They say silence is golden. Here at Million Minutes, we say silence is worth much more than that. And there are three reasons why. First up, silence helps us to stand in solidarity with young people who are shut out, stereotyped and scapegoated in society today. Young people are seen and not heard and that's not fair. Second, because we're going to use our silence to raise money by getting people sponsored to stay silent. And third, because silence helps us to reconnect with our deepest selves. Like we said, silence is way more than golden.

We're grateful for the support of three brilliant Champions. Fr Christopher Jamison OSB knows all about silence. He's helped lots of people find it on his TV programmes The Monastery and The Big Silence and in his books Finding Sanctuary and Finding Happiness. Margaret Mizen knows young people today. Margaret runs the Jimmy Mizen Foundation with her husband Barry, named in memory of their son, murdered on the streets of London. Our third Champion is Paschal Uche, the young person who welcomed Pope Benedict XVI on the steps of Westminster Cathedral during 2010's Papal Visit. View our champions

At the heart of Million Minutes is an idea. One to make you sit bolt upright in the middle of the night. Which is exactly what happened. It's just maths, really – 695 people staying silent for 24 hours is a million minutes. And at about £1 a minute, that's a lot of money for work with young people. And with that Million Minutes was born. Guided by four Founding Trustees, all of whom have a passion for young people and a vision for the future, Million Minutes is going to go far, and we're going to take you with us!