Happy New Year! Can you believe we are in 2023?! Although the weather may be a bit miserable, we’re very happy because we have a wonderful new team member! Alex Contreras joins us with a background in teaching and youth work. She is very involved in the Catholic churches and has three children. We’re so pleased Alex has joined our team and she’s already getting stuck in with our lunch clubs and assembly planning! Thank you for all your support and prayers in our search, we knew God had it all in hand!
Our wonderful volunteers are also getting stuck in this term with six OT Mini courses being taught a week in four schools! Sarah-Jane and Eleanor are leading La Houguette, Frances and Sarah-Jane are at Melrose, Nigel, Bryan and Frances are at Beechwood and Lisa and Sarah are about to start at Castel. We’re so pleased to be able to cover so many schools – we couldn’t do it without them!
We’ll hand you over to Eleanor now for a message about SWYM.
Last time on the blog, I shared that SWYM’s vision and passion is that every child and young person in the South West (and now, in Guernsey!) would encounter Jesus, know him and make a choice to live for more. What is this going to look like in practice in Guernsey?
SWYM’s main strategy is to place trainee children and youth workers with churches, local ministries and schools work projects. We hope to have a cluster of SWYM trainees in Guernsey from September 2023. They would be placed in a local church and hopefully also work closely with PACE so they can get experience in schools.
Trainees will have a great support network on island, including their line manager, mentor, and support from their peers and the area co-ordinator at a weekly cluster meeting. They will also go to SWYM conference in north Devon six times a year to meet with all the other trainees and have training together.
I’d love a bit of help from you all, as PACE supporters based in churches across the island. We are looking for people who would like to train with SWYM.
Do you know anyone with a heart for children and young people who would love to train as a youth and children’s worker? The initial commitment is for a year on the ‘Be Transformed’ year but there are then opportunities to progress, including to degree level. Many trainees, but definitely not all are in the 18-25 age bracket. A potential trainee could be also someone who would like to retrain, or someone who has recently retired and is ready for a different challenge.
Please, have a think and pray and if anyone comes to mind, have a chat with them and suggest they get in touch with me. I’d love to hear from them. eleanor@swym.org.uk
