Earlier this month, we gave an update on the work we have been asked to contribute to on Covid Recovery and the Church’s response to it. This work focuses on a range of issues, but especially those impacting on young people, such as mental health and loneliness.
So far, the project by ChurchWorks has identified these issues:
• Children and young people’s education had been severely disrupted during the pandemic.
• Young people’s networks have been reduced and their social skills and confidence to build them back up has been affected.
• Parents’ anxiety is sometimes stopping young people from re-engaging.
• State-funded youth work has been dramatically cut.
• Numbers of church-based volunteers working with kids and youth have also dramatically reduced during and after the pandemic.
• Young people have deep-set worries about identity and inclusion which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
• Programmes which can run in and around schools and particularly from 4- 6pm are really needed and lacking for young people.
We know that our faith, our Church communities and movements like the YCW can all play a part in responding to these challenges. We should not be passive observers to the plight of young people in the wake of the pandemic. It is therefore crucial that we engage with this and promote what we can be doing to respond.
Mgr. John Marsland, National Chaplain of the YCW, said: “Over many years I have seen issues in the world of work, and outside of that, impact on young people but the pandemic has probably been the most disruptive. It is crucial we reflect on that in the YCW Movement and the wider Church. I hope that we can be an authentic voice for many young people during this project.”
