Bulwell URC ran a successful holiday club for 30 children aged five to eleven, with help with funding from the URC Children's and Youth Work small grants fund.

The church, which had for so long stood quiet during the pandemic, once again reverberated with the joyful sound of children playing as thirty children between the ages of five and eleven took part in two days of holiday club.

In the lead up to the holiday club  a young leaders training programme was organised which saw 8 young people (14-16 years old) take part in 3 training sessions looking at leadership, team work, confidence building and basic safeguarding and risk assessments. One of these young leaders, who would like to be a chef when he is older, was able to work in the kitchen alongside the cook giving him valuable experience for his future.

The church applied for a grant from URC Children's and Youth Work and this money was well used, contributing to the cost of food and thus enabling the church to offer the holiday club for free to those who attended. 

In a highly deprived area, being able to offer free provision including a healthy meal is really important, so this grant funding relieved some of the pressure on the church covering the cost of providing a meal and definitely to the parents who often struggle to feed their children over the summer holidays.

Three were jacket potatoes with toppings as well as plates of fruit and veg for the chlidren to eat during lunch time, and any left over food was then offered to particularly vunerable families known to the church. 

One of the memorable moments was doing olympics style games and holding a medal ceremony afterwards. The children were asked to stand on the stage where they all recieved a gummy snake with the ends wrapped in tin foil whilst the national anthem was played.

One of the parents whose child attended the holiday club summed up the event: 
'My daughter has absolutely loved today!!!! Not stopped talking about it. Thank you soo much! She's super excited to come back tomorrow! Already it's doing her confidence wonders.'

My daughter has absolutely loved today!!!! Not stopped talking about it. Thank you soo much! She's super excited to come back tomorrow! Already it's doing her confidence wonders.

URC Children's and Youth Work small grants are available to support any project engaging with children, families, young people and young adults.

Children and Youth Work Committee Grants

Small grants are available from the URC Children's and Youth Work Committee to promote holiday clubs and other projects benefiting children, families and young people within the URC. Visit our page for details