns about conditions within workplaces like Amazon and the gig economy.

Following this was a visit to the Co-Op HQ in Manchester, where presentations were given on the strengths of co-operative working and the positive contributions that co-operative ways of working have had on social rights.

The following day used the JUDGE approach to look at several aspects around the development of a common social doctrine and future of European harmonisation. Three workshops were set up to allow more time to focus on several important issues, including: social dialogue, minimum wage and the balance between work and personal life.

During these workshops our National Training and Development Worker, Marc Besford, was asked to speak on the issues facing many young people across Europe. He outlined how the challenges of Brexit, Zero-Hour Contracts and young people unable to find a permanent posts are growing issues of concern. He also raised the increasing need to discuss the current state of young people’s mental health.

On the final day, which looked at the ACT phase of the method, the conference began to map out their strategy for a common approach to their work across Europe. This began by setting out the various networks that each delegate could plug into, drawing on our partnerships and allies across the various movements and organisations.

The subsequent action was to decide upon a joint declaration of what the GEPO conference would deliver as an outcome and how this could lead to further collaboration in future. A central part of the conference declaration was the call for an agreement on “decent and good working conditions for each citizen, conditions that will allow everyone to enjoy a high degree of protection, to be able to participate in all aspects of social life and to aspire for themselves and their families to a happy life.”

This core tenant of a social Europe will need to be reinforced through a variety of other actions, including: meeting political parties to discuss European social rights; commit to using these rights to base future policies; mobilise and train members across Europe to join the campaign; encourage campaigning in European elections and make a firm commitment to the weakest and most vulnerable.

Marc commented on the 3-day conference, saying: “This was a fantastic event to be part of and I was happy to be asked to speak up on behalf of young people and the many challenges they face. There is a lot of turbulence across Europe at the moment and the future of social rights need to be at the top of the agenda. Thank you to Kevin Flanagan and all those who helped organise the conference.”

MIND! The Gap National Action - Garden Project

As part of the “ACT” stage of our national campaign called MIND! The Gap, which focuses on young people and mental health, we are soon to be launching the first part of our response as a National Team.

Increasingly, mental health is closely linked to the whole question of the environment and communities we inhabit, a point that Pope Francis makes in “Laudato Si’” in relation to social media: “Today’s media do enable us to communicate and to share our knowledge and affections. Yet at times they also shield us from direct contact with the pain, the fears and the joys of others and the complexity of their personal experiences. For this reason, we should be concerned that, alongside the exciting possibilities offered by these media, a deep and melancholic dissatisfaction with interpersonal relations, or a harmful sense of isolation, can also arise.”

It is this melancholy and anxiety that we hoped to draw attention to and alleviate in our “Mind! The Gap” campaign. But it has also made our National Team reflect on how we use all of our resources – including the HQ – to create genuine and thriving communities.

We have analysed the responses to our online survey and the suggestions regarding how we can raise awareness about mental health. Therefore, out of this project, one of the things we are exploring is a practical scheme to transform the garden which surrounds our HQ into a place of relaxation, peace and community for the workers, parishioners, young people in the area and all YCW members.

As you may know, our HQ is currently in the centre of Europe’s biggest industrial park, next to a busy daytime shopping parade, with effectively no communal green spaces to use. In many ways it can best summarised by Pope Francis’ description of our cities as “huge, inefficient structures, excessively wasteful of energy and water (in which) neighbourhoods, even those recently built, are congested, chaotic and lacking in sufficient green space. We were not meant to be inundated by cement, asphalt, glass and metal, and deprived of physical contact with nature.”

We are hoping that the garden will become an oasis of tranquillity and a space for reflection in the midst of a busy world. We would like to remind people that “Work should be the setting for rich personal growth, where many aspects of life enter into play: creativity, planning for the future, developing our talents, living out our values, relating to others, giving glory to God.” (Laudatio Si, 127)”

We would also see the growing garden and allotment aspects of this project as a unique opportunity to engage more deeply with former parishioners of St Antony’s, many of whom still regularly visit the site and have expressed their support for and willingness to help with the proposals.

Equally, we have had tremendous support from the local parish of St Ann’s (Stretford) who have helped fund some of our early survey work.

St John Paul II reflected in his encyclical “Salvifici Doloris” on the topic of suffering, offering a hopeful view that there can be value, worth and purpose in suffering: “Whoever suffers from mental illness always bears God’s image and likeness in himself, as does every human being. In addition, he always has the inalienable right not only to be considered as an image of God and therefore as a person, but also to be treated as such.”

As well as this, within the YCW we have plenty of former members who live locally and are looking for ways to help support our movement, including grounds maintenance and fundraising.

Finally, with our growing number of groups we have plans to use our HQ more regularly for training and activities with you, our volunteers and young members. Alongside this project we are also looking at exploring other ways in which we can make a difference and use your passion and commitment to help young people who are suffering from mental health within your communities.

YCW Supports Trafford Park Remembrance Service

Earlier this month, the YCW took time to support our local Mass and Service of Remembrance at St Antony’s Church in Trafford Park. The event for ably organised by our neighbours at St Antony’s Centre for Church and Industry.

The Centre for Church and Industry was established in 1979 with the aim to promote better understanding and knowledge of Christian Social Thinking, especially in relation to industrial and economic issues.

It seeks to work with a wide range of community groups, organisations, churches and individuals to develop common objectives and to benefit the wider community through specific projects.

The event also coincided with the anniversary of Canon Joe Carter, who was a faithful supporter of the YCW over his years of ministry and was a Diocesan Chaplain within Salford.

Following the Mass there was a reflection on the turmoil of war and continuing need for peace in our world, with wreaths being laid at the War Memorial outside the Church. The Memorial has been listed as a Grade II monument by Historic England to protect it for future generations and acts as a permanent reminder of the many young workers who lost their lives in conflicts.

National Training and Development Worker, Marc Besford, said: “I would like to thank the Centre for the invaluable work they do in organising this very solemn occasion. It is important that we never forget the sacrifices made by our young workers during wartime and the many others who tragically lost their lies. We look forward to continuing our work with the Centre.”

St Antony’s Centre is also organising a Christmas Carol Service on Wednesday 19th December at 12 noon.

It will be held at St Antony’s Church in Trafford Park. All are welcome.

Past Members Christmas Social

The YCW National Team is planning on hosting its second Past Members Christmas Social this year, following a successful launch last December.

We will be inviting past members to call in to the HQ on Saturday 15th December from 7pm for mince pies and mulled wine, but also to share in each others company and give our thanks to the many generous past members who have supported our movement over the decades.

Kate Wilkinson, National President of the YCW, said: “Last year was such a special evening and we wanted to make sure that as many past members knew about it as possible. Since celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding on the YCW in England and Wales last year, we have been trying to do more to engage with our fantastic past members, this is just one of the way we are trying to improve this. I hope to see you all there!”

If you can attend, please let Marc know by emailing him on marc@ycwimpact.com or giving us a call on 0161 872 6017.

Living Wage Week 2018 Raises Pay And Awareness!

Earlier this month saw the Living Wage Foundation celebrate 2018’s “Living Wage Week” (5th-11th November).

The purpose of the week is to raise awareness about the need for a Living Wage and to celebrate responsible employers who pay it. (More details can be found online here: https://www.livingwage.org.uk/living-wage-week)

At the YCW we are committed to promoting the Living Wage as an essential part of ensuring dignity at work. At the heart of the movement is the idea that a hard days work deserves a fair
days pay.

We have produced a useful resource for any Group that would like to look further into the Living Wage, using the SEE, JUDGE, ACT method. This can be downloaded for FREE here: http://www.ycwimpact.com/downloads/

Leadership And Friendship From Preston IMPACT Group Retreat

Last month the Preston IMPACT! Group took the time to hold a residential at Castlerigg Manor in the Lake District, in order to enjoy some time together, run workshops and reflect on their own realities.

The theme for the weekend was ‘SHARING VOICES’ and included a number of workshops and reflection, which were all led by young people on the weekend. This gave them the responsibility to lead and discuss the issues that they felt the need to have a voice on.

Some of these topics included debates about education, workshops on mental health and how to talk more openly about it and also about refugees.

Time was also given over the weekend to prayer and reflection in the Chapel. Again, the young people were given responsibility to look at the themes for prayer around “thanking God”, “saying sorry to God” and “asking God”, which allowed them to more deeply understand how God loves us and wants to be with us on our journey through life.

Throughout the weekend, it was really important to encourage the young people to build friendships with each other and there were plenty of fun activities organise by the Group to help deliver this.

One of the young people on the residential who helped organise the weekend, Hallie, reflected on it saying: “Over the weekend, we had learnt so, so much from each other and from ourselves. The weekend had brought so much to each of us either as a group or as individual people. Our eyes had been opened to new things that we hadn’t realised, seen or been aware of before.

I’d like to say thank you to everybody for making this weekend a truly special one and one that I will remember, thank you to all the new friends I made and a huge thank you to all the staff and leaders, especially to Terry for making the whole thing work!”