NCDYS Annual Impact Report

20232024 ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT

Photograph by Annie Yates

Contents Reflection from the Director

3

Message from the Bishop as Chair of Trustees

7

NDCYS Vision

9

The Year in Numbers

11 13

The Review of NDCYS The Briars

17

Parishes

29

Schools

31

Engaged in the Life of the Diocese

35

Serving the Wider Church

41

Commercial Endeavours

43

Find Out More

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NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2024

“Let us draw close to the young, for they are the joy and hope of the Church and of the world!”

Pope Francis SPES NON CONFUNDIT

Photograph by Annie Yates

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Dear Readers, 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, this report marks one full academic year in post, during which a lot has been achieved through the dedicated work of volunteers, staff and trustees.

I am grateful for the generous service of this year’s Mission Team Bethany Katie and Ben; as well as those returning volunteers supporting our ‘Search’ retreat at Easter and being welcome extra hands during a busy Summer term. We said thank you and goodbye to a number of staff this last year including; Adri Jones after three years as Programme Leader and long serving team members 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 good humour will be greatly missed.

A particular highlight for the team this last year, was being able to welcome the Apostolic Nuncio, 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 celebrate and be proud of over the last academic year.

A significant, and ongoing, project of the last year has been a review of NDCYS. With the trustees, we have embarked on a process to answer the following question: what do we want for our young people as a diocese? Through a process of facilitated conversations and workshops with a representative group from across the diocese we are building a picture of current youth provision in the diocese and an emerging vision of how this could be further developed. Further details, including our next steps, are set out on page 13 of this report. I am grateful to Bishop Patrick and our trustees for initiating this process to ensure we are fit for mission in the years ahead!

The Briars continues to remain the cornerstone of our youth ministry provision in the diocese and it has been the focus of much effort during the last academic year. In particular, I am very proud of the development of programmes which enable continued accompaniment of young people from age 11-18. The programmes are rich in depth and offer meaningful prayer experiences and tools for young people to take home, targeted to their age and needs. This development is a significant 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 and find their place in the world .

It is exciting to present this report but we do so in period of transition and with a great deal more to 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 diocese over the coming years. Please keep our work, the review process and the young people of the diocese in your prayers. Thank you for taking the time to read this report and we hope it will be an enlightening and uplifting read, a sign of hope and of much more to come.

Erin Doughty Director of Youth Services 5

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Photograph by Annie Yates

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2024

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF TRUSTEES Bishop Patrick McKinney As you know, young people are one of the three pastoral priorities 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 become his witnesses in their communities and wider world.

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. As a Church we cannot be indifferent to this, and the work of Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service (NDCYS) is critical to helping us to respond to the very real needs of the young people in our parishes, schools and elsewhere.

It has been my longstanding hope & prayer that every child & young person in the diocese will have the opportunity to personally encounter Jesus Christ.

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 much God loves them and their immense dignity and worth in the sight of God. They are also being given the tools to help them understand that their life has purpose and to recognise and step into the plan God has for each of their lives. I’m very grateful for the work of Erin and the team and the many other volunteers who 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 work in our Youth Service and amongst our young people.

A particular highlight over the last year has been initiating an in-depth review of the work of NDCYS. The core question being has asked is, what do we want for our young people in the diocese of Nottingham? As a diocese and a Youth Service we want to ensure our Youth Ministry remains fit for mission for many years ahead, that it really responds to the needs of young people in our diocese, and that it is active in all the places they are present, while also acknowledging the financial reality of the challenges facing the Youth Service. 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 those involved in this process. Please do join me in praying for this important work and for all the young people across our diocese. with prayer and good wishes, +Patrick Rt Rev Patrick McKinney Bishop of Nottingham

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NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2024

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NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2024

OUR VISION The Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service provides opportunities for young people to discover community, come to a friendship with Christ, and a deeper awareness of themselves.

Photograph by Annie Yates

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“Dear young people, my joyful hope is to see you keep running the race before you… The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them! And when you arrive at where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us.”

Pope Francis -Christus Vivit, 199

Photograph by Annie Yates

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2024

THE YEAR IN NUMBERS YOUNG PEOPLE

TEAM

PROGRAMMES

2,888 Young people on retreat at The Briars.

40 Young

People on Easter Retreat.

Engaged

179

Young People on Outreach

133,163

Hours to Encounter Christ

4

Residential Work Experience Placements

4

New Programmes Developed

DIOCESAN EVENTS

2

Diocesan Pilgrimages Attended

Members of Clergy at NDCYS Workshops

50

2

New Apprentices

7

Returning Team Volunteers

3

Gap Year Volunteers

SOCIALS

14,363 Views

on Instagram posts

1,795

Followers on TikTok Followers

1,634 on

Facebook 11

WHAT DO WE WANT FOR OUR DIOCESE OF NOTTINGHAM? The Concept 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. We rightly have much to be proud of with regards to this creative, generous, fruitful and sustained commitment to the pastoral accompaniment and faith formation of young people in our diocese.

Playing our Part In every era and decade of the youth services’ long and distinguished history, the task of joyfully walking with young people on their faith journey has looked and felt as different and diverse as the many generations of young people who have come through our doors. 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, anxieties and hopes of our young people today.

It is our desire to continue to walk with young people and to create spaces and opportunities that enable them to feel welcome in the Church; to hear the Gospel; to grow in relationship with the Lord; and and to embrace God's call in their lives, and giving confidence to take their place in the wider society.

As well as seeking to ensure we meet the needs of young people in this current era we must also address the very real challenges facing NDCYS: questions of sustainability, financing, stewarding resources, and being fit for mission.

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 new ways of doing things.

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE

With this in mind, last September the Trustees of NDCYS decided 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. Through a facilitated review process, they hoped to identify key priorities for youth ministry provision in the diocese and to work towards developing a vision for youth ministry which will revitalise, reshape and direct the mission and work of the youth service in the years ahead, whilst ensuring sustainability and longevity.

NDCYS REVIEW

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

Our Journey So Far: September 2023: NDCYS trustees decide to embark on a review of youth service provision.

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 is drawn together for the process.

January-May 2024: Danny Curtin meets with key stakeholders from across the diocese for one-to-one meetings, exploring the current landscape of youth ministry in the diocese, the strengths 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.

Photograph by Annie Yates

July 2024: A workshop day with the above stakeholders plus a few more, is held at the Diocesan Centre at Mackworth, facilitated by Danny. The Three Horizons methodology is used to help the group explore the current reality of the youth service provision and our aspirations – where we want to be and what might help to get us there. The workshop concluded with a small group committing to taking this work forward and refining it in preparation for the next steps.

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Sep ‘23

1

Decision to Review

NDCYS REVIEW TIMELINE

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.

6

Early Autumn ‘24

NDCYS Trustees decide to embark on a review of the youth service provision in the Diocese of Nottingham.

Nov ‘23

3

Facilitator Engagement The NDCYS trustees engage Danny Curtin, Camino House to facilitate the review process of NDCYS.

Jul ‘24 Workshop Day

5

A workshop day is held at the Diocesan Centre in Mackworth, facilitated by Danny.

Additional Consultation A small group from the workshop day works with Danny.

Late Autumn ‘24

7

Findings

8

Spring ‘25

The Trust is presented with the outcomes of the review and discern the next steps.

Launch The renewed vision and strategy for NDCYS will be launched.

End Goal A renewed vision and roadmap for youth ministry in the diocese, guiding and directing NDCYS work for the next number of years.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Next Steps Early Autumn 2024: Working with a small group drawn from the workshop day, Danny will facilitate the group in refining a vision and clear plan to present to key stakeholders.

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, particularly young people.

NDCYS REVIEW

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

Spring 2025: Launch renewed vision and strategy for NDCYS 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....’

In The Context Of The Jubilee Year 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 service for the years ahead.

“As young people, you are indeed the joyful hope of the Church and of a humanity always on the move. I would like to take you by the hand and walk you on the path of hope. I would like to speak with you about our joys and hopes, but also of our sorrows and concerns, and those of all our brothers and sisters in the human family”

Pope Francis In his invitation to young people to join him in Rome for the Jubilee,

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In 2023-24 The Briars welcomed

2,888 young people

This equates to over

on retreat.

120,000

hours for young people to encounter

Jesus Christ

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

THE BRIARS The Briars has been offering residential experiences for the 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 engagement with young people in the diocese.

THE BRIARS

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

Through its retreat offering, The Briars offers young people the opportunity to step away from the familiarity of daily 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, and in their parish and local communities.

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 encounter Christ The vast majority of the work of NDCYS this last year has been focused on renewing and revitalising the work of The 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 there is still more to be done in the years ahead and this will be shaped and driven by the outcomes from our review process and the subsequent vision document, which we anticipate to launch in 2025.

Photograph by Annie Yates

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DEVELOPING PROGRAMMES In 2023 and 2024 retreat programmes at The Briars were completely updated. By the end of July 2025, each year group from Year 5 through to Year 13 will have a carefully crafted programme that meets 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 in this way specifically so that a 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 to current youth culture as they mature and grow in faith. The Briars intends to offer a sense of homecoming – as it has to so many for over more than 50 years – whilst meeting maturing needs with a theological depth that doesn’t short-change them.

THE BRIARS

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2024

FOR A NEW GENERATION AGENTS OF LOVE 1,210

55,260

Hours to encounter Christ

Year 5 & 6s taken through the programme

Year 6

3 or 5 Days

This retreat enables young people to explore what it means to be ‘Agents of Love’, in service to God. The programme helps them to learn, understand and practise the virtues, as well as exploring key Catholic Social teaching principles, such as dignity of the person, the common good, solidarity and subsidiarity.

Scan the QR code for more information

Defined 976

Young people taken through the programme

50,898

Hours to encounter Christ

Year 7 &8 3 or 5 Days

Defined encourages young people to explore being created in the image & likeness of God and the immense dignity that comes with this. It helps young people define their identity in how Christ sees them rather than society, and to understand that they belong to the Lord, each other and in the Church.

“One of the best programmes we have experienced for 14 years!”

Photo by Annie Yates

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CHOSEN 53 Young People taken through the programme

4,293

Hours to encounter Christ

Year 9

3 or 5 Days

Chosen gives young people the space to think about their own vocation and calling in life. They explore the concept of discernment, learn how to hear God’s voice and recognise the unique call He has on their lives, and appreciate the joy that comes with embracing that plan.

TO THE

HIGHEST 184

Young people taken through the programme

9,622

Hours to encounter Christ

Year 10 3 or 5 Days

This retreat allows young people to step back from the demands and pressures of daily life and to explore what they are in pursuit of. It encourages them to expand their horizons and consider the greater vision and plan that God has for their lives , above the pursuit of their own earthly goals.

“As a chaplain, it is very comforting to know the young people receive the messages of Christ in a fun and engaging way by a team of young adults...it is something I couldn’t recreate!”

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

RETREATS

THE BRIARS

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

This day retreat, which is hosted in an education setting, focuses on what it means to be the Body of Christ, the unique gifts God has given us, the importance of community and of working together for the Glory of God.

GIFTED 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.

Photo by Annie Yates

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OFFERING OPEN The team has worked hard to revitalise and further expand our ‘open retreat’ experiences for young people in the diocese.

These retreats typically happen over a weekend 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 weekend

of

a

Confirmation

retreat for parishes (See page 24) and planning is

underway

Advent

for

an

retreat.

This

development

is

particularly important in our diocese where, in the more rural parts, it is not

always

attend

a

easy

to

Catholic

school. Therefore, young people in our parishes, do

not

direct

always pathways

have to

experience a retreat at The Briars.

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

RETREAT EXPERIENCES

THE BRIARS

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

FOR THE

Search light

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 Sacred Triduum and through prayer, 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.

One young person said: “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 just the most magical place that I would recommend to anyone.”

The parent of one participant said:

Photo by Luke Potter

“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 wanted to be back here again.”

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DEVELOPING TEAM NDCYS simply could not function without the outstanding commitment of our staff and, in particular, our gap year and mission team.

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, but quality formation of staff has been prioritised to ensure NDCYS can continue to grow in the new ways outlined in this report and to best serve young people in the diocese.

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 upcoming academic year.

Some highlights from the last year include the appointment of a Communications and Development Coordinator, Mrs. Michelle Thomas, who has team recruitment strategy as a key part of her remit.

Over the last year, through new partnerships and initiatives we have already doubled the team numbers for the upcoming academic year and this 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 second year on team.

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

CAPACITY AT THE BRIARS We have also been blessed with generosity of NDCYS trustee and former deputy head teacher, Ms. Yvonne May, coming to play a key role in supporting and fostering community life at The Briars.

THE BRIARS

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

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 ad hoc, time-limited and gift-focused service opportunities.

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 with residential experiences during the summer term.

In a similar vein, we have begun to tentatively develop opportunities for young adults from across the diocese to ‘intern’ at The Briars for a few days or weeks, based on their availability and their interests.

“The most beautiful victories are those you win as a team,” Pope Francis

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 youth work. Both of these initiatives with past team and young adults enable us to build capacity at key moments in the calendar year and it is our hope that in the future, that

will enable us to develop unique events and opportunities for young people throughout the year.

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PROMOTING THE BRIARS IN THE

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

DIOCESE & FURTHER AFIELD

THE BRIARS

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

With the appointment of a Communications and Development Coordinator, we have worked hard to raise the profile throughout the diocese of the work of the youth service and, 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.

Photo by Annie Yates

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SUPPORTING OUR PARISHES 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 other key stakeholders that this is an area of the youth service that we need to engage with more and develop in the years ahead. What final form this provision takes, will be subject to the outcomes of the review process, our new vision document and available resourcing. However in broader terms, 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 renewing our work at The Briars during the last academic year, the team has been limited to supporting parishes in the following ways: Supporting The Development Of Parish Youth Ministry We supported clergy in the Nottingham Deanery as they considered resourcing youth ministry at a local level. We also advised on resourcing, volunteer recruitment and offered support to established parish youth ministry projects in Mickleover and Burton.

Photo by Diocese of Nottingham

Hosting Parish Away Days 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. Whilst the parish had its own programme for the day, the team were pleased 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 personal relationship with Jesus and the ways in which they can see God at work in their lives. The day concluded with the celebration of Mass.

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Developing & Launching Our New Confirmation Retreat This academic year, the team developed a new Confirmation retreat called ‘Gifted’. The programme 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. The retreat can be adapted and offered in either a day format (at The Briars or in your parish setting) or through an exclusive/open residential weekend at The Briars. This programme complements the work done in parishes to prepare young people for Confirmation and it enriches their preparation, helping to open them up to the graces of the sacrament.

Over the last year, we have been pleased to welcome 26 young people from St Joseph’s, Matlock for a one-day programme; 33 young people from Sacred Heart, 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.

Fr David Cain photograph by Diocese of Nottingham

PARISHES

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

“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!”

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“Catholic schools remain essential places for the evangelisation of the young. Account should be taken of a number of guiding principles set forth in Veritatis Gaudium for the renewal and revival of missionary outreach on the part of schools and universities. These include a fresh experience of the kerygma, wide-ranging dialogue, interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches, the promotion of a culture of encounter, the urgency of creating networks and an option in favour of those who are least, those whom society discards.”

Pope Francis

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOLS

SCHOOLS

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

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 Catholic social teaching and the magisterium of the Church, and, as such they support schools by enhancing and building upon the curricula. A retreat at The Briars is one of the many ways the Catholic life of the school community is enriched and brought to life. The programmes, developed by highly skilled experts, are designed to support schools with meeting the requirement of their CSI inspection.

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 have been undertaken during this last academic year:

Photo by Diocese of Nottingham

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Developing Our Schools’ Outreach: The Cornerstone Programme We have been delighted to get back on the road this year with the 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 programme is easily adaptable depending on age group and can be adapted for school or parish settings, depending on need.

Supporting Our Young People To Put Their ‘Faith in Action’ 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. In journeying through the Award, young people have the opportunity serve others in their local and wider community and to reflect on that service in the context of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

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 journals and final projects of the young people spoke of their many 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 had brought to their local communities.

The team at NDCYS have worked to further develop and strengthen the network of adult volunteers across the diocese, who make this work possible. The team would like to express their gratitude for the 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 continuing to develop this work in the years ahead.

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Discerning God’s Call: Career Support for Young People 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 this year. This has included kick-starting work experience week at The Trinity School, where the team spent a morning exploring the idea of 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’s School, Derby and to be able to host 3 students from their Year 12 cohort for a work experience placement at The Briars Residential Centre. Our fantastic ‘Chosen’ retreat programme, specifically developed for Year 9s, is also designed to support young people in their decision making and discernment of God’s plan for their lives.

SCHOOLS

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

Serving Those Who Work with Young People in Our Schools It is our hope and desire that over the coming years, The Briars further 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- can come and make use of our facilities and be renewed, refreshed and recharged for their important work.

A highlight in our calendar year is hosting the annual Lay Chaplains’ Retreat at The Briars in early Spring. Lay Chaplains work daily with children and young people, having direct contact with around 30,000 of them, through the diocese's Catholic Schools. We were pleased to 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, fun and relaxation.

Photo by Annie Yates

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GETTING INVOLVED IN THE

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

LIFE OF THE DIOCESE

Photo by Diocese of Nottingham

Over the last year, where possible given the busy demands of residential work at The Briars, we have sought opportunities to get more involved in the wider life of the Diocese, beyond the youth ministry sphere. This engagement not only increases the visibility of the youth service across the diocese, but it also helps the team at NDCYS understand and appreciate the place and mission of the 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 opportunities to join with the diocesan family 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 the Cathedral. It is good for us to feel part of the diocesan family and if you see us out and about in the months ahead, do come and say hello!

Some highlights of the last year have Photo by Annie Yates included:

DIOCESAN LIFE

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

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The Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham: A Day for Vocations

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, and how to make the right decision about our vocation. 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 team to receive spiritual formation from some excellent speakers, to have time for quiet prayer and to enjoy socialising with other young adults in the diocese.

Photo by Annie Yates

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

DIOCESAN LIFE

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

The Diocesan Family Fun Day 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.

Photos by Diocese of Nottingham

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The Church is immersed in the Redeemer’s outreach to men.

When she is truly herself, she is always on the move, she constantly has to place herself at the

service of the mission

that she has received from the Lord.

Pope Benedict XVI

ANNUAL REPORT 2024

DIOCESAN LIFE

NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE

The Nottingham Diocesan Clergy Conference Priests are present throughout much of the lives of our young people and their witness and presence is fundamental to effective Catholic Youth Ministry.

Therefore, it was an honour and one of the highlights of the year, to be able to present the work of the youth service to clergy of the diocese during their annual conference in May 2024.

It was an occasion to highlight the landscape of youth ministry, an overview of 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 do this in their parishes and schools.

Commitment to the Mission of the Diocese During this year, NDCYS reviewed its day-weekend rates and is able to offer a preferential rate for parishes, groups, chaplains or other movements within the 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, Discipleship and Missionary Discipleship’ in their own contexts.

Photo by Diocese of Nottingham

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Photo by Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service

THE WIDER MISSION

THE BRIARS AT THE SERVICE OF THE WIDER CHURCH 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 team has supported these events through offering hospitality and on-site support.

The Maltfriscan Chapter of Mats

Association of Catholic Chaplains Annual Conference

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COMMERCIAL Saints Meadow 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.

With thanks to everyone who has stayed at Saints Meadow, you have and continue to support young people to come on retreat by keeping the cost as low as possible. Thank you!

If you would like to support our work and enjoy a break in our wonderful cabins, please visit saintsmeadow.com

COMMERCIAL

ENDEAVOURS

Photo by Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service

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Phone Number

01773 852044

Email Address

info@ndcys.com

Website

www.ndcys.com Charity Number: 522334 WWW.NDCYS.COM

Follow us on socials: @ndcys