Middlesbrough Youth Spring to Action (23 Jul 2007)

livesimply activities were a popular part of the programme when 350 young people gathered at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire on 8 July for Springboard, the Diocese of Middlesbrough's main annual youth event.

A lively Mass set the tone for the day.   Fr John O'Gara SM preached on Matt 6:19-21 ("Where your treasure is, there is your heart") and got the young people to write down on what their treasure was.

The livesimply activities that followed had to compete with a BBQ and a choice of workshops, including Arts and Crafts, Circus Skills, open mike sessions, sports and CAFOD activities - but were a great success nevertheless.

CAFOD's Regina Lane engaged the youngsters by getting them to complete a quiz about their own lifestyle habits and carbon footprint.   Regina says, "There were a good many young people with some work to do to clean up their act!  We also asked them to think about what 'solidarity' means to them, and think of a 'song of solidarity' which we could put up on the wall."

Regina set up a livesimply:promise wall and asked the youngsters to make their own promise and stick it to the wall.  Divided into sections for solidarity, sustainability and simplicity, the wall had quotes from the Bible and Populorum Progressio as well as facts relating to each section.

Regina said, "It was encouraging to see young people really aware and taking the challenge to live simply".