YCW Leader's Reflection On World Youth Day

Callum from the Billingham YCW Group has kindly offered to share his thoughts about the experience of World Youth Day in Panama this year. Thank you for sharing this Callum.

World Youth Day in Panama was truly an amazing experience, not only was my faith strengthened more than I knew it could, I made lots of great new friends and memories which will last a life time.

Masses of young people sang ‘We are the youth of the Pope’ in Spanish throughout the city with flags being waved from every corner of the globe. The people of Panama were all extremely friendly and welcoming, with many wanting to be pictured with the Union Jack, they offered cool water for pilgrims and the volunteers made us all feel very safe.

A pilgrimage would not be a pilgrimage without some form of hardship, and this for me was definitely the heat and humidity and although tough this made everyday more rewarding.

I enjoyed every moment of my trip to South America and to pick a highlight is difficult but for me it was at the overnight vigil. As we knelt in front of the Blessed Sacrament with around 1 million other young Catholic’s from all around the world, accompanied by the Holy Father, the sheer silence during this time was breathtaking and overwhelming. Never have I experienced this many people my own age demonstrate an incredible amount of faith, it made me very proud to be a Catholic.

The trip also made me realise my place in the Church today, as the Holy Father said that the young people are not the future of this Church but are the ‘Now’ and as a young person my role is just as important as any other and I can make a difference.

My first World Youth Day will go down as a huge success and I can’t wait till the next one in Portugal, at least the journey won’t be as long!

YCW NEC Enlists Support Of Local MP For Mental Health Project

Late last year we announced that as part of the “ACT” stage of our national campaign called MIND! The Gap, which focuses on young people and mental health, we would be developing a scheme at our National HQ site. Since then, we have been working up some funding options for the plan and have enlisted the support of our local MP.

In our research we found that 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 the growth of cities: [they can become] 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.”

At the meeting, we discussed our vision of transforming 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.

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.

Further updates will be shared on our website, so please keep an eye out for this.

Can You Help Support The YCW?

The YCW is a Movement led by young people but is supported by a dedicated and committed base of supporters, many of whom were part of the YCW in their early years! We greatly appreciate any support they give, from financial support to being adult companions.

If you can help support the movement with a donation, please read below what that involves and how it will help.

Your contribution would help:

• develop a new generation of YCW leaders equipped through the SEE, JUDGE and ACT method.

• train and develop new “Companions”, the adults who accompany and support us

• produce new resources

• organise events across the country

To continue this vital and unique work we hope you can help support us financially.

Please download our standing order form to make a regular donation (including gift aid). Just fill it in and return to us at:

Young Christian Workers, St. Antony's House, Eleventh Street, Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 1JF

If you would like more details or to speak to us directly about our work, please contact us on 0161 872 6017.

Upcoming Training For YCW Adult Companions

The founder of the YCW, Joseph Cardijn, once said: “Everything by the young people, nothing without the Chaplain!” . This commitment to having an organisation ran by and for young people remains as true today as ever before but for Groups to exist we need an adult (over the age of 18 for an Impact group or over the age of 30 for a YCW group) who is willing to act as a chaplain or adult companion to the group.

The “adult companions” act as a sounding board for the young people, giving advice and guidance when necessary and support their journey of faith through many of life’s challenges. It is important that we maintain our engagement and training with these companions, to keep up with the changing needs of our Groups and share best practice.

This upcoming training is on Monday 11th March, 7pm and is being held at the YCW HQ in Trafford Park.

In the past we’ve covered topics such as mental health, loneliness and how to recruit young leaders. It is also helpful to develop “active listening” skills, so that the adult companions can build the confidence of young leaders and help them develop their own skills.

Please get in contact with us if you are interested in attending - open to new and existing adult companions.

YCW Leaders To Attend Flame Youth Congress 2019

Flame is an event for every young person, wherever they are starting from, to help them deeply discover and rediscover Jesus Christ as their brother, friend and saviour, full of joy and mercy. It is an event for young people who are well connected to the church, and for those who think the Church has nothing to say to them.

The YCW sits as a member on the organising body, CYMFed (Catholic Youth Ministry Federation), and has attended each year with a large contingent of young leaders.

This year, we are bringing along 100 from across England and Wales, who will be participating in liturgies, enjoy music and guest speakers but also the opportunity to meet other young people. Following the day we will aim to get some feedback from our YCW leaders and share this on our website.

In the words of Pope Francis: “Faith is a flame that grows stronger the more it is shared and passed on.”

YCW Announces Date For National Council 2019

We are pleased to confirm that the 80th National Council of the Young Christian Workers on Saturday 23rd March 2019.

The venue is St Antony's Centre, Eleventh Street, Trafford Park, M17 1JF.

All members of the YCW and IMPACT groups are encouraged to make the effort to attend this most important of events. The YCW movement is run by its members and the National Council is the highest decision making body of the organisation.

It is also a moment to celebrate its achievements and meet other young people from around the country.