The Gen2 Grant Scheme utilised national funding for children and youth mission in the Diocese to offer small grants to support the development and continuation of work with children and young people across Peterborough Diocese. Wonderful work has been done with these grants in recent months both in schools and churches.
St Mary the Virgin, Finedon
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A Gen2 Grant acquired by St Mary the Virgin Church, Finedon enabled them to revitalise their monthly Family Funday in the hope of encouraging new families to become involved. They were able to purchase new craft materials and equipment along with food and drink supplies. When heating problems in St Mary’s threatened to stop events taking place in the church, the Family Funday was able to move to a new location with the Gen2 grant covering the fees.
Some of the grant was also used to produce double-sided leaflets advertising their new ‘Holy Ground’ service and ‘Cafe Church’ which will run on the second Sunday of every month. Cafe Church offers a more informal way to explore monthly themes from the bible whilst sharing breakfast, activities and conversation with your family whilst Holy Ground is for those who enjoy modern worship music, a reflective prayer space, as well as incense and bells.
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St Benedict's Church & Simon de Senlis Primary School, East Hunsbury
Rowena Griffiths, volunteer children’s worker at St Benedict’s Church, East Hunsbury, first saw a prayer space activity about 12 years ago when she was teaching in Milton Keynes and was very keen to try it out. When Simon de Senlis Primary School asked her if she could set up some prayer spaces based on values, she jumped at the opportunity and the grant from the Gen2 Grants Scheme enabled them to create the spaces with all the equipment required.
Joined by Kath Patterson from Grange Park Church, together they began thinking about the values that local schools follow and came up with eight: kindness, thankfulness, resilience, responsibility and respect, peace, diversity/ inclusion, aspirations, and wisdom. From these they created bases that encouraged the children to stop and reflect on each value with the opportunity to pray if they wished.
The event was held in the primary school over three days where 180 children came to visit the spaces. Headteacher, Joanne Fennelly said “Enormous thanks for the wonderful opportunity you have given the children this week to experience your fantastic prayer space. The children have loved their time with you, allowing them the time to reflect on the values that are so important to us all.”
The prayer space equipment is available to borrow should you wish to recreate the prayer spaces in a primary school or church setting. Please contact Charlotte Nobbs for further details.
Milton Parochial Primary School, Milton Malsor
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A Gen2 grant has recently been used to create an altar for Milton Parochial Primary School. A small table was purchased along with a standing cross, battery-powered candles with holders and a selection of bibles aimed at a variety of primary school age groups. The table has been installed in the school’s ‘quiet area’ but is light enough that it can be moved through to the main hall for assemblies if desired. Revd Graham Brack, assistant curate at the Grand Union Benefice has visited the school recently to talk to the school children about the altar and how it can be used.
The Brick Bible has already proved very popular with the boys in Year 6, so much so that Graham has set them the challenge of creating their own Lego tableau from the bible. Friends of the school are also getting involved by creating some strips of cloth in liturgical colours to lie across the altar from front to back according to the seasons.
The Gen 2 Grant scheme has now closed, but if you would like support to offer similar activities in your community please contact Charlotte Nobbs.