With help from the small grants fund, Castle Hill URC Northampton was able to buy equipment to support their holiday club this year. Revd Liz Adams sent in this heart-warming report with a host of wonderful photographs.

"Super Sleuths Holiday Club was attended by 18 children between the ages of 4-11. All of the children were unchurched, had additional needs and are presently under social services with either a CIN plan or a CP plan.

We chose three of the bible characters from the prepared material to investigate and focussed on the childrens responses and actions towards others.

We played team games, which many found very hard, engaged in crafts, stories, puppetry, had a go at circus skills and learnt that we can talk to God in many ways (not just sat, head bowed, hands together).

One parent was so pleased after the three days as her daughter had no friends and finds friendships difficult, but had started a friendship with another child that was attending. Something that Mum thought would never happen.

The sessions were hard work but so very rewarding with lots of smiles from the young people and trusting relaxed relationships forming.

For me, being able to provide a safe environment for these youngsters where they felt comfortable and engaged in a different way of behaving and of being treated, with the added bonus of being able to show God's love to them through the programme and also by the way that we treated them. Actions speak so much louder than words.

Another parent who has escaped foreign lands due to the fear of being killed because of being gay spoke of how he and his lads had never recieved such a welcome and acceptance before.

Thank you for the £100 grant that enabled us to buy new essentials for the children to use and to provide a wider range of activities. The material was excellent so thank you to all who put it together."