Children and young people's work news

Children and young people's work update

May 2013

News 

BYM children’s programmes: There will be four age groups in the Children’s Programme at BYM. It is pleasing that all of them are fully booked with 60 children expected across the four age groups. Each group will be exploring in age appropriate ways the theme ‘Being Quaker Together’, as well as attending Yearly Meeting worship for all ages and joining with the BYM session to have their minutes accepted by the meeting. Please uphold the 15 volunteers who are responsible for the children’s programme groups during Yearly Meeting from 24 – 27 May.

National children’s day: The Save Childhood Movement are launching National Children’s day on 15 May. The aim of the day is to celebrate the importance of children’s natural developmental rights and freedoms. More information can be found at www.nationalchildrensdayuk.com

Things to do 

Peaceful Primary Schools Conference: Taking place on Friday 7 June at Fazeley Studios in Birmingham, being run by Spiritual England and West Midlands Quaker Peace Education Project. The conference booking form is on the Spiritual England website www.peacefulschools.org.uk  

Training opportunities: This month a new leaflet outlining children and young people’s work training opportunities has been sent to all meeting clerks. These offer the chance to learn, reflect, practice and plan through a variety of options. The leaflet identifies some new workshops that are available as well as re-promoting some of the existing offers. For further information about the training that is available go to www.quaker.org.uk/workshops  

Meeting for worship for all ages: This takes place at Yearly Meeting on Sunday 26 May at 4.15pm in the large meeting house in Friends House. All are welcome. As part of BYM this year a meeting of worship will take place for 45 minutes for all ages. If you’d like to be part of all age worship for up to 1,000 Friends just turn up.

Things to use 

Quaker Peace Workers video: Quaker Peace & Social Witness provides one-year opportunities in the UK and overseas with organisations that work for peace at local, national and international levels. In this short film, six Peace workers talk about the work they are doing in London, Geneva and Bujumbura and how Quaker values shape their work http://vimeo.com/63574666

Spring into  all age worship: Thank you to all those who have sent in feedback following all age worship that has taken place in meeting, this has been most encouraging. The resource and guidance that was available for meetings has been added to and revised following comments received. This is available in hard copy by contacting cypadmin@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1013 or through www.quaker.org.uk/working-with-all-ages

Things to tell children   

 Wigton and Ayton Friends School Trust: This trust gives grants to young people for anything 'educational' such as attending a Quaker event, for children and young people (aged 0 - 25). Please note however that people are only eligible if they are connected to a Meeting within Scotland General Meeting or the areas of the former Cumberland and Durham General Meetings. If you need any more information please email Christine Sutherland christinepsutherland@gmail.com

Exploring Worship – being a spiritual warrior: This is a weekend for children aged 8 – 12 taking place at Woodbrooke Study Centre 12 – 14 July. The programme for children will explore questions like: What is God? What is worship? What is Quaker? What is in your worship kit? What does it mean to be a spiritual warrior? Children need to be accompanied by an adult and there will be a separate programme for adults over the weekend exploring similar issues. Further details and bookings are through Woodbroke and can be found at www.woodbrooke.org.uk 

Things useful to know 

Workshop for educators: Quaker Peace and Social witness together with Facing History and Ourselves are hosting a workshop for educators. This is entitled Engaging SMSC in your school and takes place on Saturday 15 June 10.30am – 4.30pm at Friends House in London. It costs £10. The workshop will present some practical and inspiring approaches that you can use in your school to support genuinely meaningful spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) education. For further details email Sofia_SivikPhelps@facing.org

Save Childhood Movement: The Quakers are a partner of this organization that seeks to put the needs and well being of the whole child at the centre of early years’ education. To find out more click on Save Childhood Movement.

Journeys in the Spirit resource

The Journeys in the Spirit: children’s work edition was launched in 2007; you can find out more about this by viewing the Journeys in the Spirit: children’s edition web pages that are within Resources on this site. This includes details of how to subscribe to receive this each month.

If you work with young people within a Quaker setting then the Journeys in the Spirit: youth work edition is for you. Full information about this, including subscription details, can be found on the Journeys in the Spirit: youth work edition web pages that are also within Resources on this site.