Work & Mission
CASTLERIGG MANOR
Castlerigg Manor is a Roman Catholic residential youth centre situated in the Lake District and owned by the Catholic Diocese of Lancaster. It has an excellent reputation for working with young people, mainly from the northwest of England. The centre plays an important role in the Church's mission of spreading the Gospel message and also in the areas of the Christian formation and education of young people. The young people who attend the centre can expect a structured week of activities that are designed to develop and strengthen their relationships with family, friends and God, and also to help them reflect on their lives, choices and the world in which they live.
Click to read the article written for the Catholic Voice in July 2004 about the work of Castlerigg Manor
The Manor was built in the 1840s as a private house. After the Second World War it became a hotel until 1969 when it was purchased by the Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocese as a residential youth centre. In 1979 an extension was added which provides a games room, shop and conference facilities.
THE WORK WE DO
Since 1969 over 100,000 young people have experienced a residential course at Castlerigg Manor. The original constitution stated that the aim of the centre is the "personal, social and spiritual development of young people." For nearly 40 years this vision has underpinned the work that the staff at Castlerigg Manor undertake as part of the Church's mission in Lancaster Diocese and beyond.
As a Roman Catholic residential centre for young people, worship and Christian life feature largely in the activities we do. Castlerigg seeks to provide a setting for faith development which is appropriate for young people at Key Stage 3 and key Stage 4. The teachings of Christ and Gospel values are woven into our programme in such a way as to make the young people feel comfortable with the community dimensions of their faith commitment, be they Catholic or not.
The centre is also involved in some outreach work with schools and parishes.
WHO USES CASTLERIGG?
As an agency of Lancaster Diocese, our primary clients are the schools and parish communities who make up that diocese; however the centre has also always opened its doors to other dioceses. Many of the schools who currently have regular bookings at the Manor are from the Diocese of Salford and the Archdiocese of Liverpool, with a few schools coming from even further afield. Occasionally some schools use the Manor for their own activities such as field study trips.
We offer 2 main types of residential course - one for Key Stage 4 from Monday to Friday and one for Key Stage 3 from Friday to Sunday. During a course young people will spend time in workshops, in chapel, on walks and socialising together. A residential course provides an opportunity for young people to learn from each other, their school staff and our tutorial team in a relaxed but disciplined atmosphere. Practical activities raise key issues in an enjoyable way. Small group work allows further discussion in a supportive environment which is designed to develop the confidence of the individual.
Adult groups sometimes use Castlerigg Manor for day conferences and their own residential weekends or holidays. Whilst these groups often look after themselves, showing hospitality to all who visit here is an important part of the life and work of Castlerigg.
OUR STAFF
The staff are our most important asset. As well as ancilary and support staff from the local community, a residential team live and work at Castlerigg Manor. At night time the supervision of young people is undertaken by school staff who accompany them to Castlerigg. Although the tutorial team deliver the bulk of the material on the course, we do like to make school staff feel that they are partners in the enterprise; after all it is they who will continue to work with the young people after thay have returned home.
The tutorial team take it in turns to work with the groups of young people who come here. Normally three or four tutors would be allocated to a course. the course leader is normally the Residential Team Leader/ Programme Co-ordinator, the Chaplain, or a youth tutor with at least a year's experience. Those members of the team who are not on a particular course provide behind-the-scenes support, hospitality for visitors, and also prepare for other groups who are due at a later date.
THE FUTURE
The centre is involved in an on-going process of developing its work in the service of the Church. Given the ever-changing scene in schools and parishes, Castlerigg needs to remain in constant contact with those who use the centre and also have an eye to what is happening in the Church and wider world. Recently, self-catering facilities have been added to encourage parish and family groups to use the centre for their own activities.
Castlerigg is always looking for fresh ways of developing its work to serve our diocesan community and the Church as a whole. This presents us with an exciting challenge that will require people of vision and Christian leadership on our team.
MISSION STATEMENT OF CASTLERIGG MANOR
Vision: "All caring communities feel the need to pass on to their young people the fruits of their experience so that they are able to develop into self-sufficient, well balanced social human beings. The Catholic community is no different in this regard. However, it is important that the community looks seriously at the way it works with young people so that its responsibility to them is clear and that what it offers is effective."
(Vision of the Lancaster Diocesan Youth Service. February 1990)
Ethos of Castlerigg: The community which is Castlerigg Manor, is the Lancaster Diocesan Residential Youth Centre and has been established primarily for the development of Young People of the Lancaster Diocese. The centre is founded upon the Christian principle of evangelisation with Christ at its heart. It is a community in which relationships are marked by that genuine spirit of care which is present in the Christian family.
Aim of the Centre: 'The declared aim of the Centre is to help and educate Young People so to develop their physical, mental, moral and spiritual abilities so that they may grow to full maturity as persons and members of society and their condition of life may be improved.'
(Constitution of Castlerigg Manor)
Castlerigg Manor's educational process consists of:
- Providing a residential setting in which young people can more easily reflect upon their present relationships with God, Family, Society and their peers, both now and for the future
- Encouraging young people of similar age to share common experiences and to learn from them and from each other
- Enabling young people in learning how to collaborate with a wider variety of men and women from every national, cultural, ethnic and social background
- Creating a caring, Christian and happy environment for the development of young people, the tutorial team and other visitors to the Manor
- Recognising the need and value of providing resources for the training and on-going support of members of the Castlerigg team, both priests and lay staff members
Collaboration: Castlerigg Manor believes that the formation of young people is a shared responsibility. To this end, Castlerigg actively promotes co-operation between all parties interested in offering the highest standards of residential educational provision.
Evangelisation: Acknowledging the importance of evangelisation and the tutorial team reflecting the development of Gospel life and values for all who reside in or visit the centre, the Manor has, as one of its priorities, the continued aim of acting as a catalyst for deepening and spreading the faith within the Diocese and beyond.
Hospitality: Hospitality is a Gospel value and should, therefore, be a hallmark of the Christian life. The continuing development of the charism is fundamental to the life and activity of the centre and all involved with it. In order to widen the educational service the Manor will offer to other visitors, the opportunity of utilising the centre's facilities either for private use or for holiday when the centre is not being used for educational work.
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