From Northern Synod we were contacted about the ongoing contribution 21-year-old Amelia Turner has been making to the outreach work of Roker Life at Roker URC. Amelia was nominated by David Dick, a church elder and Amelia's mentor, who had the following to say:
"Amelia has for 2 years been a youth placement student with Roker URC and during that time she has made a significant contribution to our mission through Roker Life community group. Graduating with a first-class Honours degree in photography from Sunderland University this summer, Amelia has very strong creative and innovative skills which have been very evident throughout her work for Roker Life. Possessing very strong inter-personal skills underpinned by a caring and empathetic personality, she has interacted during the 2 years successfully with all ages from children aged 5-11 attending our numerous school holiday clubs through to isolated older adults attending craft, exercise and other classes at the church. Her warmth, energy and positivity have endeared her to everyone she has engaged with.
"Post-graduation and in the new normal community life of 2020, Amelia has worked to produce inspiring videos (11 in total) encouraging younger children and their families to engage in home based entertaining creative low cost activities, and is now focused on a new project to deliver a photographic record of encouraging experiences of families we are linked to in order to create a historic print of life as it is and can be. She is making a difference to many lives as she has done in her 2 years with us. Her goal is to operate on a self-employed basis using her many skills to add value working in the community with voluntary groups amongst others. She will also continue to support the work at Roker URC Roker Life as a volunteer."
Amelia has definitely been playing her part in the mission of God and using her God-given talents to reach out to the community in so many different ways. It is with great delight that we are able to recognise her contribution in the form of the Lundie Memorial Award. She is bound to have some excellent ideas as to how the financial award can be spent to the benefit of children and young people too. We look forward to hearing more.