“Young Quakers are here and now; we are not just the future”
Margarita Fell mocktails weren't the only thing on the menu at this year's Junior Yearly Meeting in Northamptonshire. Young Friends also enjoyed abseiling, kayaking, bushcraft, high ropes, raft building, a disco, quizzes and an open mic night!
More than 40 young Friends, aged 15-18, travelled from across the UK, from Falkirk to Penzance, to enjoy the annual event which is part of QiB's Yearly Meeting, taking place at the same time at Friends House in London.
Joining them at the Frontier Centre were young people from Ireland and Norway as well as six adult volunteers and four QiB staff who specialise in working with children, young people and families.
“The centre has 122 acres of young woodland, a river and lake for water sports and open grounds with stunning views across Stanwick Lakes nature reserve along the picturesque Nene Valley," said Jenny Baines, the Quakers in Britain Young People's Integration Coordinator. “It really is a wonderful setting for young Quakers to gather as a community to share worship, meals and social activities."
As well as the amazing outdoor activities on offer the young people also explored the theme of 'how do we as Quakers create the peace that is needed in ourselves and our communities?"
'The theme was at the heart of our Junior Yearly Meeting influencing our actions throughout,' the young people recorded in their 2025 Epistle. 'We found that peace begins with truly listening to one another. We created safe spaces where everyone felt valued, heard, and accepted. We opened and closed each day in worship, grounding ourselves in silence and time to reflect. Our sense of community and acceptance allowed ministry to come from the heart and many young people felt comfortable to minister for the first time, and with a degree of openness that they had not felt before.'
During the four-day residential, the young people were joined by Mike Jackson, the founding member of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners group and Quaker Hannah Larn who has worked on peace and reconciliation projects in Israel-Palestine, Kenya, Egypt, the US, and across the UK.
'We were inspired by both speakers, and overwhelmingly felt that despite being young, “we still have skills and capacity to be the change we want to see,' the young people wrote in their Epistle. 'Young Quakers are here and now; we are not just the future.'
Their Epistle also reminds us that 'Junior Yearly Meeting is an event where there is a real sense of hope for the future. We invite all Quakers to carry this hope with them into their lives and their communities, knowing that this is a driving force for peace.'
To find out more about Children, Young People and Family events contact Jenny at cypadmin@quaker.org.uk.