Winter Partners Edition 19/20

Partners’ Newsletter Winter 2020

Change!

Many of us find change difficult. We like to feel comfortable and safe in our routines.

Change can bring feelings of anxiety and fear, but it can also bring happiness and a positive sense of momentum. In many biblical stories different characters are brought through a time of change, from Moses in the Old Testament to Paul in the New Testament.

‘See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland’ (Isaiah 43:19). At Bath Youth for Christ we continue to go through a time of change in terms of both our staff and office location, but God is doing a new thing for the organisation. We believe it is so important for this particular generation of young people for us to be able to provide a safe space and have the opportunity to find out how we can best help them.

It’s from understanding their needs and journeying with them that we as Christians can offer our support and encouragement.

We expect, with God’s help, that young people will have life changing experiences, whether that’s deciding to be more focused at school or deciding to follow Jesus. Later in the magazine you will read about a young person who was mentored, which helped him make some better decisions and choices at school. His life has been changed, he achieved good results in GCSE exams and is excited about his future. This young person had to make a change in his life, but it has brought happiness and success.

So, hold on tight and be willing for change just like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. God can move beyond any of our own expectations.

Dave Joyce

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Opportunities and Challenges in Timsbury Youth Work is often not plain sailing and we sometimes have to look for opportunities in the midst of challenging situations. Here, Jane (Youth and Community Worker, Timsbury) shares her challenges Our work in Timsbury has been growing and developing well but has not been without challenges. Recently, one young person (let’s call her Sadie) has taken up more than her fair share of my energy and time. Sadie comes along to our drop-in sessions, but rarely stays for the whole evening. A pattern of things disappearing ‘with’ Sadie has emerged and I have been left with the decision of how to tackle the situation and try to connect with her in a meaningful way. I have invited Sadie and her friend to our Evening Cooking Group, where young people can learn basic cooking skills, and I have taken them to the local café for milkshakes. This is to try to build relationship and trust and work out if I can help in this situation. I don’t believe that our Friday night session is the right place for Sadie, but in a village such as Timsbury there

is little else for young people. Maintaining a safe space for some young people can mean excluding others who threaten that, or who are in a different age group. This provides a dilemma for those of us reaching out to young people.

One of the difficulties we have faced has been the lack of additional help. I have had the help of two wonderful volunteers, but we needed more. A request for parental help had not elicited response until, after asking for several people to pray, 3 additional parent helpers turned up one October evening!

Through my experience, I have learnt that with challenges come opportunities: more parent volunteers; enlisting some of the older young people as leaders; asking the local Churches Together group to pray; and who knows where trying to be Jesus to Sadie and her friends will lead.

Please pray that those who have eyes to see will see Jesus, here in Timsbury.

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Making a lasting impact Since the start of this academic year we have seen just under 20 young people mentored by our staff team and wonderful volunteers.

A variety of activities have been used in the sessions - playing rugby, learning how to make different things out of origami and of course many Christmas decorations which decorated our tree at the Christmas Tree festival at the United Reformed Church.

Now into my 4th academic year of schools’ work and mentoring, it is such a joy to walk around schools and see familiar faces of young people who have been mentored. Many are doing amazingly well and flourishing in school. For some life is still rough and hard, so those honest conversations and catch ups prove just how vital it is for young people to know that they can trust someone who will always care about them.

The “results” or life changing moments are not always seen until years later when young people remember the things they discussed or how their mentor believed in them regardless of the good and challenging choices they made. From time to time we hear these kinds of stories, and here is one from a 16-year-old lad Dave mentored a few years ago: 4

I recently met Dave Joyce in the YMCA gym, where we had a good catch up about life, school and GCSEs. He had mentored me during year 8 at St Gregory’s Catholic College, which was a huge help at that time. It allowed me to take my mind off the stress at school and some of my personal problems at home. Although the sessions involved doing something quite simple such as playing cards and basketball, they made me enjoy going to school more and I had something to look forward to on weekdays. Dave also really helped to encourage me to work harder in class and try to avoid messing around but also encouraged me that this didn’t mean changing my personality. Mentoring can make a real difference to a young person’s life as I know from personal experience. I am now at Bath College studying a diploma in Business studies.

Now more than ever there is a need to support young people. We have at least 6 young people on the waiting list who would benefit from mentoring. If you have any time free during the school day and have a passion for helping young people, please would you consider becoming a volunteer mentor?

Katie Little

Starting the day ‘right’! school & some haven’t, we don’t differentiate.

Everyone is welcome, no matter what.

Please pray that everyone feels welcomed in The Sanctuary & thank God for the provision of food from local supermarkets.

Southdown breakfast club started back in November and around 15 people pop in every Tuesday & Thursday. On bad weather days numbers increase, and the random snow day was the busiest we have been so far!

The project is such a great way not only to meet the basic needs of giving the young people something hot to eat and drink, but also to give that little extra encouragement before the day starts! Lots of parents also come in for a quick chat rather than just waiting outside the door! As a result of establishing a friendship with one young boy and his parents, I have started to work with him in school through the Accompanying Project.

We recognise that for young people starting the school day with something inside is vital.

Here, two of our staff (Sam P & Sam L) share their experiences of delivering breakfast clubs It’s Monday morning & I turn up at St Mark’s having collected “leftover” bakery items from Larkhall Co-op. There are some students in The Sanctuary already but once the buses arrive the place fills up.

Breakfast Club has been happening for well over 10 years now & is available for everyone, every day. There’s a steady stream of students & teachers and it’s a great way to start the day. We are very grateful to Co-op & Tesco for their donations of bakery items via Fare Share, which helps us to meet this real need. Some young people have eaten before they get to

In the run up to Christmas, lots of parents and children from breakfast club came to watch Motus dance academy perform at St Barnabas Church, providing another opportunity to connect with them. It is great to see how the projects cross over, strengthening the feeling of community in Southdown.

I asked how two of our newer volunteers felt about the project: ‘It is such a great way to build relationships. I can see the kids here and then in school and out in the community, so it really strengthens that familiarity and connection.’

‘I just love breakfast club. I love having the opportunity to help people. It’s nice to make a difference.’

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Prayer points for Bath January> • Thank God for the opportunities to share the wonderful message of Christmas with young people through assemblies and other events in December. Pray that seeds sown will result in conversations during the coming months.

• Thank God for new opportunities for working with young people in Peasedown and pray for success in appointing a new youth worker to establish this project.

• Pray for Jane in Timsbury, for help in building relationships with young people in Timsbury. Pray that the Diocesan day on 18th January will be inspiring for them.

• Please pray for the Timsbury village consultation with young people on 25 January that it will be an opportunity to determine future needs.

• Please pray for the Mexico 2021 Mission Trip launch event on 27th January, that we will generate interest and commitment to this project.

• Pray for Katie’s involvement in leading talks at the Weston All Saints Church weekend away • Please pray for our new volunteer mentors starting in schools this month.

• Please pray for the fundraiser on 18th January, that it will generate interest in the community and that we are able to raise funds to help equip the office.

Text ‘Bathyfc’ to 70085 to give £10.

This costs £10 plus std rate msg.

Text ‘Bathyfcbible’ to 70085 to give £20 to give a bible to a local young person. This costs £20 plus a std rate msg.

Visit https://bath.yfc.co.uk/donate to give monthly or a one-off donation

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February> • Pray for the staff (Dave, Katie and Lea) visit to Youthscape project in London that it will be inspiring and helpful.

• Pray for Katie and Dave attending the Amor Leaders training weekend

• Please pray for the office move in February half term (w/c 17th February)

• Pray for those training to run the Bath Half on behalf of our charity, and that the event will both raise significant funds and increase our profile in the city and beyond.

March> • Pray for those running in the Bath Half on 15th, for energy, strength and no injuries!

• Thank God for the peer mentoring project in Hayesfield and pray for the sixth form mentors who have contributed to this project over the last three years.

• Please pray for Lea in deciding which grant making trusts could potentially support our work, and for the success of grant applications to enable our projects to thrive and develop • Please pray for those involved in the changes at Timsbury school

April> • Pray for staff, school staff and young people on Easter break this month, for refreshment and rest.

• Pray for our team –Dave, Katie, Sam P, Sam L, Sharon, Lisa, Lea, Eden and Jane – as well as volunteers who help deliver our projects.

• Pray for the launch of Life Academy in Hayesfield, for Katie and Eden as they deliver the project, as well as the young people attending • Pray that we will find ways of maintaining the presence of Jesus in our projects and that young people will see Jesus through us and our work

New ways to give Help us to see more young people’s lives changed by Jesus text bathyfc to 70085 to donate £10.

All texts are charged at £10 plus one message at your standard network rate (based on your service provider rates); the charge will show on your bill.

You can also give via our website www.bathyfc.co.uk and press the Donate button at the top of the home page.

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An opportunity to ‘show-off’ We love to share all God is doing through Bath Youth for Christ and here Lea Lawton (our Fundraiser) shares her experience of our bi-annual event which provides a platform for us to do just that.

Back in October we showcased our work at our bi-annual Partners Evening. Having only worked for Bath Youth for Christ for a year this was my first such event. Walking in seeing the tables decorated with sweet treats and drinks gave a great first impression!

Being there a little early gave me a behind the scenes view of Motus practicing and sound checks to ensure that everything ran smoothly. You could feel the nerves of staff and young people, as they prepared to share about our projects and the positive impact on young people across our city, with a room full of strangers. The mix of excitement and anxiety increased my expectations of a great evening and I wasn’t disappointed.

Two moments particularly stood out for me.

Firstly, the Andy Martin Award for Volunteers 8

and hearing young people from Riverside Youth Club talk about the importance of this provision in the area in which they live. It was amazing to see the volunteer award go to young people who have danced with Motus for years and now volunteer their time to help deliver the project to new, younger dancers.

Speaking in front of strangers was obviously a big deal for the young people from Riverside, yet it demonstrated the impact we can have by encouraging them to try a new skill and increase their confidence and sense of self-worth.

It was great to be able to share with existing supporters, people who have only recently heard about us and Youth for Christ National representatives, how our work across all our projects has such a positive impact on young people. We want to see young people’s lives changed by Jesus. Through consistently being there to support them as they face challenging situations and encouraging them to be all that they can be, this is becoming a reality.

The Christmas story from a different perspective That time of year again when schools ask us to share the Christmas story with young people. The challenge is always coming up with a fun and engaging way to present the message so that young people remember the assembly for all the right reasons. The 2019 theme came to us when we were stuck for 8 hours in the queue to cross back over the Mexican border after our mission trip last summer! The Christmas assemblies of 2017 were used to promote that trip.

Previously we have looked at it from Mary’s point of view, so we thought it only fair to consider Joseph’s perspective. Whilst sitting in the bus, the wonderful Catherine Sourbut, Vicar of St Barnabas Church, shared that she had, on one occasion, created a monologue telling the story of Joseph and his fear, to use in a Christmas service. So, based on Catherine’s story, we had our theme. With

some updating to make it youth friendly and a bit of a Jeremy Kyle dramatised twist, the assembly came together.

We took the assembly into Ralph Allen School for all pupils; year 7 girls in Hayesfield and the whole of St Marks School. There were many conversations with young people in the days after they had heard the story. Several admitted it took them a while to realise that the story was about Joseph and how it made them realise how difficult it was for him that Mary was ‘mysteriously’ pregnant. Joseph’s trade very neatly leant itself towards us promoting our next mission trip to Mexico in 2021. Lots of interest was shown so we are excited to see who and how many show up for the launch event in the new year.

Katie Little

Do you have a heart for justice and want to make a difference?

Could you help build a home for a family living in poverty?

Or help a local community by running sports clubs for young people?

We will be running another trip to Mexico in the Easter of 2021.

To find out more come along to our launch event on: Monday 27th January 2020, 7:30pm Manna House at St Philip & St James’ Church, 35 Frome Road, Odd Down, Bath. BA2 2QF

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A new opportunity for partnership When Open Access youth work ceased last summer in Peasedown St John, some residents decided to do something about it.

The three churches in the village, St John’s Anglican, the Methodist Church and St Joseph’s RC Church are working together to ensure that Open Access Youth Work can continue, partnering with Youth for Christ to deliver this vital service to the community.

We are looking to appoint a senior youth worker for four days a week and an assistant for one day per week who will help to run the Open Access sessions. Volunteers from the community will be trained to give support and it is hoped that more activities will be provided for the enjoyment of the young people in the village.

We have been busy fundraising and now have all the funding in place for the first three years of youth work provision, and the plan is to begin sessions in the spring. We thank God for his provision.

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B&NES Council, who own the Youth Hub, want to transfer the building to the community at a peppercorn rent as long as we continue to deliver the youth work.

Our plans are to turn the building into a community centre accessible to all residents as well as young people. The new centre, which will be called The Hive, has a sports hall and a sports court, an art room, four other rooms and a large open social area with a fully fitted catering kitchen. These facilities will be of great benefit to the young people and the whole community.

We are very excited about this new venture and would ask for prayers for all the final details to fall into place and for funding for renovations on the building to become available.

Together we can see young people’s lives changed by Jesus.

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Please consider sponsoring my endeavours to make a difference to the lives of young people. You can give here: We are excited that this year we have 10 people taking part in the Bath Half to raise money for our projects. Here our Chair of Trustees, John Lawton, tells us why he has signed up.

March 15th is looming and I’m running the Bath Half to support the Connect Mentoring project. My relationship with running is a bit like Donald Trump’s relationship with the democrats – we do not get on! I have yet to learn the joy of running, and training is not something I am enjoying but I’m going to give it a go! As Chair of Trustees for Bath Youth for Christ it’s my privilege to see, first-hand, the impact our staff have on young people in the city. Through Connect Mentoring, young people have one to one support to help them manage a particularly challenging time in life. Katie and her growing team of volunteers work with young people who have issues with addiction, either personally or someone in their family; with self-harm; low self-esteem; bereavement; trauma; family breakdown; anxiety; and other challenges. I am raising money for Connect Mentoring to enable Bath Youth for Christ to help more young people in our city transform their lives.

www.gofundme.com/f/a63wx-bathhalf-2020?utm_source=customer&utm_ medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_ cf+share-flow-1

We are on the Move!

We are moving offices to the YMCA Roundhill Centre in Southdown on Monday 17th February.

There are several reasons for this relocation.

However, most importantly as a youth work organisation we believe we should be located ‘amongst’ young people to help us better connect with them. Working with the YMCA we hope to develop the building to create new opportunities for young people and provide a safe space that feels like home. Practically the new office location offers free parking for staff and guests and is located closer to where we currently run projects, both in schools and the community. We are excited about this change and believe God is going to move in our new home beyond any of our own expectations.

If you would like to support us, please come along to our coffee and cake morning details below.