St Monica's IMPACT Group in Flixton ACT To Protect The Environment

One of the central aspects of the YCW as a movement, is that it empowers young people to SEE the world around them, JUDGE that reality in light of the Gospels and then enables them to ACT as the change our world needs.

This Method has served the YCW well since its inception and in England and Wales we are always hearing of our Groups developing their own leadership through it.

One recent example was St Monica’s Impact group in Flixton. Following on from Salford Diocese’s Bishop, John Arnold, who wrote a letter to all praishes asking them to thinking about our world in light of Laudato Si, the Group took their first step towards answering that call.

Following a discussion they decided to spend part of their meeting time clearing the church car park of rubbish, which was later taken to the recycling centre. This is their first step and have many more actions in mind.

Marc Besford, National Training and Development Worker, congratulated the Group, saying: “For many people, they see the problems within the world and feel unable to do anything about it - even something quite small. However, through the YCW we believe that we are all called to be leaders and take responsibility for being the difference. The Group have made a great start here and I look forward to hearing more about what they have planned soon.”

NEC And Trustees Meet To Review And Plan

The YCW Trustees and NEC have gathered together to review the progress of the movement, discuss current plans and prepare for the exciting future ahead, including the upcoming 80th National Council on the 23rd March.

As for any charity, the issue of financial sustainability is paramount and the Trustees examined the latest accounts and projections for the YCW in England and Wales. Updates were given around the charitable grants being sought from funders across the country but also the more sustainable means of regular giving. The finances will be put before the National Council to be scrutinised and approved.

In particular, the funding of the YCW Garden Project was discussed and the plans in place to phase the delivery of this as funding became available. We hope to see positive news on this over the coming year.

Following the Trustees meeting, the NEC took time to review the plans for the National Council. Alongside finance, there was a need to gather the latest position on group development, training, adult companions and the outcomes from the National Campaign on mental health and young people, called MIND! The Gap.

The focus of the National Council this year will be “Leadership” and how we are all called to be leaders in our own lives. This would coincide with the official launch of our new Leadership Programme, in which young leaders would work develop their leadership skills through their YCW membership. More information on this programme will be shared with Groups, parishes and schools over the coming year.

Once the final bits of preparation for the National Council were complete, the NEC also looked at the resources we had available for young leaders over Lent. These resources are available on our webiste here.

Kate Wilkinson, National President of the YCW, said: “It is really valuable to meet up each month and talk through all that is going on within our movement. From new Groups to exciting plans for our HQ, we have so much to be getting on with! Please keep us in your prayers.”

Adult Companions Gather To Train And Share

Earlier this week the YCW HQ hosted another successful Adult Companions training session.

A mixture of new and existing Companions gathered to discuss the various ways in which they can support the development of the movement and their individual groups. Part of the evening looked specifically at the Friendship Circle, whereby the young people are encouraged to reflect on their lives and the people within them.

It asks them to consider how much they know about these friends, family, neighbours and work colleagues, and how we as Christians ought to live our lives amongst them.

There was also time to share some further examples of best practice and start thinking ahead to the future programme of training that Companions would like to see put on. Some of this will be picked up at the National Council later this month and we will ensure details are shared.

Mgr. John Marsland, National Chaplain for the YCW, reflected on the session, saying: “We had a great turnout and a range of experiences shared throughout the training. It is important that we keep refreshing our approach to being a Companion for our young leaders and I look forward to further sessions in the near future.”

YCW Celebrates Another Successful Flame Youth Congress

Earlier this month the YCW brought a 100 strong contingent of young people down to Wembley Arena for the 2019 Flame Youth Congress.

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.

In addressing the theme of the event - that of “signficance” - Archbishop Eamon Martin said: "You, my young friends, are in the heart of God and in the heart of the Church. You are personally called to holiness.”

The Canadian philosopher Jean Vanier and the Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols also took to the stage of Flame 2019.

Worship was led by artists including Tim Hughes and Guvna, while the line-up also included Premier Gospel's Ibe Giantkiller and Premier Praise presenter Candice McKenzie.

Reflecting on the day itself, YCW National Training and Development Worker - Marc Besford - said: “It was an inspiring day for all those who attended and truly taught us to appreciate our own significance in God’s eyes. The speakers were excellent and we all left with a profound sense of God’s love for us. Many were saying it was the best Flame yet and I’m already looking forward to the next one in two years time.”

Lenten Resources For YCW And IMPACT Groups

The Young Christian Workers in England and Wales have a resource for the Lenten season - including a Review of Life and a Gospel Enquiry. 

Beginning on Ash Wednesday (6th March 2019) and ending on Easter Sunday (21st April 2019) Lent is that special time of prayer, sacrifice, good works and preparation for the wonderful celebration of Easter when we, as Christians, celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Many people use the forty days of Lent as a time of soul searching or sacrifice, giving up something they enjoy, like sweets, chocolate or alcohol.

Others use the time to take up something new, like good works or acts of charity.

But Lent can also be a time for us to consider how we might live out our faith in our everyday lives as we journey towards the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. Through the method of See, Judge, Act we invite you to explore the Gospel with us as you journey through the season of Lent in preparation for the wonder of Easter.

New Leeds Diocese Project Partners With YCW

An exciting new project is being set up in Leeds Diocese by the Leeds Justice and Peace Commission, which aims to engage more 16-30 year olds around the issue of Catholic Social Teaching .

The two year project is looking at how this can be done in Groups and sustain itself after the 2 years are up. It was the YCW’s experience of working with young people in groups that meant we were called upon to see if we could help.

In response, Marc Besford, YCW National Training and Development Worker, joined the Project Steering Group and went along to speak with the representatives. The Steering Group members first decided to focus on developing a common understanding of what the project was and hoped to achieve.

After this, the discussion moved towards how best to engage those not already involved in Parish life. There were suggestions for a series of workshops to be put on that may focus on a range of issues young people face and are interested in getting involved with.

The YCW approach is always to be led by the reality of young people, and we helpfully shared how the use of the SEE-JUDGE-ACT method is a fantastic basis for any discussion with young people. Through this Method, young people gain confidence and develop their leadership qualities but also a deeper understanding of the Gospel message and what it calls us to do in society.

Marc Besford said: “We look forward to continuing with the Steering Group and sharing some more examples of how empowering young people in the Church can lead to amazing results. It sounds like a very worthwhile project.”