Secondary Schools Work in Farnham
This paper is an invitation to engage in the possibility of a new ‘cohesive’ youth project to serve the secondary schools in our community. For the last 8 years the FCCT youth team in partnership with volunteers from the Christian community have been involved in Weydon, Heath End and Abbey secondary schools work.
This work has included: RE Lessons: regularly delivering 50-80 lessons a year across all schools, Assemblies : regularly delivering 20 assemblies a year across all schools; After School Clubs: up to 3 weekly clubs for yrs 7-9 including residentials; Christian Focus weeks; Supporting trips and activities: Wintershall, Mosque visits, yr 7 induction trips; Transition Work: Special presentations, Yr 6 trips, Yr 6 lessons & support; Detached work during lunch time breaks and Drop in youth clubs in local communities.
Over the last 6 months FCCT has restructured the way it operates and has returned back to its roots of providing ‘seed’ funding for ecumenical projects across Farnham. As such there will no longer be an employed FCCT Youth Team from the end of this academic year. The secondary schools have extended a great degree of favour towards the Youth Team over the years, and we continue to have a very open door into Heath End, Weydon and Abbey Schools. We are thankful for the work over the years by dedicated volunteers and the various members of the Youth team that have generated this favour.
The question now remains: should we continue secondary schools work as an inter-church project for this new season, post the FCCT Youth Team?
We have secondary schools who are keen to engage with the Christian community, who continue to extend good favour towards us and who have thousands of young people who we can connect with. In addition in this new post-FCCT season, CATALYST is a new separate and independent funding body who are keen to consider ecumenical projects to provide ‘seed’ funding with the expectation that any project becomes sustainable in the mid-term. There are also other funding streams that are possible to tap into.
There is a great opportunity before us. Is it in our interest to take it?
There are a variety of ways to engage with the process of putting together schools work in Farnham:
- Prayer is first and foremost and please could we encourage you to pray for guidance as this process works out.
- As an inter-church project would you lend your name as a supporter?
- If this is to be an inter-church project representative of churches in and around Farnham it would be good to have a Council of Reference of church and Christian community leaders who would meet annually to review and advise the project.
The schools work can only deliver what it is resourced to deliver. This resourcing is both talent and finance. There may be personnel (e.g. some hours from a church based youth work post) that could be released to help, volunteers with appropriate talents and/or expertise, or financial support towards this local mission initiative.
Can I suggest the following as a way forward for this process:
- There has been a collation of the ideas and suggestions gathered from a series of workshops set up in June and individual consultations.
- A working party will put together a project proposal to be distributed to interested parties.
- There will be a second gathering where there is an invitation to lend considered support based on the project proposal.
- Assuming there is a groundswell of support, the proposal will be directed toward CATALYST for consideration for seed funding, and any other appropriate funding bodies.
If you have any further comments please feel free to contact me.
Steve Delves
Senior Youth Worker, FCCT Youth Team;
youthworkersteve@gmail.com; m:07956 070 171
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