I have long held philosphy that our life's mission can be summed up in 'to discover who we really are'.  Of course, we are different people in different contexts so it's not a simple mission and we can't say we have achieved it until we have lived through all the different 'contexts' of our life.   ​So, it is our life's mission and will only be completed the day we die!

Different experiences will reveal different aspects of our character - most of these experiences will occur in our exterior world.  Discovering our identity, however, is very much an internal process - it requires reflection and attention to our feelings and emotions.  Our exterior world will always be trying to identify us and whilst much can be learned from listening to what others say about us, they will nearly always be wrong, or at least only partly correct.

If we want to discover who we really are, we need to take responsibility for a journey of self discovery.  We need to put ourselves into contexts that will develop our self awareness.  We need to mix with people who are like us - to whom we can be vulnerable and who we trust will want the very best for us.  We need intimate relationships where we can bare all, be brutally honest as well as relax and enjoy others company.

We also need to mix with people who are not like us.  To discover the diversity of the human race - to learn how our cultural norms are different for others - to respect and value those differences.

This journey of discovery is, in my view, a spiritual journey.  It can not rely on physical and sensual experiences - we are not defined by our bodies, or even our minds.  It is our spirit that makes us truly human.

Stepping into history to create a future!

Guildford YMCA, The Matrix Trust and Chapter 1 had the good fortune to hold a reception at the Speaker's Rooms at the Palace of Westminster - thanks to our MP, Anne Milton.

Wow! What an amazing historical place in which to pitch to the great and good of Surrey for the benefit of young people, the future of Surrey. Dr Helen Bowcock drew on significant research to demonstrate that many parts of Guildford lay hidden beneath the veneer of prosperity - to be poor in Guildford is demonstrably harder than being poor in Manchester.

3 young people told their story; from a 28 year old woman who, after serious drug taking was beginning to get her life back, and hopefully her three children too; to a young 16 year old who has hopefully started to make the right decisions much earlier; to a young man who, along with 300 other young people, gave up a weekend in order to blitz a part of Guildford. Finally Jon Pickerill presented a powerful poem depicting the journey of so many young people who receive support from the three chairities experience. Finally Anne Milton MP challenged Guildford to "prefer to be known for what we give away, rather than for what we have!".

A 'once in a lifetime' evening I think.

Cuts in the future - cuts right now!

I don't understand why there is so much debate about when public spending cuts need to take place. The debate seems to be missing the fact that cuts are occurring right now. Surrey County Council doesn't seem to have the luxury of postponing cuts to some imaginary date in the future - they're cutting back now - right now!

I am sure the axe is falling on many SCC departments, but I am concerned that support services to young people is being drastically reduced - especially at a time when the needs of a growing number of young people is increasing. An increasing number of young people are now not in employment, education or training (NEET); the thresholds at which you are entitled to receive social services support are rising; we are struggling to cope with the number of young people who are homeless - and the needs of those we do support are rising.

Things are bad now, but the ,long term looks a lot worse. We will reap what we sow!

"Unemployment has a knock-on effect on a young person's self-esteem, their emotional stability and overall wellbeing. The longer the period a young person is unemployed for, the more likely they are to experience this psychological scarring." (Professor David Blanchflower )

For a very few people the recession is already over - especially if you've just received a large bonus! For most of us, it will last a few years. But for some young people, the effect will last a life time. Read this Princes Trust article... http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/news/100104_youth_index_2010.aspx

I guess I am not the only person in the UK suffering from a degenerative despair of our political system. I was therefore interested to hear of someone who is calling for a renewal of ideology in our political parties, instead of the expedient, sound bite crazy, flip-flopping politics we suffer at the moment. Dr Philip Blond is strange addition to British politics. Dubbed 'The Red Tory', he seems to be adding a new philosophy and ethics to the Conservative Party. If you're interested and are up for a bit of an academic challenge (it certainly stretches my grey matter comfort zones!), take a look at this.

It feels as though a growing number of younger people are exepriencing homlessness.

“One day the arguments at home just got too much. I packed a bag and walked out. Later that night I found somewhere to sleep behind a supermarket. It was uncomfortable but at least it was quiet. I was 16.”

This is not an uncommon story and many more are at risk of becoming homeless in the next few months. This winter Guildford YMCA is again asking people to make a sacrifice for one night to help end youth homelessness in Guildford.

Guildford YMCA not only offers a home to young people, but projects at Plantation in Market Street can offer timely intervention in the lives of those for whom things are spinning out of control.

Guildford YMCA needs to raise vital funds to support such projects. The ‘Sleep£asy’ Campaign involves a sleepout at Guildford Cathedral on Saturday 30 January. Could you give up your bed for a night and sleep under the stars?

Entry costs £10 and there will be hot drinks and food to keep hunger at bay that night, with a welcome breakfast early the next morning. And cardboard boxes will be provided to offer some protection against the cold. People taking part are asked to raise sponsorship from friends and family – the YMCA is hoping to attract around 100 people to sleep out and raise £30,000 from the whole campaign.

If you’re interested in taking part, please visit www.lifechangefund.org.uk/sleepeasy.htm to download an entry form. You can also call Lorraine, the event organiser, on 01483 448796 to request an entry form.

I was incensed when I watched the BBC News recently. There was a report on the rising number of young people who are unemployed. For some reason they decided to show video footage of young people, all dressed in hoodies pulled over their heads and some even with face masks! Presumably the editor felt this was a reasonable portrayal of unemployed young people. I felt it was outrageous stereotyping!

There is a strong, human urge to label people; to group them together as if identifying a biological species; to put them in a box and attach vague generalities – often in a discriminatory way. It seems to make us feel safer. We now know what we are dealing with.

We do this with ‘league tables’. Do we naively think that a school’s performance can be judged on how many students pass 5 GCSE’s grade C and above? In fact, do we really believe that a child’s intelligence can be assessed by how many qualifications they attain? But it’s easy, isn’t it? At least, it’s easy for those making the judgements. It becomes quite different when you are the one being judged!

Some of the young people that we support at Guildford YMCA have been labelled; homeless, chaotic, young offender, drug addict, stupid, etc. They’re identified by their problem and if we’re not careful our relationship can be characterised by that problem.

As a Christian organisation, our starting point is a belief that everyone is part of God’s creation and therefore, undeniably, has unique gifts and abilities. Our starting point is to find what these are and then encourage and support them to develop them. It takes time and patience and sometimes we fail. But when young people do succeed, and discover their true, real identity, it’s the greatest buzz in the world!