I am thrilled to be able to present this first annual report of the work of Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service (NDCYS) over the last academic year (September 2023-August 2024). For me,thisreportmarksonefullacademicyearinpost,duringwhichalothasbeenachievedthrough thededicatedworkofvolunteers,staffandtrustees
Iamgratefulforthegenerousserviceofthisyear’sMissionTeamBethanyKatieandBen;aswellas those returning volunteers supporting our ‘Search’ retreat at Easter and being welcome extra handsduringabusySummerterm.Wesaidthankyouandgoodbyetoanumberofstaffthislast yearincluding;AdriJonesafterthreeyearsasProgrammeLeaderandlongservingteammembers Jill O’Hagan and Joe Farmer, whose welcome and support in my first six months was much appreciated We also said goodbye to Fr Paul Newman our Chaplain whose gentle presence and goodhumourwillbegreatlymissed.
Aparticularhighlightfortheteamthislastyear,wasbeingabletowelcometheApostolicNuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, to The Briars in July It was not only a real ‘wow’ moment to welcome the Pope’s Ambassador to The Briars, but it was also an opportunity for the team to take stock as they prepared for his visit and, to appreciate just how much they had to celebrateandbeproudofoverthelastacademicyear.
A significant, and ongoing, project of the last year has been a review of NDCYS With the trustees, wehaveembarkedonaprocesstoanswerthefollowingquestion:whatdowewantforouryoung people as a diocese? Through a process of facilitated conversations and workshops with a representativegroupfromacrossthediocesewearebuildingapictureofcurrentyouthprovision in the diocese and an emerging vision of how this could be further developed. Further details, includingournextsteps,aresetoutonpage13ofthisreport IamgratefultoBishopPatrickandour trusteesforinitiatingthisprocesstoensurewearefitformissionintheyearsahead!
TheBriarscontinuestoremainthecornerstoneofouryouthministryprovisioninthediocese andit hasbeenthefocusofmucheffortduringthelastacademicyear.Inparticular,Iamveryproudof the development of programmes which enable continued accompaniment of young people from age11-18 Theprogrammesarerichindepthandoffermeaningfulprayerexperiencesandtoolsfor youngpeopletotakehome,targetedtotheirageandneeds Thisdevelopmentisasignificant step towards the aim of firmly establishing The Briars as a place of renewal and the hub for for youth ministry in the diocese; a place where young people meet Jesus and grow as his disciples andfindtheirplaceintheworld.
Itisexcitingtopresentthisreportbutwedosoinperiodoftransitionandwithagreatdealmoreto do. The new review document will be produced over the next year and shared during the Jubilee year, a special time of God’s grace, giving us a clear vision and focus for youth ministry in the dioceseoverthecomingyears.Pleasekeepourwork,thereviewprocessandtheyoungpeopleof thedioceseinyourprayers Thankyoufortakingthetimetoreadthisreportandwehopeitwillbe anenlighteningandupliftingread,asignofhopeandofmuchmoretocome
Asyouknow,youngpeopleareoneofthethreepastoralpriorities I have focused on as the Bishop. It has been my longstanding hope and prayer that every child and young person in the Diocese of Nottingham will have the opportunity to personally encounter Jesus Christ, to come to grow as his disciples, and to becomehiswitnessesintheircommunitiesandwiderworld
Sadly, we live in a culture where many of our young people are suffering, be it with their mental health, questions about their identity, the reality of poverty, anxiety over their futures, concerns over the state of the world and, in particular, care of the environment AsaChurchwecannotbeindifferenttothis,andthe work of Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service (NDCYS) is critical to helping us to respond to the very real needs of the youngpeopleinourparishes,schoolsandelsewhere
This report, and the remarkable growth and development of NDCYS over the last year, is a testament to Erin Doughty and the team’s commitment to helping every young person they meet to have a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ and, more and more, to respond to his invitation to live life as his disciples Through the various retreat programmes at The Briars and other initiatives young people are being helped to understand how muchGodlovesthemandtheirimmensedignityandworthinthe sight of God. They are also being given the tools to help them understandthattheirlifehaspurposeandtorecogniseandstep into the plan God has for each of their lives I’m very grateful for theworkofErinandtheteamandthemanyothervolunteerswho support the mission of NDCYS I hope you will find that this report is a vibrant illustration of the fact that the Spirit is very much at workinourYouthServiceandamongstouryoungpeople.
Aparticularhighlightoverthelastyearhasbeeninitiatinganin-depthreviewoftheworkof NDCYS Thecorequestionbeinghasaskedis,whatdowewantforouryoungpeopleinthe diocese of Nottingham? As a diocese and a Youth Service we want to ensure our Youth Ministryremainsfitformissionformanyyearsahead,thatitreallyrespondstotheneedsof young people in our diocese, and that it is active in all the places they are present, while alsoacknowledgingthefinancialrealityofthechallengesfacingtheYouthService.
l very much look forward to studying and discussing the various ongoing contributions to this process of discernment as guided by the Holy Spirit and the wealth of experience of thoseinvolvedinthisprocess.Pleasedojoinmeinprayingforthisimportantworkandforall theyoungpeopleacrossourdiocese.
4 PROGRAMMES Developed New Programmes DIOCESAN EVENTS
Diocesan Pilgrimages Attended
4 Residential Work Experience Placements Membersof Clergy atNDCYS Workshops
50
3
2 New Apprentices GapYear Volunteers
7 Returning Team Volunteers
2 SOCIALS
14,363 onInstagramposts Views
1,795 Followers onTikTok
1,634 Followers on Facebook
WHATDOWEWANTFOROUR DIOCESEOFNOTTINGHAM?
TheConcept
For nearly 60 years, in one way or another, Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service (NDCYS) has served hundreds of thousands of young people across our diocese, and further afield.Werightlyhavemuchtobeproudofwith regards to this creative, generous, fruitful and sustained commitment to the pastoral accompaniment and faith formation of young peopleinourdiocese.
PlayingourPart
In every era and decade of the youth services’ long and distinguished history, the task of joyfullywalkingwithyoungpeopleontheirfaith journey has looked and felt as different and diverse as the many generations of young peoplewhohavecomethroughourdoors And so too, we want to play our part in writing the next chapter of the NDCYS story ensuring that what we offer in 2024/2025 and beyond really speaks to the hearts, minds, lives, desires, anxietiesandhopesofouryoungpeopletoday
It is our desire to continue to walk with young peopleandtocreatespacesandopportunities that enable them to feel welcome in the Church; to hear the Gospel; to grow in relationshipwiththeLord;andandtoembrace God'scallintheirlives,andgivingconfidenceto taketheirplaceinthewidersociety.
Aswellasseekingtoensurewemeettheneeds of young people in this current era we must also address the very real challenges facing NDCYS: questions of sustainability, financing, stewardingresources,andbeingfitformission. These are no different to challenges facing other similar organisations and the diocese more generally, but are perhaps more keenly felt as we seek to fulfil our mission with an appropriate sense of urgency. Pope Francis refers to young people as having a prophetic voice and, consequently, young people and youth ministry very often lead the Church into newwaysofdoingthings.
YOUNGPEOPLEINTHE
Withthisinmind,lastSeptembertheTrusteesofNDCYSdecided to embark upon a review of the youth service with the aim of reviewing, renewing, revitalising and reimagining our existing youth service provision. They wanted to explore the key question: what do we want for young people in the Diocese of Nottingham.Throughafacilitatedreviewprocess,theyhopedto identify key priorities for youth ministry provision in the diocese and to work towards developing a vision for youth ministry whichwillrevitalise,reshapeanddirectthemissionandworkof the youth service in the years ahead, whilst ensuring sustainabilityandlongevity.
October 2023: Maria Bracken, from Kenelm Youth Trust (Archdiocese of Birmingham), presents the theory of change and review process that KYT undertook to revitalise their youth provision.
November 2023: The trustees engage Danny Curtin from Camino House to facilitate the review process of NDCYS A plan isdrawntogetherfortheprocess
January-May 2024: Danny Curtin meets with key stakeholders fromacrossthedioceseforone-to-onemeetings,exploringthe currentlandscapeofyouthministryinthediocese,thestrengths and gaps and the hopes and challenges Interviews took place with school staff, chaplains, priests, parents, parish youth workers, young adults, trustees, young people and others engaged with working with young people in some way in our diocese
July 2024: A workshop day with the above stakeholders plus a few more, is held at the Diocesan Centre at Mackworth, facilitatedbyDanny.TheThreeHorizonsmethodologyisusedto help the group explore the current reality of the youth service provision and our aspirations – where we want to be and what mighthelptogetusthere.Theworkshopconcludedwithasmall group committing to taking this work forward and refining it in preparationforthenextsteps.
2
Oct ‘23
Theory of Change
Presentation
Maria Bracken, from Kenelm Youth Trust presents the review process that KYT undertook to revitalise their youth provision.
4
Jan-May ‘24
Stakeholder
Meetings
Danny Curtin meets with key stakeholders from across the diocese to discuss the current landscape of youth ministry
Early Autumn ‘24
A small group from the workshop day works with Danny 6
Additional Consultation
Decision to Review
NDCYS Trustees decide to embark on a review of the youth service provision in the Diocese of Nottingham.
8
Spring ‘25
Launch
The renewed vision and strategy for NDCYS will be launched.
Nov ‘23
3
The NDCYS trustees engage Danny Curtin, Camino House to facilitate the review process of NDCYS.
Jul ‘24
Workshop Day
A workshop day is held at the Diocesan Centre in Mackworth, facilitated by Danny.
5
Late Autumn ‘24
Findings
The Trust is presented with the outcomes of the review and discern the next steps.
End Goal
A renewed vision and roadmap for youth ministry in the diocese, guiding and directing NDCYS work for the next number of years. N D C Y S R E V I E W
7
9
NextSteps
Early Autumn 2024: Working with a small group drawn from the workshop day, Danny will facilitate the group in refining a vision and clearplantopresenttokeystakeholders.
Late Autumn 2024: Trustees are presented with the outcomes of the review and will identify next steps, which could include further facilitation, and will test the proposed vision document with key stakeholders,particularlyyoungpeople.
Spring2025:LaunchrenewedvisionandstrategyforNDCYS
End Goal ‘A renewed vision and roadmap for youth ministry in the diocese...which will guide and direct our work for the next number of years....’
InTheContextOfTheJubileeYear
Preparations are now underway across the Church to celebrate the Jubilee Year in 2025, a year of special grace and a time of renewed hope and trust. Therefore, it seems an appropriate moment to reflect upon, and celebrate, the journey of our youth service so far, as well as looking forward to its future with anticipation and hope This time of special grace in the life of the Church, offers an opportunity for us to renew, further develop and secure the mission and reach of the youth servicefortheyearsahead.
“Asyoungpeople,youareindeed thejoyfulhopeoftheChurchandof ahumanityalwaysonthemove I wouldliketotakeyoubythehand andwalkyouonthepathofhope I wouldliketospeakwithyouabout ourjoysandhopes,butalsoofour sorrowsandconcerns,andthoseof allourbrothersandsistersinthe humanfamily”
TheBriarshasbeenofferingresidentialexperiencesforthe young people of our diocese since 1970 The importance and impact of this work has been highlighted many times throughout our current review process. In an increasingly busy, distracted, post-Christian and post-Modern world, The Briars Retreat Centre and the experiences it enables, remain foundational to the work of NDCYS and our engagementwithyoungpeopleinthediocese.
Through its retreat offering, TheBriarsoffersyoungpeople theopportunitytostepawayfromthefamiliarityofdaily life and encounter Christ’s deep and personal love for them; to be encouraged to grow as his disciples; and to bear witness to his love in their daily lives at home, in schools,andintheirparishandlocalcommunities.
In 2023-24 we were delighted to welcome 2,888 young people to The Briars for a residential experience with us. This represents over 120,000 hours of opportunities to encounterChrist
The vast majority of the work of NDCYS this last year has beenfocusedonrenewingandrevitalisingtheworkofThe Briars, which has included: developing new retreat programmes, building team capacity, raising awareness , promoting The Briars' offering, and increasing occupancy. As you will see below, much progress has been made but thereisstillmoretobedoneintheyearsaheadandthiswill be shaped and driven by the outcomes from our review process and the subsequent vision document, which we anticipatetolaunchin2025.
DEVELOPINGPROGRAMMES
In 2023 and 2024 retreat programmesatTheBriarswere completely updated By the end of July 2025, each year group from Year 5 through to Year 13 will have a carefully craftedprogrammethatmeets their developmental and their spiritual needs. Each programme is based upon the riches of Church teaching and scripture, drawing from the lives of the saints to address the very real issues and concerns of young people in today’s culture. The programmes were developed inthiswayspecificallysothata young person who visits The Briars annually, may receive support and encouragement from a theologically sound programme of activities that will remain fresh and relevant tocurrentyouthcultureasthey mature and grow in faith. The Briars intends to offer a sense of homecoming – as it has to somanyforovermorethan50 years – whilst meeting maturing needs with a theological depth that doesn’t short-changethem.
Thisdayretreat,whichishostedin an education setting, focuses on
Gifted helps young people to explore the different gifts of the Spirit bestowed upon them through the Sacrament of Confirmation and encourages the young people to discover the lives of the different saints and how they used their gifts for God's glory
Theteamhasworkedhardtorevitaliseandfurtherexpandour‘openretreat’ experiences for young people in the diocese. These retreats typically happenoveraweekend and are an opportunity for young people from different schools, parishes etc to come together for prayer, spiritual formation and good fun. This year has seen the relaunch of our Easter retreat, the development of a weekend Confirmation retreatforparishes(See page 24) and planning is underway for an Advent retreat This development is particularlyimportantin our diocese where, in themoreruralparts,itis not always easy to attend a Catholic school.Therefore,young people in our parishes, do not always have direct pathways to experience a retreat at TheBriars
RETREATEXPERIENCES
PhotobyLukePotter
Search Search
After a 5 year break, the team revitalised the popular ‘Search for the Light’ Easter retreat, with brand new content and activities, aimed specifically at 15-18year olds. Over 40 young people joined us over the SacredTriduumandthroughprayer, liturgy, reflection, artwork adventure and different activities, they had the opportunity to explore what the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus means for them in their lives. Oneyoungpersonsaid:
“Every part of the retreat was so personal and thoughtful, it was evident you put so much time into the retreat...I cannot wait to come for Advent and hopefully join ‘Team’ in a couple of years time It is truly one of the best experiences I’ve had and the Briars is justthemostmagicalplacethatIwould recommendtoanyone.”
Theparentofoneparticipantsaid:
“Our son expressed how much he loved his experience of his retreat last week. He said that it made him feel closer to God and that all of the people that he met were nice and very friendly He wantedtobebackhereagain”
DEVELOPINGTEAM
NDCYS simply could not function without the outstanding commitment of our staff and, in particular,ourgapyearandmissionteam.
Numbers have been very lean in recent years, owing to various factors such as Covid, and increasing team numbers has been a priority of this last academic year. Simply put: the bigger the mission team, the more the youth service is able to offer young people of the diocese.
It is not only a question of numbers, butqualityformationofstaffhasbeen prioritised to ensure NDCYS can continue to grow in the new ways outlinedinthisreportandtobestserve youngpeopleinthediocese.
Thanks to funding from the Friends of the Briars, a new programme of spiritual formation has been developed at the end of this last year and this will be pivotal in shaping culture and forming new team in the upcomingacademicyear.
Some highlights from the last year include the appointment of a Communications and Development Coordinator, Mrs. Michelle Thomas, who has team recruitment strategy as akeypartofherremit.
Over the last year, through new partnerships and initiatives we have alreadydoubledtheteamnumbersfor theupcomingacademicyearandthis will have a profound impact on our work.
Our core team has been strengthened by the development of two youth work apprenticeships at The Briars. This last year our apprentices, Annie and Elise, have successfully completed their first year on this programme and are looking forward to their secondyearonteam
CAPACITYATTHEBRIARS
WehavealsobeenblessedwithgenerosityofNDCYStrusteeandformerdeputyhead teacher, Ms Yvonne May, coming to play a key role in supporting and fostering communitylifeatTheBriars.
In addition to these more permanent developments at The Briars, we have also created opportunities for past team members to re-engage with the Briars through adhoc,time-limitedandgift-focusedserviceopportunities
We were delighted that several former team members generously stepped up and offered additional support to make our open Easter Retreat possible and to support withresidentialexperiencesduring thesummerterm
Inasimilarvein,wehavebegunto tentatively develop opportunities for young adults from across the diocese to ‘intern’ at The Briars for a few days or weeks, based on theiravailabilityandtheirinterests.
We were pleased to welcome our initial interns over the Summer term and are looking forward to developing a partnership with the diocesan Young Adult Ministry Lead, to further grow this area of youthwork Bothoftheseinitiatives with past team and young adults enable us to build capacity at key momentsinthecalendaryearand itisourhopethatinthefuture,that
will enable us to develop unique events and opportunities for young people throughout theyear.
PROMOTINGTHEBRIARSINTHE
DIOCESE&FURTHERAFIELD
With the appointment of a Communications and Development Coordinator, we have workedhardtoraisetheprofilethroughoutthe dioceseoftheworkoftheyouthserviceand,in particular, that of The Briars. This has been crucial in driving bookings and has included a consistent social media presence, showcasing the new retreat offerings; attending clergy, headteacher and other conferences; hosting the Deans’ meeting; and building partnerships with a number of complementary organisations.
We have also been working much closer with the Curia at the Diocese of Nottingham, particularly the communications team ensuring that the youth service is promoted widely.
T H E B R I A R
SUPPORTINGOURPARISHES
Supporting parishes to accompany young people on their faith journey has been a relatively dormant aspect of the NDCYS mission in recent years. Yet, we have heard consistently from our ongoing review, through our engagement with the clergy and otherkeystakeholdersthatthisisanareaoftheyouthservicethatweneedtoengage withmoreanddevelopintheyearsahead. Whatfinalformthisprovisiontakes,willbe subjecttotheoutcomesofthereviewprocess,ournewvisiondocumentandavailable resourcing. Howeverinbroaderterms, we envisage this to encompass support for the development of youth ministry at parish level and the development of a programme of diocesan wide events for parishes to bring or send their young people to. Given the current restraints on resources and the primary focus on renewingourworkatTheBriarsduring the last academic year, the team has beenlimitedtosupportingparishesin thefollowingways:
We were delighted to welcome the parish of Our Lady and the Beauvale Martyrs for a parish ‘away day’ last autumn. The day provided an opportunity for parishioners of all ages for this newly formed parish to come together for prayer, catechesis, games and fellowship.Whilsttheparishhaditsownprogrammefortheday,theteamwerepleased to be able to work with the young people of the parish who attended the away day. Through a specially designed session, the young people were able to reflect on their personalrelationshipwithJesusandthewaysinwhichtheycanseeGodatworkintheir lives.ThedayconcludedwiththecelebrationofMass.
PhotobyDioceseofNottingham
Developing&LaunchingOurNewConfirmationRetreat
This academic year, the team developed a new Confirmation retreat called ‘Gifted’.Theprogrammehelpsyoungpeopletoexplorethedifferentgiftsofthe Spirit bestowed upon them through the Sacrament of Confirmation and encourages the young people to discover the lives of the different saints and how they used their gifts for God's glory. The retreat can be adapted and offeredineitheradayformat(atTheBriarsorinyourparishsetting)orthrough an exclusive/open residential weekend at The Briars. This programme complements the work done in parishes to prepare young people for Confirmationanditenrichestheirpreparation,helpingtoopenthemuptothe gracesofthesacrament.
Overthelastyear,wehavebeen pleased to welcome 26 young people from St Joseph’s, Matlock for a one-day programme; 33 youngpeoplefromSacredHeart, Our Lady’s and St Joseph’s Leicester for a weekend retreat; and 52 young people from the parishes of St Mary’s Grantham and St Ralph Sherwin Derby, who came together for an open confirmation retreat in the spring
“This was the first time our two parishes had been on retreat but I’d seen the fruits of this in previous parishes and thought I’d give it a go. The ‘Gifted’ Confirmation Retreat, led by Sophie, Annie and of course, the Holy Spirit, was spot on! It genuinely enlivened, nourished and formed the candidates, catechists and myself in terms of the opportunities that the Holy Spirit offers We loved it! When we arrived back in the parish on the Sunday, a parent came over to me to say that they were very sceptical about sending their child on retreat but after the raft of joyful messages from their child over the course of the weekend, they were over the moon and so grateful for this fabulous opportunity. We’ll definitely be back!”
Residential retreats at The Briars continue to form the heart of our offering for schools in the Diocese. As previously noted in this report, work continues to develop a bespoke retreat offering for every year group from aged 11-18. Our retreat programmes are underpinned by CatholicsocialteachingandthemagisteriumoftheChurch,and,as such they support schools by enhancing and building upon the curricula.AretreatatTheBriarsisoneofthemanywaystheCatholic life of the school community is enriched and brought to life. The programmes, developed by highly skilled experts, are designed to supportschoolswithmeetingtherequirementoftheirCSIinspection
However, alongside this core offer for schools, the team at NDCYS have been working hard to further develop support offered for schools and we are pleased to share the following initiatives which havebeenundertakenduringthislastacademicyear:
Wehavebeendelightedtogetbackontheroadthisyearwiththe development of our new outreach programme entitled ‘Cornerstone’. This day retreat programme, which is hosted in a school setting, focuses on what it means to be the Body of Christ, the unique gifts God has given each of us, the importance of community and of working together for the Glory of God We were pleased to launch this programme with 120 students at St Philip Howard School in Glossop, who enjoyed a one day retreat programme packed with activities and prayerful reflection, all delivered by the NDCYS team on site at their school. This new programmeiseasilyadaptabledependingonagegroupandcan beadaptedforschoolorparishsettings,dependingonneed.
SupportingOurYoungPeopleToPutTheir‘FaithinAction’
Catholic Youth Ministry Federation’s (CYMFED) Faith in Action Award recognises, rewards, and celebrates young people (aged 10-18) who live out their faith actively, through service and reflection.InjourneyingthroughtheAward,youngpeoplehavethe opportunityserveothersintheirlocalandwidercommunityandto reflect on that service in the context of the teachings of the CatholicChurch
NDCYS is the diocesan coordinator for this award and, this year, has supported over 400 young people from across the diocese as they engaged with this journey of service and reflection. The journalsandfinalprojectsoftheyoungpeoplespokeoftheirmany acts of service in addressing the needs of their particular communities over the last year. It was evident that a lot of time, planning and reflection had gone into their final projects and this work was a vibrant illustration of their own commitment to and engagement with mission, and also the immense joy their service hadbroughttotheirlocalcommunities.
TheteamatNDCYShaveworkedtofurtherdevelopandstrengthen the network of adult volunteers across the diocese, who make this workpossible.Theteamwouldliketoexpresstheirgratitudeforthe generosity of these volunteers in offering their time, practical support, wisdom and inspiration to our young people in their endeavours to put their faith into action. We look forward to continuingtodevelopthisworkintheyearsahead
DiscerningGod’sCall:CareerSupportforYoungPeople
In the context of NDCYS’ commitment to helping young people with the discernment of God’s call in their life, the team have been pleased to support various career initiatives in secondary schools thisyear Thishasincludedkick-startingworkexperienceweekatThe TrinitySchool,wheretheteamspentamorningexploringtheideaof discernment and how to listen to God. We looked at the Ignatian concepts of ‘consolation’ and ‘desolation’ and how these tools can help us to discern and choose the next steps in our lives. The team were also delighted to support a mock interview event at St Benedict’sSchool,Derbyandtobeabletohost3studentsfromtheir Year 12 cohort for a work experience placement at The Briars Residential Centre. Our fantastic ‘Chosen’ retreat programme, specificallydevelopedforYear9s,isalsodesignedtosupportyoung people in their decision making and discernment of God’s plan for theirlives.
ServingThoseWhoWorkwithYoungPeopleinOurSchools
Itisourhopeanddesirethatoverthecomingyears,TheBriarsfurther develops as a place or a hub where all those who serve young people in our diocese-be it in schools, parishes, movements or elsewhere-cancomeandmakeuseofourfacilitiesandberenewed, refreshedandrechargedfortheirimportantwork.
A highlight in our calendar year is hosting the annual Lay Chaplains’ Retreat at The Briars in early Spring. Lay Chaplains work daily with childrenandyoungpeople,havingdirectcontactwitharound30,000 ofthem,throughthediocese'sCatholicSchools Wewerepleasedto welcome 35 chaplains to this year’s retreat and to provide a space for prayer, spiritual formation and fellowship. It was also an opportunity to share best practice and better understand and appreciate the complementary missions of chaplaincy and ours as NDCYS In this regard, it has been wonderful to see our lay chaplains make greater use of The Briars over the last year as a place to host their meetings, to join us for meals, to make use of our chapel for times of prayer together and much more. We were also delighted to welcome some staff from The Beckett School for a weekend staff retreat. It provided an opportunity for prayer, spiritual formation, fellowship,funandrelaxation.
LIFEOFTHEDIOCESE
Over the last year, where possible given the busy demands of residential work at The Briars, we have sought opportunities to get moreinvolvedinthewiderlifeoftheDiocese, beyond the youth ministry sphere. This engagement not only increases the visibility oftheyouthserviceacrossthediocese,butit also helps the team at NDCYS understand andappreciatetheplaceandmissionofthe youth service within the context of the wider mission, history, identity and life of the diocese Over the course of this year there have been opportunities for the team to learn more about the life of the diocese, through, for example, visiting the Cathedral, the Mary Potter Heritage Centre, spending time with Bishop Patrick There have been opportunitiestojoinwiththediocesanfamily at different celebrations such as the Chrism Mass, the pilgrimage to Beauvale and the Carol Service at the Cathedral. At other events the team have been able to serve in some way or provide a ‘youth element’ to diocesan events such as at the annual pilgrimage to Walsingham or Light Night at theCathedral.Itisgoodforustofeelpartof thediocesan familyandifyousee usoutandaboutin themonthsahead, docomeandsay hello!
The team were pleased to join this annual pilgrimage, which had a special focus on praying for vocations. In addition to participating in the usual diocesan pilgrim schedule, the team had the opportunity to provide a workshop for young people on vocations. The session included a panel on vocations, with great questions around the process and challenges of discernment,andhowtomaketherightdecisionaboutourvocation Following the diocesan pilgrimage, the team stayed on in Walsingham and joined the diocesan young adults group for a mini-retreat. It was an opportunity for the teamtoreceivespiritualformationfromsomeexcellentspeakers,tohavetime forquietprayerandtoenjoysocialisingwithotheryoungadultsinthediocese.
TheDiocesanFamilyFunDay
The team supported this annual day, organised by the Diocesan Adult Formation for Mission team by offering an interactive workshop for teenagers on prayer. NDCYS apprentice Annie explored Lectio Divina with the young people and then led them through a passage from Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus teaches his disciples to pray the Our Father It was wonderful to be able to facilitate an opportunity for teenagers and their parents to share their reflections on scripture and pray together.
TheNottinghamDiocesanClergyConference
Priestsarepresentthroughoutmuchofthelivesofouryoungpeopleandtheir witness and presence is fundamental to effective Catholic Youth Ministry Therefore,itwasanhonourandoneofthehighlightsoftheyear,tobeableto present the work of the youth service to clergy of the diocese during their annualconferenceinMay2024.
Itwasanoccasiontohighlightthelandscapeofyouthministry,anoverviewof current diocesan youth service provision, news on programme development (including a walk-through of the ‘Chosen’ retreat) and offer an update on the ongoing review. With regards to the latter, the conference afforded an opportunity to ask the clergy how they can be better supported in their parishes by the youth services The responses, which will contribute to the ongoing review of NDCYS and its outcome documents, reflected a shared desire to ignite the flames of faith within young people of the diocese and a clear request for the support of the youth service in partnering with priests to dothisintheirparishesandschools.
CommitmenttotheMissionoftheDiocese
During this year, NDCYS reviewed its day-weekend rates and is able to offer a preferentialrateforparishes,groups,chaplainsorothermovementswithinthe Diocese of Nottingham who wish to make use of the facilities at The Briars for activities and events in support of furthering the Bishop’s spiritual themes of ‘Encounter,DiscipleshipandMissionaryDiscipleship’intheirowncontexts.
THEBRIARSATTHE SERVICEOFTHE WIDERCHURCH
With recently renovated facilities and a central location in the heart of England, The Briars Residential Centre is well placed to welcome groups from around the country for various ministry events and conferences. We have been pleased to welcome Jesus Youth for several spiritual formation weekends, the Maltfriscans for their Chapter of Mats, the Association of Catholic Chaplains in Education for their annual CPD Conference, the Inter-Collegiate Prayer Fellowship and the Annual Catholic Youth Work Volunteers Retreat. We have also had the pleasure of hosting large family groups for exclusive weekend or holiday use. Whilst these groups determine and deliver their own programmes at the Briars, our teamhassupportedtheseeventsthroughoffering hospitalityandon-sitesupport.
SaintsMeadow
Beautiful wooden, self-catering cabins located in the rolling hills of the Peak District & Derbyshire. These self-catering cabins have been built to generate finances to support the work of the youth service.
2024 has seen an increase in uptake of the cabins with occupancy jumping by nearly 50% compared with the same period last year - we can still do more,however
Withthankstoeveryonewhohas stayed at Saints Meadow, you have and continue to support youngpeopletocomeonretreat by keeping the cost as low as possible Thankyou!
