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”.