 Lent is just a few weeks away. But instead of cutting out sugar this year, why not use Lent to find some silence? Challenge yourself or your community to cut out the noise in life: go without Facebook or stay silent with us.
Sign up now to help young people transform their lives. Sinead, a student from Manchester is taking up the challenge. Watch her video here. Getting sponsored this Lent will help us to transform young lives all over the country. So get sponsored to give up Facebook or stay silent this Lent and help us to do something amazing for young people. You can sign up right now. There are loads of resources for parishes, primary schools and secondary schools on our resources pages. Whatever you decide to do will make a huge difference to young people’s lives. siLENT starts on Ash Wednesday: 5 March. Take part for all, or some of Lent. |
Silent Night - Million Minutes at Christmas
In the silence of Christmas night, Million Minutes reaches a very special birthday. Click through our Christmas card to find out more.
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
Happy birthday Million Minutes!
We're 1 year old this week! To celebrate, we put together a brilliant video of the highlights from the past year, and some teasers about the year ahead.
Thanks to everyone who's made the first year of Million Minutes so absolutely amazing! And together, we'll 'make the change' in 2012!
"Only you can make the change"
Young people heard an amazing message of hope this week from Million Minutes Champion Margaret Mizen. "You can make a difference," she said, " and make your communities safe places. And you can help change the future of our society. You can make our society a peaceful place instead of an angry place." Three schools in Birmingham hosted Margaret Mizen for a brilliant roadshow to highlight Million Minutes as the schools' Lenten charity for 2012. St Augustine's Redditch, St Thomas More, Nuneaton and Bishop Walsh in Sutton Coldfield all welcomed the Mizens to hear about their inspiring work in South East London.
"It's been amazing to spend time with the young people of the Birmingham this week. I'm thrilled that so many young people will be staying silent this Lent for Million Minutes," said Danny Curtin, Million Minutes Trustee.
Schools interested in staying silent this Lent should check out our Resources page at millionminutes.org/resources
Margaret and Barry Mizen will join the Birmingham diocesan Million Minutes silent walk on Sunday 5 February at 2.45pm leaving from Newman Centre/ St Thoma of Canterbury Catholic Church, Haywood Drive, Tetenhall, Wolverhampton, WV6 8RF. Followed by Mass at 5.15. Margaret and Barry will also give a short talk. Details from Chris Walker: chrisxwalker@doctors.org.uk
Birmingham Bishops to stay Silent for Million Minutes
The bishops of the Archdiocese of Birmingham are to stay silent this November to raise much-needed funds for projects supporting young people, the Archbishop of Birmingham announced this week. Speaking at the Birmingham launch of the Million Minutes big sponsored silence taking place on Sunday, 6 November, the Archbishop encouraged others to join the bishops by staying silent or to sponsor them.
“Million Minutes is important to us because it is supporting projects and people that are central to our community,” he said. “We should leap at the opportunity to be united with the young people of the Archdiocese.”
Million Minutes encourages people and groups (not just bishops) to stay silent for up to 24 hours and get sponsored for it. The money raised will be given as grants to local and national projects that help vulnerable or forgotten young people. 750,000 minutes have so far been pledged, with 105,000 pledged at the launch event in Birmingham.
Million Minutes is supporting two local organisations, Alton Castle Youth Centre and the Andrew Robinson Young People’s Trust. They will receive a share of the money raised to support specific projects with young people who are especially marginalised. Money will also be made available as small grants to youth and community groups.
Also speaking at the launch, Clive Robinson - father of the late Andrew Robinson and Trustee of the Young People’s Trust - said the need among some young people in the Archdiocese was “quite mind boggling”, and that the Million Minutes silence would support projects that play a “significant part in tackling the urgent problems of our society.”
The sponsored silence will take place on Sunday, 6 November, with primary and secondary schools encouraged to join in between 7-11 November. It is hoped that both young people and adults will stay silent as a powerful message of solidarity.
“This is a campaign of silence which will speak up for young people as well as raising money to support them,” said Danny Curtin, a Trustee of Million Minutes. People throughout the Archdiocese and throughout the UK are being asked to sign up online to stay silent and raise money at www.millionminutes.org/stay-silent
And that’s not all. Million Minutes invites applications under its Small Grants programme for funding of up to £500 for projects in the UK undertaken by organisations, groups or even individuals who will work to enable young people to do things that transform our world, inspired by Catholic social teaching. Details can be found at http://www.millionminutes.org/grants/
I love Birmingham!
Maybe I'm biased, but Birmingham is where it's at. Although it's about a decade since I last lived in God's own Archdiocese, it's still a very important part of my story. And my story is the story of BCYS.
I'm a Stafford boy, and BCYS for me was Diane Lamb, a fearless woman with a big laugh and a dodgy car. I wonder if she still has them both?!
From my stint in the Staffordshire Youth Team (helping to run youth Masses) when I was about 16, to the ecumenical work I did with Churches Together in England a couple of years later and even representing England and Wales at a memorable Catholic conference in Hungary aged about 20, BCYS was all about offering me and my peers opportunities to get involved and grow.
And then there was the Lourdes trip and the Walsingham jaunts, and even a World Youth Day. All very Catholic.
They were important times, growing in faith along with a group of amazing young people, with the support of greats of the Archdiocese like Diane Lamb, Eddie Clare (a big MM supporter!), Mark Crisp, Maria Bracken (Robinson back in my day!) and Jo Boyce. I was always a bit daunted by their all-round aceness, frankly!
So it's a massive thrill to be able to work with BCYS as partners in this November's silence now that I'm all grown up (29 going on 19). Two brilliant Catholic youth charities doing what they do best to support and encourage a new generation of young people grow into the people the world needs them to be.
It's testament to BCYS' long term vision. How did Oscar Romero put it? "We are prophets of a future not our own". That's about right. And I'm not the only one, you know. Birmingham youth are spread the world over (I saw one working with young people in New Zealand the other month).
So let's hear it for BCYS, but SHHH! let's do it in silence!
Daniel Hale is Campaigns Officer at Progressio and a Trustee of Million Minutes. He lives in London, in constant sadness that it's not quite as good as Birmingham.
Missio and Million Minutes!
The people who work at Missio are staying silent for a whole 24 hours. They already work for a charity; their work helps to raise funds and channel the support of thousands of Catholics in England and Wales who make the mission of the Church possible around the world. They love their work - they know the difference their work makes to communities and vulnerable people around the world.
Here’s what they had to say
- "We are inspired by Million Minutes to stand in solidarity with young people here and around the world so that they can be helped to live lives that respect their worth and help them fulfil their potential and make a contribution to a world that is better for everyone.
- There are lots of reasons why we want to stay silent on 17 May. Here are some of them:
- -We believe in young people and care about what happens to them
- -We want to help young people take an active part in their communities
- -We want to be quiet and listen to God speaking through young people
- -We want to pray together for young people who are vulnerable and isolated and for all those who work with them offering fresh hope and opportunities
- -We want to give thanks for having the opportunity to do something about it’
- Young people, especially those at risk, have been at the heart of Missio’s work since 1842, particularly because it is they who are the apostles to other young people. We are proud to share Million Minutes wonderful initiative and it will be a delight to have a haven of quiet – even for a few minutes."
Mgr John Dale, Missio National Director
You can sponsor the Missio team at www.bmycharity.com/frjohn
We Made It!
Thank you and well done to everybody who was silent over the weekend! Some people found it difficult at first, and others odd at times, but we're hearing that more than anything else people found it an incredibly rewarding experience and didn't want to stop!
Here's what a few people have said:
- "Well, against all the odds I did manage to stay silent for 24 hours. The computer, phones, radio and television were all switched off and for the first few hours, I found it quite difficult. When my 24 hours were up, I was a little sad. I had gotten used to the silence and quite liked it. So I waited another hour or so before switching on my e-mail account and turning on the phone. Perhaps, I should try and have one quiet morning a week."
- Louise, St Edmund’s, Millwall
- "I had to flee from the parish for my day of silence – but I brought so much back to it as a result! There is a great creative power of silence. Silence is valuable – but it can so easily be an embarrassment; we feel the need to fill every lull in conversation by saying something – anything! But the sign of a deep relationship with someone is to spend time in silence with them and not feel uncomfortable about it."
- Fr Eddie Clare, Parish Priest, Redditch
- "I have just completed my 24 hours of silence for Million Minutes. I started my silence finding things to do – dye my hair, paint my nails, update my blog, download some music, sleep, clean the house. And then I needed to find the peace and I feared this may be difficult. But I was looking forward to the silence because I needed time, time to sort my head out, to find my inner peace, to organise my thoughts and spend time in prayer."
- Anna, from Cardiff
A group joined Margaret Mizen for a silent walk from St. Paul's Cathedral to Westminster Cathedral, peaking after her silent walk Margaret Mizen said:
- “This has been amazing. We have acted in solidarity not just with the hundreds of people staying silent across the country but also with those young people whom Million Minutes hope to support. Young people today are wonderful and we must continue to promote how wonderful they are.”
Do email your experiences to info@millionminutes.org and good look to all of those who are still to stay silent!
NEW PRESS RELEASE
We have a new press release with details of our day of silence on May the 8th. To see it, simply click here.
PRESS RELEASE
9th May 2011 - For Immediate Release On Sunday 8 May, Margaret Mizen helped to launch Million Minutes’ first campaign: a million minutes of silence. The silence aims to highlight the need to stand in solidarity with today’s young people who are so often not listened too, ignored and shut out of society.
Two days ahead of the third anniversary of the murder or her 16 year old son, Jimmy, Margaret joined the first day of ‘a million minutes of silence’. Accompanied by friends, family and supporters she led three generations of her family in a walk from St Paul’s Cathedral to Westminster Cathedral, all in complete silence.
Speaking after her silent walk Margaret Mizen said “This has been amazing. We have acted in solidarity not just with the hundreds of people staying silent across the country but also with those young people whom Million Minutes hope to support. Young people today are wonderful and we must continue to promote how wonderful they are.” Mrs Mizen went on to say “Million Minutes is set to turn into something big. I’m very proud and honoured to be a Champion of the charity. I encourage everyone to get involved. It has the potential to change lives!”
Three generations of the Mizen family took part in the silent walk. As well as two of her sons, 26 year old Tommy, and 11 year old George, her 8 month old granddaughter Eva was also miraculously silent for the 3 mile route.
Million Minutes, a new charity, was founded earlier this year to support projects which help young people to transform their lives and to put Catholic social teaching into practice.
Danny Curtin, cofounder and Trustee, said “A million minutes of silence is a smile idea. We are creating a deafening silence to speak up for our young people. They are worth so much, and all too often, they are ignored, overlooked and not enabled to fulfill their potential. With this loud, counter-cultural silence we are saying that something needs to change. As a society we need to support our young people to have their voice heard, to get active and to make a difference.”
Throughout the UK, hundreds of people of all ages joined in the start of the collective silence. In Bolton, young adults at the Schoenstatt Shrine met throughout the day to complete their pledge of 1000 minutes of silence. Members and youth leaders from the Impact group in St Edmund’s parish, Millwall, wore signs to explain to other parishioners that they were staying silent throughout the weekend. They totaled 6,480 minutes between them.
So far 650,000 minutes have been pledged nationwide. There is still the opportunity for others to pledge and to stay silent over the coming weeks. See www.millionminutes.org for more details and to pledge your minutes.
ENDS
Pictures (download below)
Walkers arrive on Westminster Cathedral Piazza
Westminster Cathedral (Photo includes Danny Curtin - back right)
Whitney, Marta, Louise (St Edmunds Parish, Millwall – Impact Group)
Notes for editors:
1. For more information or to arrange an interview with Margaret Mizen please call Danny Curtin on 07957190516 from 12noon on Monday 9 May.
2. Margaret Mizen runs the Jimmy Mizen Foundation with her husband Barry and their family. The Foundation is committed to working for peace among young people.
3. As well as The Jimmy Mizen Foundation, Million Minutes is also supporting the Cardinal Hume Centre, the Young Christian Workers, and a youth leadership project in Somaliland via the UK charity, Progressio. A grant making fund for youth projects throughout the UK will also be launched with the proceeds raised from the sponsored silence.
4. Alongside Margaret Mizen, Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, Paschal Uche and Delia Smith are all champions (patrons) of Million Minutes. Delia Smith says to young people: “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).” Please note that Delia Smith is not available for interview due to diary commitments.
6. Anyone can volunteer to stay silent and get sponsored for it. More details can be found on the Million Minutes website, www.millionminutes.org
7. Million Minutes is a company limited by guarantee (number 7442390) and a charity registered in England and Wales (number 1140079).
Nearly There!
Across the country people are preparing for their silence, activity on our online fundraising site BMyCharity.com is increasing rapidly and we’re hearing so many more stories about peoples plans, what they’re doing to make the most of the fundraising opportunity along with their hopes, fears and expectations for their silence. Here is a selection of the stories we’re hearing:
- In Fife we’ve heard about a scout group preparing to stay silent and anxious that they’ll make it the whole way through
- In Bolton all of the young adult group from the Schoenstatt Shrine will be meeting at the shrine to stay silent throughout the day
- In Warrington St. Gregory’s chaplaincy group is doing all they to spread the word throughout the school
- In Macclesfield the team at Savio House Retreat Centre and a group training to volunteer overseas with Bosco Volunteer Action (BOVA) are staying silent together even though the BOVA group have never met each other (never mind the Savio team) before!
- In Millwall some of the young parishioners of St. Edmond’s parish have signs ready to explain why they are silent at Mass on Sunday
- All 24 of St. Mary’s Impact group, west Croydon, are staying silent to make up 24 hours and will be making sure everybody in the Parish knows about it!
- The team from St. Vincent's Centre (of Southwark Youth Service) are ALL staying totally silent for 24 hours!
Want to make sure everybody know what you're doing for Million Minutes? We have an image ready that you can use as your profile picture on facebook or twitter (or anything else you like!). you can find it here, and all you need to do is just save it onto your computer and upload it as a new profile picture, easy!
For those of you who are anxious about you’re silence, we have two new resources which offer you practical tips for managing to stay silent for a whole 24 hours, one is from Sr Gabriel Davison (from BBC2’s The Concent) and the other is from a friend of Million Minutes, Matthew van Duyvenbode. Find them here and here, and as with many other fantastic things they are on our resources page here.
An Invitation from Margaret Mizen:
- “During Million Minutes, on Sunday 8 May, I am walking in silence from St Paul’s Cathedral to Westminster Cathedral.”
Are you still to make plans for your silence? Why not come to walk with Margaret Mizen from St. Pauls Cathedral to Westminster Cathedral in silence? This is a great opportunity to stand (and walk!) in solidarity with not only Margaret Mizen and everyone else staying silent, but also all of those People are meeting outside St. Pauls at 12.45 to start walking at 1, the walk should take about 2 hours. It would be fantastic to see you there!
The best of luck to everyone staying silent on Sunday, we look forward to hearing about your experiences!
Savio House and Million Minutes
The team from Savio House Salesian Retreat Centre have started their preparation for their ‘big silence’, which is now less than a month away! The chart you can see them holding below is to keep track of their fundraising from friends and family, and to keep track of when each team member is going to be silent.
Alongside a period of communal silence, different team members will be silent for set periods of time in the week prior to the 8th of May as a form of witness. This will help to show the benefits of silence to the young people who come to Savio House alongside raising some money for a great cause.
If you want to support the Savio House team’s fantastic efforts you can offer words of support on their facebook page!
Million Minutes Interns
Million Minutes has been growing and growing since it launched and has recently taken on two interns who are keen to do all they can for youth dignity. Christine Sterlini and Chris Knowles (pictured below) have experience working with young people before, Christine volunteering at Manzini Youth Care, an orphanage in Swaziland and Chris at Savio House, a Salesian Retreat Centre near Macclesfield.
Christine, who has recently returned from her stint volunteering with overseas volunteer organization BOVA said that “it is really exciting being able to be part of such a great new venture”, “I was really keen to do something for young people on returning from Swaziland, and this has been a great opportunity”. Chris who currently finishing his Christian Theology MA at Heythrop College said that “Million Minutes is a great idea at a time when the young can easily get forgotten, I would urge anyone interested in helping the young of today to get involved”.
Head over to the Get Involved page to see what you can do!
Million Minutes at CYMFed
700 people who care passionately about young people gathered from all over the UK and beyond over the weekend at the 2011 CYMFed Youth Congress in London. So where better to take the amazing Million Minutes message?
We showcased our brand new video (see it here) and Julia from St Vincent's (and see more of them here) spoke about a young lad she met through her work who she knew would benefit from Million Minutes. Finally, Million Minutes Trustee Danny said a few words about how it all works (and if you still don't know, check it out here).
If each person in the room stayed silent for 24 hours, we'd reach the Million Minutes target, which was a sobering and amazing thought! So we'll wait and see. Meanwhile, don't leave it to them! Sign up to stay silent here!
Our Videos
Silent Night - Christmas Greetings from Million Minutes
Million Minutes at Flame 2012 at Wembley Arena! Watch our Champion, Margaret Mizen, with some of her family and Million Minute supported project, Safe Gorton.
See highlights of Safe Gorton backstage at Wembley Arena with Million Minutes at Flame 2012
Catch up with Million Minutes backstage at Flame 2012 at Wembley Arena
Million Minutes is one year old! Watch this video to see our story so far, and where we go from here
In this video we explore why silence is a great way to to stand up for, and raise money for, young people. With Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, Margaret Mizen and Paschal Uche.
In this video Fr Christopher Jamison explores the value of silence in life and offers two techniques for finding silence inside ourselves - a deeper time of silence - during the sponsored silence. Fr Christopher leads a time of reflection which can be used individually or as a group.
Use this video to introduce Million Minutes. Start the video whilst your audience are still gathering and chatting. As the volume builds and the noise becomes almost deafening the audience will become aware of the video and their attention captured - as the Million Minutes logo appears on the screen.
Million Minutes Video
In this video we explore why silence is a great way to to stand up for, and raise money for, young people. With Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, Margaret Mizen and Paschal Uche.
New Resources Avaliable!
We've been working hard on some new resources and updating others to help you do all you can to get involved! We have some more in depth info on the benefits of silence from Fr Christopher Jamison OSB and Delia Smith along with loads of activities and ideas for individual and group fundraising. We’ve got a couple of things which should help you tell everyone about the great things you’re doing! Most of these are in the two packs, the participant pack and the spread the word pack, but not all of them. Head over to our Resources page to have a look!
St Vincent's, Whitstable, get creative for Million Minutes
The amazing team at St Vincent's Youth Retreat Centre in Whitstable have been getting creative, looking at how to get young people going to their centre involved in Million Minutes. Not only have they been baking Million Minutes biscuits but they have put up a fantastic display on one of their notice boards to track their progress! Here is what they've said:
Southwark Catholic Youth Service and St Vincent’s Centre are supporting Million Minutes and are getting ready for the big ‘be quiet’ in a variety of ways.
In the common room of our retreat centre we now have a board devoted to raising awareness and money for our Million Minutes pledge.
As well as helping us to track the money we have raised, it also has space for the visitors to our centre, old and young alike, to write their pledges and take information and resources away on how to get involved. Our hope is that every school and parish group that join us over the coming months will take away an action pack and join in the big silence with us!
We will also be going into the parish of Whitstable once Lent has begun and are hoping to get more people involved. We’ve been practising our baking skills, pledging a Million Minute biscuit for every pledge in the parish we get.
Our community at St Vincent’s are very proud to be supporting such an exciting initiative, although we are all slightly nervous. As a group who struggle to be quiet at the best of times and who are quite attached to our facebook accounts and mobiles, we know it won’t be easy! Let’s just hope that lots of people will join us on the 8th of May when we will be silent for 24 hours.
Thanks for all your hard work! We can't wait to hear more about your progress and have a taste of the Million Minutes biscuits!
