Issuu

SUSCOTLAND.ORG.UK FEBRUARY 2026

MINISTRY

AT THE MARGINS

WHO ARE SU SCOTLAND? Our vision is to see every child and young person in Scotland exploring the Bible and responding to the significance of Jesus. We are a Christian charity with over 2,500 volunteers and 140 staff working in four contexts: schools, holidays, community-based missions, and training and equipping. We work in partnership with churches, SU Scotland Associate Trusts and others, offering safe places where young people can have fun, meet new challenges, feel valued, accepted and free to express their views and consider their own beliefs as they engage with peers and Christian leaders. We aim to focus on the needs of those from priority areas in all our activities. Our outdoor centres—Alltnacriche, Gowanbank and Lendrick Muir— welcome thousands of young people every year. Our campsites at Kingscross and Scoughall are popular in summer and Magnitude events take place year round, with a focus on our annual summer festival. SU Scotland, New Olympia House, 13 Olympia Street, Glasgow, G40 3TA 0141 332 1162 | info@suscotland.org.uk suscotland.org.uk facebook.com/suscotland youtube.com/suscotland instagram.com/suscotland tiktok.com/suscotland Editor: Hilary Phillips | cygnus-extra.co.uk Design: innovivid.co.uk, Print: Johnston Mailing © Scripture Union Scotland, 2026 Scripture Union Scotland is registered in Scotland as a charity (no. SCO11222) and as a company limited by guarantee (no.SC54297). Registered office: New Olympia House, 13 Olympia Street, Glasgow, G40 3TA. ISSN 1357 - 7171

A large print edition is available on request.

LONG-TERM IMPACT

We explore how Ferrywell Youth Project and Junction 12 have offered long-term support to local young people.

NEW YOUTH PROJECT Tim Raynes and Karen Campbell outline plans for work in priority communities in Glasgow and Inverness.

BEFORE THE CRISIS Dave Moss talks about how Alltnacriche has developed a programme to work with local young people.

FUN AND FAITH Elaine Tait, Additional Support Needs Development Coordinator at SU Scotland, shares highlights from this area of ministry.

PRISON AFFECTS THE FAMILY John Nonhebel writes about his role at Prison Fellowship Scotland and their partnership with SU Scotland.

CHOSEN Elaine Watt unpacks the rationale for a new event that brought adoptive families together for a weekend at Alltnacriche.

LEARN TO DO RIGHT; SEEK JUSTICE. DEFEND THE OPPRESSED. TAKE UP THE CAUSE OF THE FATHERLESS; PLEAD THE CASE OF THE WIDOW. ISAIAH 1:17

The prophet Isaiah’s vision reveals something of the heart of the Lord when he dismisses some of the religious practices of the time in favour of looking to those at the margins of society and 'doing right'.

his edition of @SU has a special focus on how ministry at the margins is being embedded in all that we do. We don’t want to be tokenistic, but intentionally biased towards those who are too often overlooked in society. Our vision is to see every child and young person in Scotland exploring the Bible and responding to the significance of Jesus. As a result, we have chosen to give specific attention to children and young people who live in relative poverty, have Additional Support Needs (ASN), are affected by imprisonment, are displaced, care-experienced

or are from an ethnic minority background. On page 6, find out about our plans to develop more Christian youth projects in priority areas, especially in Glasgow, where there is the largest concentration of need in Scotland. Our first ever Additional Support Needs activity weekend took place at Gowanbank recently. Read about the enthusiasm of the 14 young people who attended on page 14. Another first was our ‘Chosen’ weekend at Alltnacriche. This weekend was for families with adopted children, and you can read of its transformative impact on page 18. An estimated 25,000 children and young people in Scotland are impacted by the imprisonment of a parent. Find out how imprisonment

affects the whole family and how our partnership with Prison Fellowship Scotland is making a real difference on page 16. Children and young people at the margins are all around us. Let’s take up their cause together, in Jesus’ name, and see many more young lives lit up by our practical care and the transformational news of God’s love for them.

quote_open_roundel Robin MacLellan CEO, SU Scotland

robin.maclellan@ suscotland.org.uk social media: @robmaclellan suscotland.org.uk | 3

LONG TERM IMPACT Working in priority communities is not new to SU Scotland. Ferrywell Youth Project and Junction 12 both had their beginnings with SU Scotland, became independent charitable trusts, and have been making an impact in some of Scotland’s most deprived neighbourhoods for many years.

errywell Youth Project supports children and young people in the Pilton, Muirhouse and Drylaw communities of Edinburgh, where issues like poverty, neglect and emotional abuse often have an impact. It became an independent charity in 2014 following several decades of faithful work by a team of SU volunteers. Project Leader, John Gillan, says,

'We aim to be salt and light in the community. It is important that we are a constant and consistent safe place for young people.' The youth project offers oneto-one support sessions for children and young people, giving them regular contact with a trusted adult who has a social work, counselling or youth work background. They receive referrals for young people who, for example,

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aren’t attending school, have experienced a bereavement, or have been involved in or affected by violence. The project often provides a peaceful space in the midst of chaos. Several youth groups are run throughout the week, providing activities such as baking, games and sports, alongside exploring the Bible. SU Groups are also run within local primary schools. This spiritual input has led to an upsurge of children and young people attending church services, a trend that has not escaped the attention of local police who commented on this at a recent community meeting! John says, 'It is amazing to see young people coming to faith. Sometimes it’s the ones with the most challenging behaviour who, through meeting with Christians over

'Sometimes it’s the ones with the most challenging behaviour who, through meeting with Christians over time, hearing testimonies and coming to our Motiv8 Holidays, begin to trust that God has a plan for their lives and start to see light in their future.'

time, hearing testimonies and coming to our Motiv8 Holidays, begin to trust that God has a plan for their lives and start to see light in their future.' Ferrywell Youth Project previously ran a joint Motiv8 Holiday with Junction 12 Youth Project in Glasgow, however they both now have enough demand to run separate holidays. Junction 12’s Project Lead, Libby Lobban, says, 'At Motiv8 Holidays, we can do more in a week than the rest of the year in terms of spiritual and emotional impact. The young people are with us for a whole week in a safe and nurturing environment that many have not experienced before.' Libby Lobban previously worked for SU Scotland and was involved in setting

up Motiv8 Holidays. These holidays offer the same life-changing time away as other SU Holidays, but with the extra support and more relaxed boundaries that some young people may require. At Junction 12, Libby and her team work with many young people who face similar challenges to those at Ferrywell. The Junction 12 youth project, which became an independent charity in 2007, is based in the Riddrie area of Glasgow in a shop-front workspace close to local schools. Young people from S1–S3 drop in during lunch breaks and after school to play board games and chat. Libby says, 'The work begins in primary school, then by the time the children are in secondary school, they know who we are and are comfortable to drop in.'

Junction 12 is responsive to the primary schools’ needs and offers one-toone play-based nurture sessions, to help children develop emotionally. They also run broader emotional literacy programmes and transition programmes to help young people settle into secondary school. Junction 12 runs SU Groups, youth clubs for S1–S3s, with a focus on exploring the Bible, and a monthly youth club alongside small Bible study groups for S4–6s. Over the years, this has led to young people coming to faith in Jesus, becoming leaders, and reading the Bible to their own children. The impact of both Ferrywell and Junction 12 youth projects has become a legacy, spanning generations. junction12.org.uk ferrywell.org.uk

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NEW LOCAL YOUTH PROJECTS The Junction 12 and Ferrywell Youth Project teams have had a significant impact on the lives of young people over many years. They have faithfully walked with young people in and out of school within the priority communities surrounding Smithycroft Secondary and Craigroyston High Schools in Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively.

ur focus towards those living at the margins has galvanised a desire to consider where similar projects could develop elsewhere. Whilst the impact of poverty can be seen on young lives across Scotland, the depth and scale of poverty in the beautiful city of Glasgow, where 25,690* young people experience life in relative poverty, has drawn our attention. We are excited to have Karen Campbell join the staff team as Local Youth Projects Development Coordinator. Her role is to explore some of these priority communities and schools in the Glasgow

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area with a view to setting up new youth projects. Karen writes, 'Our aim is to create opportunities for children and young people living in some of Glasgow's most deprived areas to have better support within their own community and at school, and to connect them with SU Scotland's wider ministries, providing opportunities for each and every young person to explore the Bible and respond to the significance of Jesus. 'I spent the first few months getting out and meeting people in some of the communities identified as most in need of a project. This has been determined by the SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) and local schools’ data. Glasgow has several school clusters where all schools (secondary and primary) have more than 75% of pupils living in the poorest postcodes in the country. 'Initial explorations for the first new projects have been

in the East End of the city. I have been so encouraged by the openness and willingness of local school management teams and church leaders to partner with us.' In addition to the work in Glasgow, we are excited to be moving forward with the appointment of a Project Worker to the developing Local Youth Project in Merkinch, South Kessock and the Inverness High School catchment. Merkinch is Scotland's eighth most deprived community, according to the SIMD data (simd.scot). Tim Raynes, Ministry at the Margins Lead, writes, 'As part of my role, I have had the privilege of developing the work in Merkinch Primary and Inverness High School over the past few years. Ministry opportunities have now grown, new funding has been made available and we are excited to see how this role develops and increases the connections with young people in these communities.'

If Glasgow was only

would be in poverty

children...

OF THOSE CHILDREN

100

would have single parents

would live in families with three or more children

would live in households experiencing in-work poverty

would live in families where someone has a disability

would live in a household with a child under one year old

would live in a household with a mother under 25

would live in a household where someone is unemployed 'Child Poverty in Glasgow 2025 report' Centre for Civic Innovation | Glasgow City Council

would live in a family where a child has additional support needs

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AN SU HOLIDAY WITH A DIFFERENCE The sun is shining, and a team of leaders eagerly await ten families arriving from across Scotland—Dumfries to Aberdeen, Inverness to South Queensferry. This was the second camp for Ukrainian families currently living in Scotland, with many returning from the previous year.

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ost of the team had worked together at the previous holidays, and it was delightful to see families arriving and greeting one another and team members. For me, everyone was new, and it was incredible to see the enthusiasm with which young people discovered that friends they had made previously were back again. One new family arrived to discover that their daughter’s best friend was also at the camp—they had no idea she was coming. God had that all in hand! The young people eagerly chatted together in Ukrainian/ Russian and from the first mealtime there was a more than full table of teenage boys who just simply enjoyed being together. One explained that they understood each other, shared the same language and, most importantly, understood each other’s jokes. The programme was relaxed, but included a full range of Lendrick Muir outdoor activities. Sign-up sheets were full every time and our Assistant Team Leader did a marvellous job of allocating family groupings and individuals to activities. Alongside the activities were

crafts and the dining room was often full of children painting or crafting and adults using sewing machines to make amazing tote bags.

with an address to the haggis, a Highland dancer, '500 Miles' performed by pretend Proclaimers and much Scottish dancing.

All were aware that this was a Christian camp. One family we knew attended church in Glasgow, but we didn’t know where others were at spiritually. It was a lovely surprise that everyone came to our morning and evening times of reflection.

One of our guests sent this message, 'From the bottom of my heart I want to thank the entire team for the wonderful time you gave us and our children at the family camp. You truly made our summer. These are memories that we, and our children, will carry with us for a lifetime.

Morning by morning, a team member was interviewed by Simeon Ewing (coTeam Leader and Ukrainian speaker), and in this time shared something of their testimony. In the evenings, we looked at encounters with Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel, with monologues performed in Ukrainian by team members Tima and Tamara Stupak or one of our guests. Some of us had great conversations with our guests, and it was beautiful to see whole families asking for prayer from Grigori Stupak (the Director of SU Ukraine), who joined us for the week. Others highlights included a delicious Ukrainian meal cooked by our guests and a Scottish evening complete

'The idea of inviting the same group back was brilliant—it allowed families and children to grow even closer to one another. It was fascinating to see how much everyone has changed and grown over the time and how the experience has brought us all together. The children played so effortlessly and joyfully. 'The Scottish evening was truly something special—it left such warm memories in our hearts. Thank you so much for creating these moments and for all the care and effort from the whole team. We are incredibly grateful.'

quote_open_roundel Jackie Ringan

Director of Development and Holidays suscotland.org.uk | 9

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO CAMP?

At least every week, I get asked this question, 'When are we going to camp?' The children and young people in our community are so enthusiastic for these opportunities to get away on a Motiv8 weekend. Often it’s the incentive they need to get involved in a group and to stay connected.

lead an SU Group at Clovenstone Primary, a priority school in Edinburgh, and pretty much every Tuesday lunchtime, someone will be asking me that question! The young people get pretty excited in the run up to a weekend away. We managed two weekends in the course of 2025, one at Lendrick Muir and one at Gowanbank, and we are planning the same again in the year ahead. Weekends away are great for all sorts of reasons. They give us the opportunity to get to know the young people much better, helping us to connect with different aspects of their lives such as health or family issues that might not be obvious from the short weekly meeting at school. They are also great for

community building, providing a reason to get to know the families of young people and to invite them to other events at church. And of course they are places where we explore the Bible together, finding out about God’s love for them. Motiv8 Holidays are subsidised by the SU Scotland Holidays Sponsorship Fund in order to make them much more affordable than SU Holidays in general. Holy Trinity Wester Hailes and Wester Hailes Baptist Church have both provided funds to enable local young people to attend. We also say to families that we don’t ever want funding to be a barrier, so we make different arrangements, depending on family circumstances. Some of the young people have now moved on to Wester Hailes Academy. When we see them at the lunchtime dropin there, they are still asking that question, 'When can we go to camp?'. So we are now looking at the possibility of a weekend away for the secondary age group also. I am also asked the question at church sometimes: 'When

are we going to camp?' There are young people who come on a Sunday whose families don’t come. We offered them the fun of an activity day at Lendrick Muir. This felt like the ideal first step on the journey. We will keep looking for opportunities to go away together. One of the things that I love about being away together is the teaching time. I always imagined that it would be a struggle to get the young people to settle, but the opposite generally seems to be the case. It can be chaos for the hour before, but when we get together to explore the Bible, a peace descends, and the young people settle and listen. I am always amazed that God does that each time. When are we going to camp? Can’t be long now!

quote_open_roundel Naomi Black Naomi Black is the children’s worker at Holy Trinity Wester Hailes, and volunteers at Motiv8 events.

VOLUNTEER FOR A MOTIV8 EVENT suscotland.org.uk/ volunteer

WE'RE HIRING FACILITIES ASSISTANTS: We are seeking two enthusiastic Facilities Assistants to help provide a high standard of service to all our guests at Kingscross and Scoughall campsites this summer. Term: 28/5/26–21/8/26 | Closing date: 18/2/26 Find out more about this role and upcoming opportunities on our website, and follow our Facebook page for future updates. suscotland.org.uk/jobs suscotland.org.uk | 11

TAKING ACTION BEFORE THE CRISIS COMES A

t Alltnacriche, we have always been interested in contributing to the local community and offering support when we can. The centre is located in a stunning area of Scotland, not far from Aviemore, with amazing scenery, wildlife and of course great outdoor activity opportunities. However, families in small rural communities can struggle to find the right support for young people who may be neurodivergent or have other particular needs, and schools don’t

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always have the right resources to support them. During the Covid-19 pandemic our delivery patterns shifted, creating an opportunity to offer support to young people in nearby communities in need of additional support. What we did then was quite reactive, but now with some experience, feedback and reflection, we’ve been able to develop a new programme called Growing Together. When a young person is dealing with a stressful

Dave Moss, Centre Director at Alltnacriche, shares how supporting local young people in crisis has developed into an important ministry area.

situation, the people around them can respond to the crisis and offer support. This is often about managing or containing the problem, but that isn’t really the best moment to help them. We think the best moment comes earlier on the journey and is much more about preventing the crisis than responding to it. The Growing Together programme supports SU Scotland’s Discover— Explore—Respond—Flourish framework. At its heart is co-regulation, an approach

that helps young people to discover how to regulate their emotions, alongside the adults who work with them, who are regulating their emotions in the same way. We offered each of the local primary schools four places on the programme for young people. The feedback from the programme has been extremely positive. Chenelle McMaster, Depute Headteacher at Aviemore Primary School, said, 'Thank you so much to the Alltnacriche team for providing the Growing Together programme for some of our young people. The children definitely came back to school with increased self-confidence

and a greater enthusiasm to engage in learning. The children said, "We learnt new skills, and it was fun to be out and active." The change of environment was so positive and appreciated. They were asking when they could go back to Alltnacriche.' A parent commented, 'Our son was so unsettled and unhappy, he was saying he didn't want to live this life anymore. The difference coming to Alltnacriche has made to him is incredible. When I pick him up, he's bouncing—loving life and happy. I can't express the positive impact Dave, Shula and the team have made. I will forever be grateful for the experiences he's having

and the opportunity to take part is invaluable to us both.' We have already seen young people connected with the programme taking up opportunities to attend SU Scotland residential events where they can respond to the significance of Jesus. In the year ahead we are hoping to develop this kind of work, and plan to recruit a specialist instructor to work with young people with Additional Support Needs (ASN). We are also planning to kit out the workshop as an ASN hub, with tranquil lighting and a relaxed vibe.

quote_open_roundel Dave Moss,

Centre Director, Alltnacriche alltnacriche.org.uk

OUR LIFE-CHANGING OUTCOMES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ON THEIR FAITH JOURNEY

discover

explore

respond

flourish

 Discover God’s LOVE, WORLD, GOODNESS  Explore CHRISTIAN FAITH, the BIBLE, its BIG STORY  Respond by REFLECTING; choose to follow JESUS  Flourish in CONFIDENCE, GROWTH, LEADERSHIP and DISCIPLING OTHERS

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FUN & FAITH

Elaine Tait is the Additional Support Needs Development Coordinator at SU Scotland. She shares about some of her ministry and helping build connections in young lives.

Saying

YES

to Jesus

I’d like to introduce you to Treasure. Treasure is in Primary 6 and recently attended the first SU Mission held in Darnley, Glasgow, with a team from Darnley United Free and Darnley Mill Churches.

reasure is just like any P6 child on a mission—excited to be there, loves singing the songs with actions, and loves learning about Jesus. Treasure is from Nigeria, is more or less non-verbal, and has cerebral palsy. Treasure loved the worship time at the mission, especially songs with actions, but wasn’t always able to join in with those. However, when one song called for everyone to spin around, she did—turning her electric wheelchair as she praised Jesus with the rest of the group. Treasure loved her time at the mission, and the team did an amazing job in their planning to ensure the event was inclusive for all children. The creative activities involved Play-Doh and fidget toys, meaning all children could delve further into the Bible without reading and writing being a barrier. Treasure’s story doesn’t end there. On September 21, she was baptised! Treasure could clearly answer 'yes' to the questions: Do you love Jesus? Will you serve him for the rest of your life? What an incredible story of a young life being changed by Jesus!

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Jesus won’t turn his back Young people from two Additional Support Need (ASN) schools came together at Gowanbank for a weekend full of fun activities and friendship. We called the weekend a Light Party, because it was Halloween weekend, and we wanted to offer a theme that would unite both the activities and the teaching.

e welcomed 14 young people to this new event with a 1:1 ratio of adults to young people. The young people were from Abercorn Secondary and Buchanan High School. The team all had experience of additional support needs, coming from a wide range of different settings. On Friday evening, we had a firepit with s’mores; the pathway was all lit up with glow sticks. During a busy weekend, we packed in pamper sessions, a silent disco, crate climbing, archery, bushcraft, music, crafts and more. When we explored Jesus as the light of the world, I

asked the group a bit of a rhetorical question, 'Would Jesus ever turn his back on us?' One young person was emphatic, 'No, of course not— he would keep on trying!' I was amused by some chat with the young people as they settled for the night. The girls were asking me, 'Will there be another weekend?' and I said, yes, we were thinking about what we might do in the summer. One girl said, 'But that’s months away. Can we do it again in…a couple of weeks?' It might take me a little longer than that to be ready for the next event, but I was moved by their enthusiasm. The reality is that an event like this takes extra special preparation. Some of us had volunteered at Abercorn School to get to know the young people there. We had made an introductory video about the team, so the young people already knew who we were and what we all looked like. We gathered information about

all the young people using a communication passport so we had lots of knowledge up front about their food likes and dislikes, and the things they like to do to relax. All of this was invaluable in helping them to settle. I have so many highlights— seeing young people express their love for God, and just being able to relax and have fun together are definitely up there. The support from the team at Gowanbank was also absolutely superb. The ongoing relationships with the schools are important too. Abercorn now has an SU Group, and I’ve been busy over the last months creating RME (Religious and Moral Education) resources for use in ASN schools. We have definitely started something new—in the future, events for young people with ASN will be called Activ8 events. It is great to have got started!

quote_open_roundel

Elaine Tait ASN Development Coordinator suscotland.org.uk | 15

PRISON CAN IMPACT THE WHOLE FAMILY John Nonhebel, Executive Director of Prison Fellowship Scotland, shares about his work and partnership with SU Scotland to support the families of those in prison.

ome of you may have noticed that in recent times we are hearing a lot more about prisons and the people in them. Maybe we preferred the option of 'out of sight, out of mind', feeling that once someone is locked up we no longer need to think about them, and they deserve what they get? This reflection, shared last year as part of Prisoners Week Scotland from Iain Smith, a criminal defence lawyer, can challenge that mindset: 'My clients spend more time being victims of crime rather than perpetrators of

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it. Yet they quickly lose their victimhood when they try to cope with sexual abuse, neglect and being unloved, by self-soothing on drugs and alcohol. We then condemn them, shame them, degrade and jail them. We are focused on retribution and punishment. In Scotland we are European Champions at jailing folk and standing by as we lead the world in drug related deaths. When we humanise folk who offend and shine a light on the horrors of their lives then human nature makes space for empathy, compassion and understanding.' This year the number of people in Scottish prisons reached an all-time high of over 8,400. Even when the figure sat nearer 7,500, it was estimated that around 25,000 children and young

people were affected by the imprisonment of a parent. This impact on families lies at the heart of the work of Prison Fellowship Scotland. It is rightly said that families often serve the sentence alongside the adult in prison. They cope with demanding visiting routines, long journeys, financial pressure, and at times the stigma of being known as the family of someone in custody. Money that could support children is instead spent on travel or supporting the parent inside, leaving little for the young people themselves. This is where our partnership with SU Scotland makes a real difference. Working together, we identify children who would benefit from an SU Holiday. They and their families choose

an event they like and then the young person attends the holiday at no cost and with no stigma. For many, it is the first time they have been able to enjoy such activities or make new friends. The feedback we receive often speaks of how transformative the experience has been. I feel the camp helped 'John'* to come out of his shyness and be part of a team. He was more positive, he's more at ease, and knows he will be fine interacting with other children. (Parent) It was life changing for 'Bobby'. He was so supported and came back a different person. He has been interacting and communicating so well with me. (Parent)

'Ryan' came back a different boy. I really thought I'd get a phone call ‘cause he wasn't settling, but he loved it and is keen to go next year. (Aunt) Thank you so much for giving my son this experience, he came home buzzing with excitement and like a different child. He met some really nice kids, had a different experience in life and is already researching going next year. (Parent) For us at Prison Fellowship Scotland, providing hope is central to our work—both inside prisons and among families. Prison is a tough environment, especially now with severe overcrowding. In conversations with people inside, one constant theme is their deep concern for their

children and how much they miss them. We believe that central to the message of the gospel, and to the example of Jesus, is speaking to those on the margins—letting them know that they are included and not forgotten. Children and young people affected by imprisonment are among the most forgotten and invisible in our communities. Through this work we do together, rooted in the message of the gospel, God’s love can be seen in the community of an SU Holiday, and we see the difference this makes.

quote_open_roundel John Nonhebel John is Executive Director of Prison Fellowship Scotland and previously was Urban Ministries Leader at SU Scotland. pfscotland.org *Names have been changed

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OUT OF SIGHT BUT NEVER OUT OF WORTH

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells a short parable that might be easy to overlook—but it holds a world of meaning. A woman has ten silver coins and loses one. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it. And when she does, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, 'Rejoice with me! I have found my lost coin.' Luke 15:8–10 18 | suscotland.org.uk

t’s a simple image—no dramatic rescue, no grand journey. Just a woman, a broom, a lamp, and a quiet, persistent search. But in that simplicity, Jesus reveals something profound about the heart of God—and about the value of every person. The coin never lost its value. It was just misplaced. Hidden. Out of sight—but never out of worth. That’s the heart of this parable. The coin didn’t become less valuable because it was lost. Its worth was constant. And so it is with people. Our value isn’t determined by visibility, circumstance, or history. We are precious— always. That’s the heart of God, that every person matters. No one is too small or too hidden to be sought after. And being found is worth celebrating. This truth is especially powerful for families who have adopted children. The journey to adoption often involves searching, waiting, longing. It’s a journey that says, 'You are worth finding. You are worth loving.' And for the child, whether they remember the beginning of their story or not, there is a deeper truth that holds them: 'You were never forgotten. You were never

worthless. You are treasured.' These were the thoughts that God had put on my mind as we brought together foster and adoptive families for a weekend at Alltnacriche. This truly was a special weekend—for the team, parents and the young people alike. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, and while things didn’t unfold exactly as I had imagined, they unfolded exactly as they needed to. The atmosphere throughout was full of warmth and energy, and from both parents and children we sensed a deep appreciation for all that was shared and experienced. On a more practical level, it was wonderful to see young people achieving things that they wouldn’t ordinarily have managed or had the opportunity to do. Dave and Jo at Alltnacriche were instrumental in supporting this with their careful and patient instruction. A parent said afterwards, 'It was great to get a chance to have some fun together doing different activities. It was great to get a chance to chat to other parents, and I especially loved being fed loads of delicious food that I didn't have to plan, make or clean up after!'

Caitlin Frew works for Home for Good and Safe Families in Scotland as well as volunteering at SU events. She said: 'The programme featured lots of flexibility, with space for parents to connect with each other, for children to connect with each other and for families to take part together. Our aim was an event which is trauma informed and comfortable for families with care experienced young people to get to know each other better.' The team brought together a mix of experience of supporting care-experienced children—ranging from adoptive parents and foster carers, to professionals working closely with adoptive families, and even individuals who have been adopted themselves. We are very grateful to the Alltnacriche team, who have been so accommodating and welcoming. Here’s hoping there will be more events like this. The particular challenges that face adoptive and long term fostered families make events like this absolutely worthwhile.

quote_open_roundel Elaine Watt homeforgood.org.uk suscotland.org.uk | 19

IT'S The Ferguslie Park Mission in Paisley has been running every summer for seven years. I have been on the team for six years. Over that time we have seen lots of different elements develop.

hree years ago we decided to have an Away Day to Gowanbank with the older children. This was a huge success and, for many, was the first time the children had been so far from home. The girls were mesmerised by the en suite toilet in one of the bedrooms! It was pretty tough to get them back to tree climbing after they’d seen that! Throughout the course of the week, the children receive 20 | suscotland.org.uk

IP H S R NE T R A AP

a free meal every day as part of the club as often they haven’t eaten at home. The most popular meal of the week is always the fish and chips delivered by the Scottish singer, Paolo Nutini’s, Dad! This meal is also special, because parents and carers are invited along—it is a real treat to meet and spend time with them, getting to know more, not just the child, but their family too. Following the Away Day, we invited the older children to come along to our Primary Regional Weekend—and they have been every year since! They are also accompanied by Stuart, Lesley and Lynnie—three of their leaders from the Holiday Club.

One of SU Scotland’s anchors is ‘Residentials Transform Lives’. This is so evident at camp. Some of the children come from difficult home lives, but for one weekend, they can be children, be fed, be loved and can discover the love of God. Some children disappear from the club or the area, and we never know what has become of them. This can be hard, but we know that a seed has been planted. Three years on, we are now seeing those same young people come along to Secondary Regional Weekends. An SU Group (Seekers Youth Group) has also been running in the Tannahill Centre. The group

TY I N U MM

C IT'S A

'One girl at camp this year told me that she was happy that she had met Jesus, her Saviour.'

welcomes children from two local primary schools as well as the secondary, because the older children don’t want to leave! One girl at camp this year told me that she was happy that she had met Jesus, her Saviour. Another child had come from a tricky home life and a difficult week. To have them so connected and engaged is wonderful to see. It is a privilege to welcome these children into the SU Scotland family knowling it makes such a difference. What I love about the Ferguslie Park Holiday Club is that it is far more than a Holiday Club that runs for only one week in the year.

It is a partnership, it is a community—and you only need to visit to see this, as people shout a cheery 'hello' as you walk through the Tannahill Centre. Jesus is changing lives through the incredible team and through Stuart, Lesley and Lynnie, who serve the community throughout the year. Bibles are being opened, lives are being changed, and the Holiday Club is helping light up Scotland one young life at a time.

At SU Scotland we recognise God's keen concern, some would say bias, for those at the margins. We are committed to partnering with churches, organisations and individuals for effective ministry with children and young people whose life experience can mean fewer choices, resources and opportunities. We are focussing on six areas where young people can be marginalised: • Additional Support Needs • Poverty • Affected by imprisonment • Refugees and asylum seekers • Care-experienced • Minority ethnic

DONATE TO MINISTRY AT THE MARGINS TODAY.

suscotland.org.uk/ give-margins

quote_open_roundel Lynne Hamilton

Regional Worker for East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde suscotland.org.uk | 21

GAP YEAR

APPLICATIONS FOR SU SCOTLAND'S GAP YEAR ARE OPEN. APPLY NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.

e are looking for young adults (17–23) who love God, are serious about discipleship, passionate about sharing their faith, enjoy having fun with young people, and are ready to serve for a year. The programme includes training, different placements, and an international mission trip, all while working towards an SQA Qualification in Youth and Children's Work. More information, and the application form, can be found on the webpage. APPLY BY 27 FEBRUARY

suscotland.org.uk/gapyear

22 | suscotland.org.uk

WHAT'S ON WINTER 2026

GRAB THE LATEST EVENT DETAILS ONLINE: suscotland.org.uk/events MAGNITUDE 2026

SPOTLIGHT & EQUIP

VOLUNTEER TRAINING

18–22 July

• Spotlight East (S1–S2) º 6 & 27 March º 24 April º 29 May 7–8.45pm Cornerstone Free Church Edinburgh

Allergy Awareness 21 February, Edinburgh

Magnitude is a five-day annual Christian youth festival for young people aged 11–18. Based in breathtaking Lendrick Muir, it is a space to encounter God, enjoy community and experience nature together. Bookings now open. magnitude.org.uk/2026

MAGNITUDE WORSHIP NIGHTS 1 February, Aberdeen 6 February, Edinburgh 7 February, Glasgow 20 March, Edinburgh 21 March, Glasgow 19 April, Aberdeen Magnitude exists to see a generation of young people captivated by the magnitude of who God is and transformed by encountering him. £5 entry; cash and card payments on the door. Find event locations and start times online. magnitude.org.uk/ worship

COmMISSION Basecamp 20-22 Feb, Gowanbank 8-14 June, Kingscross 14-20 June, Kingcross LeadUP 19–26 June, Alltnacriche suholidays.org.uk/training

• Equip Dundee (S1–S6) º 27 March º 24 April º 22 May 7–9.00pm Hillbank Church, Dundee • Equip East (S3–S6) º 6 & 27 March º 25 April º 29 May 7–9.00pm Elim Church, Edinburgh • Equip West (S1–S6) º 27 March º 24 April º 22 May 7–9.00pm The Tron, Glasgow • Equip North East (S1–S6) º 15 May 7–9.30pm Kintore Community Church, Kintore Helping young people explore Christian faith. Explore God’s Word and connect with others. Features Bible talks, group time, Q&A and plenty of fun!

ASN Ministry Training 21 February, Aberdeen Emergency First Aid 7 February 2 June SU Scotland, Glasgow Office Archery Tag 2 February, Lendrick Muir 25 April, Lendrick Muir Archery 28 March, Lendrick Muir 23 May, Lendrick Muir Bible Alive 4 March, Falkirk 18 May, Ayrshire Training courses are open to SU Scotland volunteers. Book online or contact the Volunteers Department. suscotland.org.uk/events

BIG CELEBRATION 2026

SAVE THE DATE

22 August Lendrick Muir SU SCOTLAND GOLF DAY

suscotland.org.uk/ spotlight

5 June Kirkintilloch Golf Club

suscotland.org.uk/ equipevents

suscotland.org.uk/ golfday suscotland.org.uk | 23

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SCAN THE QR CODE AND JUMP ONLINE TO BOOK TODAY!

suholidays.org.uk Book online or call us :) 0141 352 7620 Monday–Friday 10.30–12.30,13.30–16.30

@suholidays