A century of service News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba In praise of our Southport Knights Sleep Out with Nugent: helping to give new beginnings to people in crisis

A huge thank you to our incredible supporters and friends who joined us on a chilly March evening to take part in the annual ‘Sleep Out with Nugent’ event, sponsored by Krol Corlett Construction, at the iconic Strawberry Field site.

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What a wonderful reward for us. After a long Lent, it is with great joy that we celebrate this wonderful feast on Easter Sunday. Easter, with the joy of the Resurrection, did not occur simply to console those who mourned the death of Jesus but to open hearts to the extraordinary message of God’s triumph over evil and death.

The women set out for the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. When they got there, they discovered that the tomb was empty. They saw two figures who told them that Jesus was risen. The light of the Resurrection was not meant to let the women bask in a transport of joy, but to generate missionary disciples who ‘return from the tomb’ in order to bring to all the Gospel of the risen Christ. That is why, after seeing and hearing, the women ran to proclaim to the disciples the joy of the Resurrection. They knew that the others might think they were mad. Indeed, the Gospel says that the women’s words ‘seemed to them an idle tale’.

Yet those women were not concerned for their reputation, for preserving their image. They did not contain their emotions or measure their words. Their hearts were enflamed only with the desire to convey the news, the proclamation that ‘The Lord has risen’.

As women and mothers, it is our duty to proclaim the good news to everyone we meet.

Jesus has risen – Alleluia, Alleluia.

Maureen Finnegan, Liverpool UCM president

From sponsored bike rides to singing Christmas carols, KSC members in Southport have engaged in a range of fundraising activities over recent years – an effort rewarded by the harvesting of almost £15,000 for good causes.

Following the restriction of activities due to Covid, members of Southport council 146 have since made up for lost time by vigorously raising funds in support of local charities which, when added to existing council funds, has meant a sum of £14,740 becoming available for distribution to charities in the Southport and Sefton areas.

2021

The Knights raised over £3,772 including receipts from a sponsored bike ride (with £500 given by one generous supporter), a collection outside Morrisons, and a sponsored walk. With the addition of council funds already in place, £9,960 was available and donated to the following beneficiaries:

• Ainsdale Lunch and Leisure, Southport Soup Kitchen, Individual Acts of Compassion, Live to Learn, Southport Talking Newspaper, Nugent Care, Sefton Women and Children’s Aid, Southport SVP, Christmas vouchers. In addition, donations were made to the widows of deceased brothers and to a seminarian studying for the priesthood.

2022

The Knights raised £1,250 and, during the eight months from April to December 2022, a similar list of charities received £3,530 in donations. Our photo shows a group of council members with friends singing Christmas carols on Lord Street.

Southport council comprises 16 local Catholic men and they meet on the second Tuesday of the month at St Patrick’s at 7.30pm for the Rosary, with the meeting ending no later than 9pm. New members are always welcome, and anyone interested in finding out more about the order can come along to the monthly meeting or email the address below.

The fundraising of the Southport Knights is a tremendous achievement and another strong example of the kind of support that the KSC gives to local communities in addition to helping, where required, in parishes.

Websites: www.ksc.org.uk www.kscprov02.weebly.com

Email: dpokeane@aol.com

The event, organised by our fundraising team, gave participants the opportunity to experience a small part of what vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and families go through daily. The generous donations received from this event will help Nugent’s New Beginnings service, which supports individuals to transition out of homelessness across the region.

Notable positive impact since Sleep Out 2022

Since last year’s ‘Sleep Out with Nugent’, the New Beginnings team have witnessed the positive impact made from the fantastic amount raised from the event. Within the last year, 12 People who were using the service have successfully moved on to their own independent tenancies, and 13 people have moved in to receive support in gaining independence and control over their lives.

The funds raised have also helped to provide additional items to the starter packs that New Beginnings offer to individuals transitioning out of homelessness across the region. Whilst the team always provided basics such as bedding, pots and pans, kitchen utensils and towels, there has never been enough funds to be able to provide those things that make a flat a home. Thanks to last year’s donations, toiletries and other items are included as part of their starter pack. This may seem like a small thing that only costs a few pounds, but to a person who lives with the insecurity of being homeless and who does not know when or where they will be accommodated next and, is existing month-to-month on a low income - this is a huge difference.

How the funds raised can provide lifechanging support

John received support from New Beginnings for a year and a half. He was made homeless due to drinking, drug use and a chaotic lifestyle that led to anti-social behaviour and some low-level offences. When he first started to receive support from the team, he was often in crisis, which affected his mental health. John was still relapsing with alcohol and drugs and would often contact the team saying he was feeling suicidal.

During the time he was with the service, John began to feel that he had been misdiagnosed with bi-polar. He had struggled since a child with what he thought may be ADHD and that it could be the basis for all his problems. With staff support, John gradually began to progress, re-engaging with alcohol and drug services, he took up meditation, yoga and exercise, and joined alternative groups that staff resourced for him. John realised the ADHD assessment waiting list could take years, so he decided to give up smoking cigarettes, drinking and drug use to pay for a private consultation. He succeeded, received a diagnosis and started taking medication.

John’s life began to drastically improve, and he became a lead on drug and alcohol support service meetings, often hosting them across the UK and in other countries. He also decided to pursue a mental health nursing degree and now has his own accommodation, which he is delighted about as it is close to his support networks.

When leaving the service, John said, ‘I am very grateful for all the support I received and had the most growth throughout my whole life being with Nugent and the staff. It really touched me when staff noticed the change and growth in me, and it helped me to progress and don’t think would be where I am now without their support’.

*Name has been changed to protect the identity of our beneficiary.

You can donate to our Sleep Out appeal by visiting: localgiving.org/ appeal/SleepOutWithNugent2023.

To find out more about our upcoming fundraising events, Visit wearenugent.org