Thanks to the Children and Youth Work Committee’s small grants fund and United Reformed Church (URC) Supersleuths resources, Castle Hill URC Northampton was able to buy equipment to support their holiday club this year and help children discover new ways of making friends.
The holiday club was attended by 18 children who were between 4 to 11 years of age. All of them were unchurched, had additional needs, and were getting support from social services.
The Revd Liz Adams, Minister of Castle Hill URC, who was running the club, chose three bible characters from the URC’s Supersleuths resources and used them to encourage the children to think about their actions towards others.
The group played team games, which many found very challenging, engaged in crafts, stories, puppetry, had a go at circus skills and learned that they can talk to God in many ways (not just sat, head bowed, hands together).
One parent was really pleased about the positive influence the holiday club had on her daughter, who has difficulties forming friendships, as she started to become friends with another child in the group.
Another parent, who had escaped his home country due to fear of being killed because he’s gay, said his children had never received such a welcome and acceptance before.
The sessions were hard work but also very rewarding with lots of smiles from the young people who were learning about trust and building relationships.
The Revd Liz said “For me, being able to provide a safe environment for these youngsters where they felt comfortable and engaged in a different way of behaving and of being treated, with the added bonus of being able to show God’s love to them through the programme and also by the way that we treated them. Actions speak so much louder than words.”
Liz not only thanked the URC for the £100 grant that enabled them to buy new essentials for the children and to provide a wider range of activities, but also for the excellent Supersleuths materials they were able base their holiday club on.
19 October 2021