Towards Hope: Strategy 2023-25

On this feast of St John Bosco, patron saint of young people, and the twelfth anniversary of Million Minutes, we are excited to share our new three year strategy entitled ‘Towards Hope: A Journey of Inclusion, Accompaniment and Renewal’. Looking forward to the next three years we have placed the theme of ‘accompaniment’ at the heart of our work and our mission is to equip the church to more effectively accompany all young people.

To engage in an authentic process of accompaniment we have to walk alongside young people and start listening out for the voices and needs that are highlighted. By working in this way with young people and their communities, we hope to respond to and empower young people and deliver projects that are both youth-centred and transform communities.

‘I am delighted to share some of our hopes and plans for the next three years on such a special feast day. I take inspiration from the life of St John Bosco who gives us a great example of reaching out to young people, meeting them in their environments and communities with a gentle presence and loving kindness. He was renowned for literally walking alongside young people in whatever situations they faced and for advocating for change on behalf of their needs in the height of the industrial revolution, in 19th century Italy. He was considered progressive, innovative, an ‘interrupter’, even counter-cultural; he challenged the status quo by putting the needs of young people at the heart of societal change.

Young people today live in a very different physical world to 19th century Italy. They are living in the midst of a digital and technological revolution in an vastly different geopolitical space. Though their needs may differ but we may take inspiration and hope from St John Bosco who reminds us to ‘read the signs of our times’ and meet the needs of young people where they are at. We know that this process of accompaniment works and can unlock meaningful encounters and the potential for working together for change. We a thrilled to invite others to work together with us to truly understand and serve the needs of young people in our communities.’ - Anita Motha, CEO Million Minutes.

To read more about our plans and dreams for 2023-25 download the strategy paper and contact us to find out how you can support our work.

Celebrating Young People Awards 2022

25 young people across England and Wales were awarded recognition at Million Minutes’ Celebrating Young People Awards 2022

Set against the backdrop of the London skyline, 115 young people, parents, teachers, youth workers and gathered to celebrate young people from across the country and recognise their contributions to their communities. Hosted by Siobhan McDonagh MP at the Terrace Pavilion, House of Commons, it was a truly memorable evening hearing the stories of how young people are actively making a difference and driving change in the world they see around them.

The awards – now in their fifth year – were powered by Million Minutes. Hundreds of young people were nominated in six categories, each celebrating a different aspect of Catholic social teaching lived out in action. As well as two awards for adults, one for volunteer youth leaders and one for clergy or religious.

Anita Motha, Chief Executive at Million Minutes, said:

We had the privilege to recognise and share the stories of young people from our schools and parishes. Their initiative and drive for creating change in their communities, whether through volunteering, fundraising, or advocacy work, is inspirational. Our future relies on young changemakers and it fills us with hope and joy to celebrate their achievements and accompany them in their journeys.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols presented the Pope Francis award to St Peter’s Mini Vinnies, a brother and sister duo, Rebeca and Daniel, who have shown such generosity to their local community. During lockdown 2020 they gathered items for their local foodbank, and even grew their own vegetables to ensure families had enough fresh vegetables as well as tinned food. They drew cards, posters and wrote kind letters to the elderly who were suffering from loneliness. They are remarkable young people who share everything they can, their time, and resources for the benefit of the vulnerable in their community, and have even donated their birthday wish lists for the good of others.

Cardinal Nichols congratulated the duo on their generosity of spirit and the important examples that can be set by the youngest in our societies. He added he was ‘particularly impressed by the selflessness’ shown in these two young people.

To name a few examples of the awards presented, Christine Allen presented the Barbara Ward Award (Caring for the Environment) to Tom and Harvey. In a statement posted on twitter after receiving the award, Tom said:

“Harvey and I are just two if the thousands of young people across the world dedicating their time to tackling the environmental issues we are facing in today’s current climate. We are so lucky to have been given a platform to raise awareness, spread our true beliefs and most importantly to us, encourage other young people just like us to try their best to make a difference for future generations. We strongly believe we still have a chance to save our planet if we all work together, so all we are asking from you is to stop, think, smile and face this climate crisis with all you have”

The new award for 2022 was the Rutilio Grande and Companions Award, sponsored by the Jesuits in Britain was launched. Aleem Maqbool, Religion Editor for the BBC presented the award to two recipients, Fr Paul Wilkinson and Sr Margaret Walsh. Sr Silvana Dallanegra was Highly Commended.

There are countless stories that can be shared from the evening. Andrew received the Dorothy Day Award, he is a gifted photographer using his talents for the good of the community of Brighton and Hove.

Maria was Highly Commended for the St Josephine Bakhita Award, and was nominated for raising awareness of Downs syndrome and promoting the inclusion of people with Downs syndrome in the Catholic Church and wider society

Sport and Cultural Society and St Vincent de Paul from South West London received Highly Commended for the Cardinal Hume Award. They reached out to their local community and beyond, running a food bank and supporting people who suffered due to isolation; during the pandemic, they supported on average 112 families per week.

This has been one of the highlights of our year so far and only the beginning of journey working with our inspirational network of award nominees. Keep in touch with Million Minutes to follow the stories of the Celebrating Young People Awards alumni.

Farewell Daisy - and welcome Anita!

Farewell to Daisy

This week, we say farewell to Daisy, as she journeys on to another CEO role in the youth sector.

Daisy writes, "The scale of what we've been able to achieve during the pandemic, from getting our Beacon Parish Scheme off the ground, to re-launching our Celebrating Young People Awards, whilst promoting an inclusive and open Church that welcomes all young people, is testament of the tenacity and courage of young people across Catholic communities, fighting for a Church with truly 'open doors' in the words of Pope Francis. I have been lucky enough to meet some incredible people in post, and will cherish most fondly our work on LGBTQ+ inclusion as well as the tole of young women in the Church, as well as collaborations with other organisations. I wish Anita and the team all the very best, and I wish the Church continued deepening in understanding of unconditional acceptance and love that makes us all richer."

We are grateful for Daisy's leadership, inspiration, and dedication during her time at Million Minutes. We wish her well in her new role.

Welcome to Anita

We are delighted to announce the appointment of our next CEO. Anita Motha.

Anita will join the team as CEO in May 2022, bringing over fourteen years of experience working and volunteering within Catholic youth ministry and international development. She holds a BA in Music from Newcastle, and a Masters in Education and International Development from Institute of Education, University College London.

She has worked for CAFOD developing and delivering their young adult engagement strategy. Prior to this, she managed Bosco Volunteer Action, the international volunteering programme for the Salesians of Don Bosco for six years. She also has experience volunteering for Christian Aid and worked as a school chaplain in the north east of England. Most recently, Anita has served as Vice-Chair on the Board of Trustees for Million Minutes.

Having grown up across London, Hong Kong, and Dubai, Anita now lives in the Diocese of Brentwood with her husband and two young children.

Million Minutes Chair, Ewan Day-Collins, said, "I am excited to welcome Anita as our new CEO. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, and will us into our next stage of development. I and the Board are grateful for Daisy's leadership during her time as CEO. She leaves a strong legacy from which Anita can build"