Spotlight on Castlerigg Manor

We have been working with Castlerigg for many years now and the wonderful director - Jack - is also one of our valued trustees.

Here is what he says about the experience...

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Castlerigg Manor has been operating as a Christian retreat centre in the Lake District since 1969. We believe that in that time more than a quarter of a million people have come through our doors, and we have a very proud history of working with Time for God, having welcomed TFG volunteers from France, Germany, Africa, the USA, Hungary, and many other places besides.

Castlerigg Manor has a role as the youth service to the Catholic diocese of Lancaster. On a day-to-day basis though what we mostly do is run retreats at Castlerigg, our Victorian building. The building can sleep up to 72 people although we normally welcome groups of no more than 65. Groups who stay with us usually do so for two nights but sometimes for a little longer.

The aim of our retreats is simple. We exist to let young people know that they are loved by God. In a world that pulls them in a lot of different directions it’s important for young people to know that they matter and that they are valued.

We refer to our volunteers as interns because we operate a comprehensive internship scheme at Castlerigg which aims to give people a thorough programme of training and qualifications.

The team starts the week together at 10 am. We start in our chapel where we have 30 minutes of prayer. After that is our team meeting where we share our highlights of the last week and we write down things that we want prayer for. Next up is the operational announcements so everybody knows what’s going on. Then there is a training session before lunch, and after lunch the first retreat group of the week normally arrives.

Depending on the day, interns are either on retreat, on backup or on a day off. Back up is all about preparing for the next retreat or helping out with things like wash-up. These days are normally far more relaxing.

When interns are working on retreat they will typically spend most of their time with the young people. They may be leading prayers, leading creative workshops, helping to lead walks, or spending time with young people in our games room. We believe very strongly in the idea of ‘presence so people who visit us know that they are loved and cared for.

What I like most about our interns/volunteers is that, being close to the age of the young people who visit us, they are able to offer something that middle-age folks like me just can’t! They can relate to the young people, and show them an example of somebody close to their age who is taking their faith seriously.

But what advantage do our interns get from being with us? That’s a really important question and one that we have put a lot of thought into over the years. For sure, we want people who leave us to say that they’ve had a really fun year, got to do some cool stuff in the Lake District, and made some really good friends. But we also want them to have something more comprehensive that they can take forward. We want them to have some great formation in their faith, we want them to have some paper qualifications that they can take and show to future employers, and we want them to have some really great practical experience that sounds impressive in that job interview, a few months or a few years down the line.

We put a lot of time and effort into our training days especially. We try to make training as engaging as possible, we try to have days out where we bond together as a team, and we also try to invite recognised experts in their field to come in and talk to our team so that they’re hearing from the very best.

As the project director, I am clear that our team are the biggest assets we have. They are the tip of the sphere and the thing that the young people visiting us will probably remember the most.

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It is a real joy for me to be a trustee with TFG. I believe strongly in the value of quality external governance, and I think as trustees that we have a really good team at the moment. There isn’t as much for us to do as trustees as there otherwise might be because the staff team with the charity are incredibly good, but I know we all value being part of the conversations and offering advice where we can.

Having been a “client” of TFG before becoming a trustee, I find that I’m now getting a different perspective. It’s fascinating seeing the work that goes into making the placements happen from the inside as it were, and appreciating the myriad difficulties!

TFG is celebrating its 60^thanniversary this year and that will give us a chance to have a look back and celebrate more than half a century of positively impacting ministries and young adult volunteers alike.

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This is what current volunteer -Grace - had to say about life at Castlerigg...

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I applied to TFG because I wanted an adventure and I wanted to really do something in the world and make a difference. I found TFG via an agency in the States and they were really easy to work with. They helped me, answered my questions and pointed me in the right direction.

The main thing I have enjoyed about working at Castlerigg has been working alongside such a diverse and brilliant team. It’s been great, getting to know people from different places and backgrounds – learning about them and their lives, their languages and so on. Getting on with everyone has just been so much fun.

And of course, the young people! I’ve met so many of them this year and it’s great seeing them enjoy the retreats. I’ve also really valued the chance to deepen my faith alongside the team.

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