YP4L

“For God’s sake listen to us!”

Young people from around the world challenge Bishops to listen at the Lambeth Talk.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, and the Bishop of Leicester, Tim Stevens, will head a delegation of archbishops and bishops from all over the world coming to Leicester ahead of the Lambeth Conference. They will hear the hopes and aspirations of a group of over 40 young people drawn from across the worldwide Anglican Communion. This is part of the Diocese of Leicester’s programme before the Lambeth Conference.

The consultation event, organised by the Diocese of Leicester’s Department of Youth Ministry with help from The Children’s Society, will give the invited young people a chance to air their views on issues of Faith, Life and Power, and influence the bishops of the Anglican Communion’s discussions. Topics to be discussed include family and relationships, education and employment, poverty and wealth, and the environment and economy, and why the Church won’t take young people seriously.

The Lambeth Talk will take place from Thursday 10th – Monday 14th July, at the Peepul Centre in Leicester. The first two days are for the young people to meet, talk and plan, and the final day with see the results delivered to 3 Archbishops and more than 40 bishops from all over the world. This will be followed by a meeting open to all at the Lambeth Conference itself.

Other bishops attending sessions during the event include Simon Makundi from Tanzania, Francis Mori from Japan, Carolyn Irish from the USA and Michael Baroi from Bangladesh.

The event’s themes have been specially designed to echo those of the Lambeth Conference, to enable the bishops to amplify the voices of the representative young people within the main conference programme, which begins a few days after the Lambeth Talk weekend. The key findings of the consultation will also be fed in to the conference through a dedicated session on the afternoon of Tuesday 22nd July, where the 600 bishops attending the Lambeth Conference will get the opportunity to hear directly from some of the young people who attended the earlier event.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has written in support of the event, commenting: “I’m delighted to commend The Lambeth Talk. It will be a welcome opportunity to bring youth perspectives to topics for discussion at the Lambeth Conference”.

Robin Rolls, Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Leicester, comments: “The Lambeth Talk presents an amazing opportunity for us to hear young people’s views on a range of issues. We’re hoping it will act as a megaphone for young people’s concerns and dreams about the future of our communities, our churches and our world, that the bishops will ignore at their peril. We’ve had terrific backing from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and many other bishops, and we’re confident that this gathering will make a real impact on the wider Lambeth Conference at a key time for the Anglican Communion.”

The young people’s travel fares will be covered by the conference organisers, and hospitality will be provided through the families of Leicester’s Bishop’s Youth Council. Gracie Walsh, 17, a member of the Bishop’s Youth Council in Leicester is delighted. “I’m so looking forward to the Lambeth Talk. Knowing so many young people are travelling so far to meet and talk with us is mind blowing! Often we feel as though we can’t do or change anything, but now perhaps we can”.

The Diocese of Leicester is pleased to be supported by The Children’s Society throughout this event.

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Robin Rolls, Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Leicester, is available for interview. Telephone 0116 247 7442, or 07908 508882 robin.rolls@leccofe.org

For interview requests or further information, please contact Ben Wilson at the Church of England Communications Office, telephone 020 7898 1326; or Liz Jepson, Communications Officer for the Diocese of Leicester, telephone 0116 248 7402, liz.jepson@leccofe.org

Notes to editors

The Lambeth Conference is one of the global Anglican Communion's ‘Instruments of Communion’ and takes place every ten years at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is an occasion when bishops can meet for worship, study and conversation. For more information, see: www.lambethconference.org.

A press conference will be held at 1330hrs on Monday 14th July at The Peepul Centre, Leicester, where the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Leicester will introduce some of the findings of the conference.

The Children's Society is a leading children's charity committed to making childhood better for all children in the UK.

Further details and a full operational note will follow shortly before the event. If you would like to be kept in touch, please let us know.