PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST OPPORTUNITIES FOR WEST SWINDON’S YOUNG PEOPLE - 23rd Jan 2008
Five West Swindon churches today signed a ground breaking partnership agreement with ncounter, a regional charity focused on education and the performing arts. The partnership will consult widely with young people in the area, and aims to meet many of the needs expressed through developing new activities and facilities.
The first stage of the partnership is an area-wide survey of young people’s opinions and hopes for the project, which is already in progress. This will enable the partnership to develop plans for new activities and facilities, drawn up by a youth management team and partnership members. “We’ll be drawing on a wide range of skills and opinions across the community. But local young people will be in the driving seat in deciding what’s done” said Brian Senior, who heads up ncounter.
Stephen Skinner, Team Rector of the five churches involved, said “the Christian faith isn’t about sitting in our church buildings – it’s about being out there, engaged with the community. Jesus came to serve, not to be served, and we’re hoping this partnership will be the next step in our work to help young people to reach their potential and to gain a better insight into how faith based groups such as the local churches approach issues and problems.”
ncounter has a strong track record in working with young people, having worked in 23 secondary schools across Swindon and North Wiltshire in the last two years. As a charity with a Christian foundation, it aims to help young people to reach their potential as well as explore faith issues. Claire Camm, Youth Work Manager with ncounter, said “We’re really excited about the possibilities for this partnership to develop innovative projects with the young people of West Swindon which will benefit the whole community. Ncounter is used to working for short periods of time across a wide area, and this partnership will give us the opportunity together to develop significant work which will impact young people in the West Swindon area in the long term.”
Notes:
- the 5 churches signing up to the partnership are
- All Saints, Lydiard Millicent; St Marys, Lydiard Tregoz;
- Toothill Church;
- Westlea Church;
- Holy Trinity Church, Shaw.
- further information on the 5 participating churches can be found at www.wswinlyd.org.uk
