Wickenden Manor

The capacity of Wickenden Manor was increased by refurbishing the Lodge and making it possible for group activities to be held in the Lodge independently of the Manor. This has already helped to reduce congestion in bookings at the busier times of year, and will certainly be a great boon until the next big expansion of Wickenden takes place.

There have been a large number of residential and one-day courses held at Wickenden, catering for all age groups. This, for example, includes residential courses covering every weekend of the year. There have been improvements to the grounds, which are looking better kept than they have been for some years, and the garden is gradually recovering from the scars of the 1987 storm during which many trees were lost. There have been the traditional summer Open Days in the grounds, each attended by nearly two hundred people. Before Christmas a carol concert hosted two local choirs. These were accompanied on the harp by local musician Margaret Watson, who also played solo. A one-day seminar on The History and Significance of the Jubilee Year, by Maureen Mullins was well-attended, as was a one-day conference, An Introduction to Moral Theology, by Fr Frank Calduch. A summer supper was organised to raise funds for the Vatslaya Project in India, which works with young women in Delhi. Some of the guests came dressed in Saris, which added to the atmosphere and colour of the evening.

NEA lectures

As well as regular guest speakers in the centres, NEA occasionally organises conferences for, or lectures to, larger groups of people on topics of interest within the scope of the charity's objectives.

In March 2001, NEA organised a visit to Britain by George Weigel, author of Witness to Hope: the Biography of Pope John Paul II. The main event was a lecture at Westminster Cathedral entitled The  achievement of John Paul II, which was attended by around 1000 people. The lecture was sponsored by Westminster Cathedral, The Catholic Herald, Harper Collins UK and NEA. He also gave a talk inside the aegis of NEA to a group of 40 MPs and Lords in the Houses of Parliament. The topic was Democracy and Moral Truth. Other lectures were also held in Oxford and Glasgow.

In July 2001, NEA organised a lecture by Christopher West, an educator and adviser to Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, on issues of marriage, sexuality and family life. The lecture was held at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in London and was entitled Good News about Sex and Marriage, and was about Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. More than 300 people attended.

Fathers and Sons

An outdoor activities day was held at Wickenden Manor in June for fathers and their sons between the ages of six and twelve. The day included a barbecue lunch and various sports and team games, including a treasure hunt. The purpose of these days is to involve dads in some of the youth activities organised by NEA, harnessing the basic role-model status which any father has with his own sons. As well as being great fun for everybody who came, there was the feeling that such days are valuable in the upbringing of children, and that they should be repeated in future. The same idea lay behind efforts to involve dads in some of the activities of the Junior Clubs (10-12 year olds).

Family days were held in other NEA centres, such as Dunreath in Glasgow, where it is now an annual event to invite friends, acquaintances and neighbours to come along with their families to spend a few relaxing hours in the house and the garden.

A weekend seminar was put on at Wickenden Manor in November 1999, led by American writer Jim Stenson. The theme of the weekend was the father's role in the family, and the topics covered included Preparing your Children for Marriage, Preparing your Children for Professional Life, and The Religious Upbringing of your Children. A total of five one-hour seminars were recorded on video and sets of the videos were made available to each of the participants and to others who had not been able to attend. The weekend was so successful that it was repeated in November 2000.

Netherhall plays

The Netherhall House residents performed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, a play by Tom Stoppard, in March 2001. There were two performances in the auditorium on successive nights, both to packed audiences of residents, friends and neighbours. A large number of residents were involved, not just those who selected, directed and acted the play, but also those who made the scenery and costumes, advertised the performances and organised refreshments on the night. Everyone very much enjoyed the experience and they are planning to put on a version of The Christmas Carol in the new academic year.

Helping the Homeless

There is a tradition at Netherhall, whereby the Residents make a contribution to helping the homeless in London by distributing food twice a week in Holborn. One gets used to seeing the sign-up sheet on the front table, in the entrance hall of Netherhall House, with a list of names of the volunteers for the next days' distribution. It does not solve London's homelessness problem, but those who take part feel they are at least making some contribution. As students they form part of a more privileged group in society, but this way they foster their awareness of the needs of those less fortunate and the realisation that they are not developing their skills for themselves alone, but for the service of others.

Lakefield

The annual novelty cake decorating competition, "WOW!", attracted a large number of competitors from around the country. It seeks to get young people interested in cake decorating, and to prove that cooking is fun! The 1999/2000 competition, junior section, was won by a schoolgirl from Manchester, while a Lakefield student won the senior section.

In the 1999/2000 academic year, Lakefield launched a "fast-track" Level 3 Conversion Course for those who want to transfer from other areas of study into a career in the hospitality industry. On completion of the course, the students will be offered an optional six-month placement in a hotel or restaurant in London.