Celebrating Young People Awards: Shortlist 2017

The shortlist for the Celebrating Young People Awards 2017 have been announced by Million Minutes. Now in its third year and with an ever expanding list of nominators, we have received nominations from schools, parishes and organisations across England and Wales. The awards honour the achievements of those young people who make our communities and  a better place. Their achievements are a witness to all of us of the dedication that young people have to make a difference.

Young people were nominated in six categories, each celebrating a different aspect of Catholic social teaching lived out in action. The nominations recount examples of ordinary young people with extraordinary commitment. We hear of young people taking the initiative to find new ways to serve those around them, alongside others who tirelessly and without complaint get on with the challenging situations they find themselves in - often resulting in the most inspiring examples of social action. There are young family carers, volunteers, campaigners and eco warriors, to name just a few. The judging panels had a difficult task, but they have now chosen their shortlists - see below - and the award recipients will be announced at a glittering ceremony in Leicester Square on 23 November 2017. (The CYMFed Youth Leader Award and the Pope Francis Award do not have a shortlist. The recipients will be announced at the ceremony).

St Josephine Bakhita Award: Celebrating human dignity

St Greg's Young Carer Ambassadors: St Gregory the Great School, Oxford
Caitolin Ali: Bellerive FCJ Catholic College, Liverpool
Alex Griffiths: Bishop Milner Catholic College, Dudley
Hannah Burton: Ursuline High School, Wimbledon
Ethan Suppaya: St Bonaventure's Catholic School, Forest Gate
Daisy Douglas: Loreto Grammar School, Altrincham

Cardinal Hume Award: Living out the option for the poor

Julie-Anne Ntege: Catholic Chaplaincy, Southampton
Wiliam Kent: Newman House, London
Chaplaincy Team: The Douay Martyrs Catholic School, Ickenham
Jacinta Villabolos-Finigan: Priory School, Birmingham
Aaron Omotosho: Loretto College, Manchester
St Edwards Youth Catholic Council: St Edward's and St Luke's Parish, Keymer

Barbara Ward Award: Caring for the environment

Joab Pelling: St Joseph's Catholic High School, Newport
Charlotte Bray: Newman University, Birmingham
Matthew Gowens: Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, Fleetwood
CAFOD Climate Champions: CAFOD
Eco Committee 2016/17: St Gregory's Catholic Science College, Harrow
The One World Group: St Wilfrid's Catholic School, Crawley

Joseph Cardijn Award: Protecting the dignity of workers

Billingham YCW Group: St Thomas of Canterbury Parish, Billingham
Alexandra Grant: St Mary's Catholic High School, Croydon
Jonathan Wright: Thornleigh Salesian College
Artur Sobota: St Paul the Apostle Parish, London
St. Anthony's YCW Impact Group: St. Anthony's RC Girls' Academy, Sunderland
St Vincent’s Young Adult Group: St Joseph's and St Vincent's Parishes, Nechells

Dorothy Day Award: Fostering community and participation

Dylan Went: Finchley Catholic High School
Chris Hill: Ratcliffe College, Leicester
Courteney Manning: Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, Fleetwood
James Teague: St Joseph's Parish, Wealdstone and HCPT group 144
Niamh Ross: St Thomas More Catholic High School, Crewe
St Gregory's Harrow, Sixth Form: St Gregory's Catholic Science College, Harrow
Kelsea Curran: Bellerive FCJ Catholic College, Liverpool

Jimmy Mizen Award: Promoting solidarity and peace

Just.Is: St Mary's Catholic School, Newcastle upon Tyne
Yeshi Berhanu: St Angela's Ursuline School, London
Victoria Roddis: Loreto Grammar School, Altrincham
Joshua Vicente: Courtyard Project, Wood Green
Anna Chapman: St Anselm’s Catholic School, Canterbury
Ella Holliday: St Bede's Catholic High School, Lytham

Share

Outstanding Young People Celebrated By Cardinal Nichols And Catholic Community At Londons’ Barbican Centre

Outstanding social action by young people was recognised at the second Celebrating Young People Awards.

On Tuesday 19 July 2016 hundreds of young people, youth workers and teachers, family and friends gathered at the Barbican Centre to celebrate the inspirational lives of so many young people, nominated by you. 

The 2016 Celebrating Young People Awards, hosted by Baroness Hollins and Rt Hon Ruth Kelly and with guest of honour Cardinal Nichols, highlighted some of the amazing young people across England and Wales who are transforming lives in their local communities. From the young family carer upholding human dignity, to the young man campaigning to improve the living standards of those living with disabilities, all the young people we met are living out the social teaching of the Church. Their commitment and drive is infectious, mixed with real humility. 

Cardinal Nichols chose and presented the Pope Francis Award from the hundreds of nominees. Congratulations to Matthew Martin, a sixth form student from Bolton, Greater Manchester. For the past two years, Matthew has been helping people who are homeless in Bolton, Greater Manchester. From November to April he gives up every Saturday night, from 7 pm – 1 am, preparing and serving food to between 50 and 70 people aged between 16 and 90. 

Danny Curtin from Million Minutes, said: “Through these awards we are celebrating all the inspirational young in our Catholic communities. Too often young people are overlooked, or even blamed for societies’ problems. What we want to say through the example of the young people we are celebrating tonight is that young people can be the difference in this world, and sometimes the rest of us just have to take time to stop to realise this.”

Baroness Hollins said, “We need to take time to celebrate young people, to celebrate all of you gathered here tonight and the hundreds more who have been nominated. We are celebrating all of you. Thank you for your commitment to build a more just and peaceful world – a world where everyone can flourish.”

Rt Hon Ruth Kelly, Pro Vice-Chancellor of St Mary’s University, said: “I’m so delighted that St Mary’s is involved in these awards and partnering with Million Minutes. It reflects our commitment to the Catholic community and to helping to transform young lives”.

You can read about and be inspired by all award recipients here and photos from the night are on our Flickr page.

We’re looking forward to continuing the journey with all the award recipients. In October we’ll meet together for a weekend to learn from and inspire one another. 

The 2017 Awards are planned for November – we’ll announce them here soon.

 

Celebrating Young People Awards: Shortlist 2016

The Celebrating Young People Awards honour the achievements of truly remarkable young people who make our communities and our world a better place. Their achievements are an inspiration for us all, showing us all how ordinary young people can do the most extraordinary things.

 Nearly 250 young people were nominated for awards in six categories, celebrating how they put Catholic social teaching into action. We're received inspiring nominations telling us stories of  young family carers, dedicated volunteersand passionate campaigners, to name just a few. With nominations drawn from schools, parishes, organisations and individuals  throughout England and Wales our judging panels, made up of celebrated figures, had a difficult task. But the six separate panels have now  chosen their shortlists - see below - and the young award recipients will be announced at a glittering ceremony this Summer. (The CYMFed Youth Leader Award and the Pope Francis Award do not have a shortlist. The recipients will be announced at the ceremony). 

Cardinal Hume Award: Living out the option for the poor
Tom Morris & Emily Tierney:  Kenelm Youth Trust, Birmingham
Sixth Form Homelessness Campaign Group: St Wilfrid's Catholic School, Crawley
Justice and Peace Group: Notre Dame RC Girls' School, London
Year 12 General Religious Studies Group: St Anselm's College, Liverpool
Matthew Martin: Holy Cross College, Bury
Caitlin Nunez: St Angela's Ursuline School, London

Joseph Cardijn Award: Protecting the Dignity of workers
Marc Besford: 
Ushaw College, Durham
Martins Banjo: St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College, London
Kirsty Anne Watson: Drayton
Alice Stella: South London
Corey Scott: Blackburn College and HCPT
Daniel Fazackerley: St John Rigby College, Wigan

Barbara Ward Award: Caring for the Environment
Owen Bond: Thornleigh Salesian College, Bolton
St James Climate Bloggers: St James Catholic High School, London
Angelique Carlin and Emily Pranarauskait: St Angela's Ursuline School, London
Sam Abraham: All Saints Catholic High School, Sheffield
Anthony Adusei Poku: St Bonaventure's, London
SPH EcoTeam: The St Philip Howard Catholic High School, Bognor Regis

Dorothy Day Award: Fostering community and participation 
Charlie O'Sullivian: St Joseph's College and HCPT Group 721, London
Charlotte Walmsley: Holy Cross Catholic High School, Chorley
Reena Joseph: St Wilfrid's Catholic School, Crawley
Megan Auld: Loreto Sixth Form College, Manchester
Anna Joy Marshall: St. Hugh's Parish and NJPN, Chesterfield
Flavia Sofia Bernardo Matos: St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College

Jimmy Mizen Award: Promoting solidarity and peace
RHUL Inter-faith group: Chaplaincy, Royal Holloway University of London
Emma Atherton: Pax Christi, Liverpool
John Ruggerio: Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, Worcester
Adelaide Laureta and Canice Marcel: St Angela's Ursuline School, London
Newman Catholic College London Citizens: Newman Catholic College, London
Douay Martyrs Chaplaincy Team: The Douay Martyrs School, London

St Josephine Bakhita Award: Celebrating human dignity
Abbie Walker: Sacred Heart Catholic College, Liverpool
Angeline Umba: Holy Cross College, Bury
Madeleine Kennedy: L'Arche Manchester
Christopher Austria: St Bonaventure's, London
Nicola Mattocks: New Addington Church, London
Helen Olorunsuyi: St Angela's Ursuline School, London


 







 

Share

Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College go siLENT!

Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College have gone siLENT this year to experience what effect silence can have on their lives, and raise money to make a difference to young across the UK.

Each day there are lots of activities like Sacred Silence in the Chaplaincy in the morning and phoneless Fridays for 6th formers, but every day form groups have all spent 5 minutes in silence. Below are quotes from students, followed by those from teachers about their experiences of silence in form time.

Students

“The silence has made me feel relaxed and at peace and I found it easy to do. It has made me be able to think about the good things/ people I have in my life and to cherish them and not take them for granted. I also have been able to focus on what type of person I want to be and to be able to have a happy start to each school day.”

“Taking 5 minutes of silence this week has been difficult. I have thought about things. It made me realise how I need to respect silence more and it has made me more relaxed.”

“I think it has got easier to be silent each day. It created a calm and peaceful environment.”

“These 5 minutes of silence have helped me. It has been difficult but it got easier as it went on. It helped me to think how lucky I am to have 2 working parents and a roof over my head.”

“It was easy and it gave me time to think.”

Staff

“5 minutes of silence for my form has been a challenge initially as they really do feel it is their RIGHT to have a bit of a catch up and natter once all form business is done. By Thursday however once we has established some “ground rules” there was a noticeable calm in the classroom. Even latecomers were respectful to the initative. All agreed it gave them more of a focus. Very much appreciated getting used to silence.”

“I have found the 5 minutes of silence extremely effective in from. I find that not enough young people today take the time to be silent and listen to what is happening around them, they are always in a rush, texting, tweeting, etc. These five minutes have offered them the opportunity to be reflective and to take the time to gather their thoughts. Definitely something I will consider to continue with my form.”

“Some moaned, but they were fantastic. I loved it- a very quiet start to the day. I was sceptical at first about whether they’d so it, but they were brilliant.”

You can find out all about siLENT and get involved through our siLENT page!

Courtyard: Youth workers required for innovative new project

Million Minutes is embarking on an exciting journey to find new ways to inspire and equip local parishes to unleash their huge potential to serve the young people in their neighbourhoods.

Over the next two years Courtyard will be piloted in three parishes. It is a youth project designed to develop a fresh approach to equipping parishes to engage and support young people at risk of exclusion in their local communities.

To support this, Million Minutes are seeking three part time youth workers, with a passion for young people and an understanding the Catholic Church. The youth workers will work in the local parishes to inspire and train volunteers to create and maintain relationships with young people who are often ‘hard to reach’, including those not in education or employment. Supported by these parishioners, the young people themselves will discover together how to shape their future, using their own experiences and talents.

Million Minutes is working with a broad collaboration of partners, including Caritas Westminster and Southwark Catholic Youth Services, to launch the project. Courtyard will bring together the insights of experienced Catholic youth workers and draws on the extraordinary creativity of Frank Cottrell Boyce, the work and vision of Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, and Baroness Sheila Hollins’ knowledge of young people in crisis.

Speaking about the project, founder of Million Minutes, Danny Curtin said: “The witness and call of Pope Francis is helping to create a climate of expectation in our parishes that the local Church will reach out to those in need. Courtyard wants to help them to accompany some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, those young people at risk of falling through the gaps and losing a sense direction, purpose and hope.  The Church can help these young people and, through Courtyard, we want to help resource this”.

Share

Delia Smith is Million Minutes Champion

I am supporting Million Minutes because it’s important to stand alongside young people. You have so much to offer the world at present.

What my seventy years on this planet can offer you is my utter conviction of the importance of allowing some time for stillness and silence in daily life. There are three main reasons for this. One is that it gradually enables us to understand ourselves more deeply.  Two: this then expands our capacity to understand and relate to others and to the world. Three: as the deeper reflective part of our human nature develops it will draw us inexorably towards God.

Why not begin with Million Minutes? Don’t settle for life on the surface of things. The world needs young people like you to take up the challenge. In the words of St Paul ‘God’s power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine’ (Ephesians 3. 20).

Here at Million Minutes we’re really excited to have Delia’s support. She has written some words to encourage us in our silence which we are really grateful for. Read them below, or as a PDF You can download it here.

I have very little space so it’s a huge challenge! What I am hoping to do is persuade you to spend some time each day in complete silence and stillness. Why? Because after many years of experience I have learned that this is the way to short circuit access to the deepest part of our human existence. We each have within us an interior resource, a reflective capacity that can be stifled by noise and activity, but if we allow ourselves some time and space on a regular daily basis the contemplative inner part of who we are begins to expand and grow.

This is not special or otherworldly. It’s deeply human. But as we progress in one area of our development another can be neglected. So just as say transport, lifts, remotes, and other push button living makes us more sedentary than we were, we need to counteract that by taking more exercise. Likewise life in the fast lane and a communications overload can drown out that very important reflective part of our human makeup.

One American psychologist once said he could cure seventy percent of mental illness in the U.S. if he could get every-one to spend 30 minutes a day being quiet and still! If the above is true, then add on Christian belief and it takes on even more significance. We have in the church a rich inheritance of contemplative tradition and it’s in the still silent moments of life that we reach not only the heart of ourselves and who we are but the heart of God, who alone can satisfy our deepest desires.

Don’t be afraid of silence. It’s OK to not feel like it, to be bored, distracted, and feel it’s a waste of time. Be content to feel nothing, to be nothing. But please, please make up your mind. Give it a go. Start with 10 minutes, then move on to 15 you will know when to add more. Stillness and silence is a natural part of living that far from withdrawing us from the world and the rest of human endeavor   draws us more deeply into it. Nothing of the above is new so I will leave you with the words of a famous 17th century Catholic mathematician, and philosopher, who said “All the troubles of life come upon us because we refuse to sit quietly each day in our rooms” Blaise Pascal.

Delia Smith