Set in the Derbyshire Dales, The Briars is the youth retreat centre for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nottingham.

The Director, who is a Diocesan Priest, Centre Manager and Programme Leaders, together with a team of trained volunteers, aim to create opportunities for personal and spiritual development. The day to day running of the centre is covered by administrative and domestic staff. While primarily a centre for young people, The Briars offers the opportunity for people of all ages to come away from their usual environment for a period of reflection and spiritual renewal.

The centre is also the base for reach4, the youth service outreach ministry team. Led by a Programme Leader and staffed by second year volunteers, the team is available to assist parishes and schools with their youth ministry. Reach4 can work with confirmation groups, youth groups, schools who wish some preparation or follow-up to Briars visits. The team can help prepare and run school retreat days, parish youth events, assist in curriculum support for RE, support chaplaincy or peer ministry teams …………. If you are interested in having reach4 work with you and your young people, you can contact them through the Briars.

Within easy reach of The Briars are the National Tramway Museum, Wingfield Manor, Chatsworth house and The Heights of Abraham, as well as accessibility to the beautiful walking area of The Peak Park.

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Where to Find Us

The Briars is 7 miles south east of Matlock and 7 miles from the M1 (Exits 28 & 26). From M1 Exit 28 travel via A38 towards Derby as far as A610 (Ripley/Nottingham exit). Take Ambergate Road until you reach Sawmills, take right turn for Bullbridge, Fritchley, Crich. The Briars is 1/2 mile uphill on the left hand side.

Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway and Derby are the nearest Mainline stations. The local rail service from Derby to Matlock stops at Ambergate.

National buses stop at Matlock and Alfreton. Local buses run from Matlock, Alfreton and Ripley to Crich.

Facilities

The Briars stands in five acres of land with ample space for parking.

The centre comprises four buildings, providing accommodation for 80 people. Some rooms have en suite facilities.

There are excellent conference facilities and working group rooms, a family style dining room and a beautiful Chapel.

The Briars strives to promote the equality of all people. In particular we aim to meet the specific needs of people with disabilities. Rooms are available (with en suite facilities) which are designed specifically for wheelchair users. The greater part of the centre is accessible to wheelchair users. Guide dogs can also be accommodated.

Courses

A wide variety of groups use the Briars for a wide range of courses. These largely fit into one of three categories:

Hospitality – For groups who arrange their own programme, The Briars can provide the finest hospitality. Meals are provided, refreshments at times to suit your programme, and bar facilities for adults.

Team Support – In addition to hospitality, The Briars’ Team will accompany groups in their activities, lead liturgies, prepare prayer with young people, and provide additional activities on request. Examples of groups who value team support are primary school groups, in which the school staff arrange the programme of daytime activities.

Programme – For secondary school groups and the majority of youth groups, The Briars’ team will prepare the programme in its entirety, after liaison with the staff organising the visit. Programmes are designed to meet the needs of the group, within the guidelines of the objectives of The Briars. Programmes provide a balance of leisure activities, prayer and group work.

Aims and objectives

The Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service provides opportunities for young people to discover community, come to a friendship with Christ and a deeper awareness of themselves.

The Briars’ Story

The first group of Young People arrived at The Briars on September 12th 1969. The original Director Father Paul Klee welcomed one of his classmates Canon Frederick Smythe and the Youth Club from the parish of The Annunciation, Burnt Oak, London and the scene was set for the next 40 years when thousands of young people would make their way to a centre which centre users themselves often call “The Friendly Place” because of its unique atmosphere.

The story began in the 1960’s after Lady Albermarle produced a report on ‘The training of part time youth leaders. Bishop Ellis who was the Bishop of Nottingham at the time saw the problems affecting young people in his Diocese, and commented “Young People had to have the chance of not merely enjoying themselves, but to take part in an apostolate to other Young People” so he started the Diocesan Youth Service. By the mid sixties there was a central group of people working with the Bishop to define the vision of the Youth Service.

They agreed that residential work would play an important role in the training of Young People, so in 1965 they set a target of five years to find and establish a Residential centre for Young People in the Diocese. Ideas came and went, places were visited and turned down until out of the blue a Mr & Mrs Heymans who were running a Quaker vegetarian guest house at Crich decided to retire and put the house in the hands of Messrs, Maynard of Derby who knew of our problem.

From there on things moved fairly fast. The “Adventure in Faith” was on its way. The house was purchased and after some months of preparation and a lot of voluntary hard labour by local people we opened and began our apostolate to Young People .

In 2009, The Briars will celebrate its 40^th anniversary and already we are planning for a number of events to mark this milestone. Keep an eye on the website for more details.