Parishes, schools, organisations and individuals have joined together throughout Lent 2019 to support to young people, and help raise money to change their lives. Thousands of people taken part in Million Minutes’ ‘siLENT’, creating 195,495 minutes of silence. Their silence has given voice for those young people who are overlooked and silenced in today’s world.

Participants were sponsored for their silence, raising thousands of pounds for youth led social action projects, which help to transform young people’s lives across the country. Just last month siLENT money supported a project for young people from a special needs school in Manchester. The young people are creating an allotment – which is in itself a great thing – but the fruit and vegetables they grow will be shared with local refuges and asylum seekers, who are seeking safety in the area.

Million Minutes' Director Danny Curtin said: "I'm delighted that once again young people and their adult supporters have clocked up hundreds of thousands of minutes of silence! What a testimony to how committed our Catholic community is to young people. Pope Francis, in his letter last month, ‘Christ is Alive’, encouraged the Church to find new ways to reach out to young people and to help them speak up for their peers. siLENT is one way to do that, and we’re overwhelmed by the response.”

Million Minutes also organise the Celebrating Young People Awards, supporting the Catholic community to recognise and honor the young people in its midst. To nominate them for a Celebrating Young People Award, visit: millionminutes.org/awards. Deadline for nominations is the 24 May 2019.

For more information about Million Minutes’ youth social action grants please visit: millionminutes.org/grants

To discover how Million Minutes can support parishes and schools equip young people to take an active role in social action please contact: kate@millionminutes.org