FR JOHN Foulkes, director ot the Lancaster diocese's youth training centre, Castlerigg Manor, is to leave after ten years to take up a new appointment as a parish priest in Blackpool. He is leaving on Tuesday and going to the parish of St Kentigern's.
Under his direction both the facilities and activities of Castlerigg have expanded. A new conference centre was opened last year, enabling adult education to become an added priority. Over the past ten years 50.000 people, young and old, have used the centre.
Fr Foulkes has also done muLh to further both ecumenical aria county youth work. He was chairman of the Cumbria Council of Voluntary Youth Services and a member of the Youth Workers Training Council. Currently, he is a member of the executive committee of the Catholic Youth Service Council. His successor is Fr Bernard Woods who was previously in charge of Barrow Catholic Youth Centre.
An official presentation in the presence of Bishop Foley of Lancaster and Bishop Pearson, bishop in Cumbria, will take place at Castlerigg Manor tomorrow.