More pictures from a fatastic week!

More litter pickers

THIS IS Charlotte Hayto and Becca Buckley from the Eyres Monsell team, hard at work picking litter, as part of the first day of social action.

This good enough for you Chris?

SO, OK, one of our wonderful leaders, Chris, follows me on Twitter (well, why wouldn't he?) and said he'd encourage the young people in his team to visit this blog if I mentioned him...

So, I hope this is enough of a mention for him! :)

This is a pic of our Chris taking a photo of himself!!!

What do you think, girls? Is Chris looking good...or does the facial hair need to go?

(I write this in jest, of course, Chris is a great bloke and, indeed, took some pcitures to put on this blog today. Ace job, my man.)

Social Action teams get down to work...

TODAY saw the start of the Social Action part of nCounter Summer week, as the three teams of young people went out to serve their communities.
I managed to visit two of them, the Eyres Monsell and Braunstone and the young people were doing fantastic work.
As you can see from the above picture that included litter picking, but also clearing gardens, surveying people on what they liked most about where they live and much, much more.
By the way the ladies in this pic are Lizzie Armstrong and Nicola Foster (brother of Matt and Pete!)
Well done girls!!

The nCounter Summer'09 Phlogcast...listen now!

HI EVERYONE, I've recorded an nCounter Summer phlogcast (no, it's not some contagious disease, it stands for phone podcast) and you can listen to it here:

http://www.ipadio.com/phlogs/MathewHulbert/

Thanks!

The Whole Team!

THIS IS the whole nCounter Summer team: young people, youth leaders, organisers.
Tomorrow they'll be going out to start their social action projects in Braunstone, Eyres Monsell and Netherhall.
They've received two days of training, preparing them for the important community work they're going to be doing.
That includes delivering fire safety leaflets, running fun days and much, much more.

Training to serve the community

MY THANKS to nCounter Project Manager Becky Gradden for these photos, which show many of the young people taking part in nCounter Summer being trained, ahead of going out into the community on Wednesday.
They've obviously had a fun time!

Hear an interview with nCounter Summer organiser Matt Brown

I PRESENT a weekly local news programme on Castle Mead Radio, the hospital radio station in Hinckley, called 'Hinckley This Week.'

As well as being heard on the hospital radio, it receives a wider audience as a podcast, available for download on i-tunes.

Each week it includes a special feature.

This week that's an interview with our own Matt Brown, head of Reality Youth Project, organisers of nCounter Summer.

You can hear it here: http://castlemeadradio.podbean.com/

Go on, give it a listen!

nCounter Summer'09 is off and running!

ONE OF the best weeks in Leicestershire's Christian calendar has begun...nCounterSummer.
It sees around 100 young people, from across the city and county, come together to show their faith in action and to promote God's Love.

The first three days (Sunday through to tomorrow)sees them receiving training and then, Wednesday to Friday they split up into three social action groups (in Braunstone, Netherhall and Eyres Monsell) helping to make a practical difference to their communities.

They'll be tidying up gardens, painting fences, running sports activities for local children to take part in, and much, much more.

I'm the Roving Reporter for the week and will be updating this blog, writing tweets (find them at: www.twitter.com/mathewhulbert), as well as phlogcasting, and writing a daily article for the Leicester Mercury newspaper, among other things.

So please do give them a read/listen throughout the week!

The Satelite Project...just strumming around...

THIS IS a picture of the excellent 'Satelite Project,' the band that played for us at our fantastic evening gig!
They're top bunch of lads...and a girl.
I recorded a video interview with them on the night which, technology willing, should be available on this blog very soon indeed.
So stay tuned!

Man of action!

OUR OWN man of action Matt Foster helps out with the team improving a lady's garden.
He's even too busy to look at the camera...give us a wave, Matt!

nCounter Reporter fires up a conversation!

THIS IS a picture of me interviewing one of the firefighters who came to see us at the last nCounter extra.
A number of volunteers were posting fire safety leaflets through doors in the area, that contain vital, life-saving information.
These firefighters were a great bunch of blokes and it was great to be able to have a chat with them and find out what they tought of nCounter extra (they thought it was a great idea, by the way!)
There'll be more pictures coming soon!

Quotes of the Day

ONCE AGAIN I've loved being the Roving Reporter for nCounter extra today.
One of the highlights is the chance to speak to and interview so many great people.

Here are some of my favourite quotes:

"We're privileged to serve God, in a real way.
This place has been described as 'forgotten,' but it's not because Jesus loves everyone.
We're doing this for Jesus."
Hayley Gask, Reality Youth Project.

"There's no rain, it's going well. Praise God!"
Matt Foster, Team Leader.

"It's a good thing they're doing."
Gayle, a local resident.

"The Fire Service is making a big push to be part of the community-so anything we can do, such as this, is good.
We only have limited resources so the man power provided here is invaluable."
Crew Manager Roy Brown, Leicestershire Fire Service (talking about the young people delivering fire safety leaflets across the area.)

Young people get out and about helping others in Netherhall

TODAY HAS seen around 60 young people and their leaders go out and about in the Netherhall area of Leicester helping the local community.
They've helped tidy up the garden of a senior citizen, undertaken questionnaires, handed out fire safety leaflets on behalf of Leicestershire Fire Service, tidied up flower beds and much more.
It's been a great day to play a small part in.
It shows two things: (1) That despite the caricature often portrayed by the media most young people are responsible citizens who enjoy helping others.
And, (2) that the Christian Church, at its best, is all about people living out their beliefs in action; about helping the Least, the Last and the Lost.
I've been Twittering live throughout the day and to read the posts go to: www.twitter.com/mathewhulbert
I also hope to be able to put several photos taken throughout the day up on this blog in the coming days, so do please visit us again.
All the young people are really looking forward to tonight's music gig which'll round-off this nCounter extra.
I'll be adding more content to this site in the coming days.
Thanks again.

Time for another nCounter extra!!!

HI EVERYONE.
Yes, it's me again and that means I'm back undertaking reporting duties for nCounter extra, a day of social action by young Christians in Leicestershire!
This time around the Reality Youth Project team and the young volunteers are in Netherhall in Leicester.
It all takes place tomorrow.
I'll be 'twittering' live throughout today, so please read my updates at: www.twitter.com/mathewhulbert
I'll also be writing pieces for this website, as well as my own blog which can be found via: www.thetimeforjusticeisnow.blogspot.com
And, as if that wasn't enough, I'll be penning a report for me to voice on Sunday in my latest podcast which you'll here at: http://radiospy.mypodcast.com/
Phew, it's going to be a busy one for me but my role pales into insignificance compared to the hard graft being put in by the young people themselves as they try and make the area better whilst also spreading the loving and life-changing message of Jesus.
It's going to be very exciting, so please join us back here and on Twitter throughout tomorrow.

"You're the God of this City"

THIS IS a YouTube video of Christian group Bluetree from Northern Ireland, and their best known song, 'God of this City.'
I saw them perform it live at a deeply moving event called The Stand, at Birmingham NEC, last November.
The Stand saw thousands of people from across the UK come together to take a stand against Human Trafficking and modern-day slavery.
The moment I heard this song there, for the first time, I was deeply moved and touched.
God spoke to me and said 'Yes, I Am the God of this city, go out and spread My Name and My Love to all you meet.'
I also love the main chorus line: "Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city."
I thought that chimes exactly with Matt Brown and the gang are aiming to do with nCounter Summer and nCounter extra.
Our Lord is God of Leicester and Leicestershire.
He knows the needs there are in this city and county of which we live.
And His Great Commission for us implores to go out, share His Name and His Word and, equally as importantly, to share Our faith in action.
May God Bless the people of this and every other city, county, village, town, hamlet, etc.
And may He Bless the work of nCounter and all who are involved in it and receive from it.
Greater things are yet to come!

* For more about The Stand please visit my personal blog, via: www.thetimeforjusticeisnow.blogspot.com

A reminder of the fantastic week that was nCounter Summer in Leicester

Hello everyone, yes me again...nCounter's own roving reporter.
I hope you're all really excited and looking forward to the next nCounter extra, of which more on this blog very soon.
But, for those of you who haven't seen it, I thought I'd post a video taken at last year's awesome nCounter Summer.
This was filmed and presented by a young bloke called Paul Kent (a hit with the ladies who were there, I'm led to believe.)
After a bit of badgering by me, Paul came down from Coventry, representing the Hope '08 national media team, to make this video about some of the great things we got up to last Summer.
It's a snapshot of what God achieved through you.
And, as we know, it was the start of something truly incredible in Leicester and Leicestershire.

nCounter is back!

I'M PLEASED to say that nCounter is back.
Tonight we're meeting in Wigston for an evening of praise, prayer and fellowship.
Then, tomorrow, we're out and about in the city for a day of social action.
We're working in partnership with Oadby and Wigston Borough Council and the Leicestershire Police Service-which is fantastic.
I'm back in my role of Roving Reporter for this nCounter extra event and, at the outset, I'd like to pay tribute to the work of Becky Gradden, the nCounter Project Manager, and, of course, Matt Brown the Director of Reality Youth Project.
This should be a great chance not only to do some good practical work but also to spread the Christian message-a message of hope for our city and county.
A message of Love.
Over the next two days I'll be doing a number of things:
*Twittering-I'll be providing live as it happens updates on my Twitter site:
www.twitter.com/mathewhulbert
*Blogging-I'll be updating this blog with more detailed and considered pieces than are possible on Twitter.
I'll also be updating my blog on the website of The Hinckley Times newspaper, at:
www.hinckleytimes.net
*Recording-I'll be recording an audio programme which, over the next couple of weeks, will become available to hear on the website of Castle Mead (Hospital) Radio.
That's www.castlemeadradio.co.uk
*And, I'll be taking photos and writing a report to go in edition two of a new magazine I've launched called 'The Activist: promoting Social Action in Leicestershire.'
It's an e-mailed pdf magazine, out every two months, which you can sign up for by e-mailing me via: comedymat@yahoo.co.uk
Phew!!
Right, here's to a blessed and fun couple of days.
Stay right here for the latest!