Ideas for the Spring Term

Darlington Youth SVP

When Mr Gardner asked the students at Carmel College if any of them would like to form a Youth SVP the response was overwhelming. The College has 240 active Youth SVP members. As you can imagine it takes some logistics to co-ordinate those meetings. Thanks to a dedicated group of 6th Formers (who plan and deliver the content to their peers) the groups are thriving. The students have been divided into 10 different mixed age groups and take on a range of activities. Toilet Tuesday was a great idea they shared with us, asking students to bring in a toilet roll on a Tuesday. Back at the end of November some of the Youth SVP members were filmed sharing their plans and why they chose to turn concern into action for National Youth Funday. Perhaps you saw them on that day? Thankyou for sharing with us your joys & hopes.

Cards, prayers and small gifts for prisoners in Leeds at Christmas

Youth SVP, while not able to take Jesus’s call literally: “I was in prison and you visited me,” did the next best thing in ensuring prisoners were not forgotten on Christmas day. They took to heart that for prisoners Christmas day is so often the loneliest day of the year, and their efforts genuinely brought light and hope. School chaplains reported that their pupils really engaged in this initiative, and that it promoted much deep reflection and discussion around prisons, the reality of prison life and the real changes that are possible in life choices.

Leeds Central Council ran the appeal to send Christmas cards, a prayer card and small gifts to 895 prisoners in four local prisons again this year.

Seven of the Leeds Diocesan Secondary Schools - with Youth SVP connections - joined the adult SVP in the initiative and produced the majority of the Christmas cards. The cards they made were of a very high standard and some included touching messages that only a young person could write. The cards of course were in line with strict prison policy and good common sense, so no personal names or personal details of any sort were included, ensuring the safety of all.

Some Youth groups also contributed towards the cost of the small gifts given to prisoners, although this was the main focus of the adult SVP groups. Coloured Pencils, for example, were requested for the 395 female resident prisoners at New Hall Prison, and requests from other prisoners included chocolate baubles for Christmas trees, deodorant and shower gel. In addition, each prisoner received a trifold prayer leaflet.

One prison Chaplain said that the prison Iman was so impressed that he was considering producing something similar for those who attended his services. The Chaplain from New Hall emailed to say: “Thank you for your extremely generous donation of coloured pencils and cards. We find that the residents derive great pleasure from colouring in pictures and also creating their own designs. As well as pleasure it can also act as a source of therapy and distraction for many who suffer from debilitating mental health conditions. The talent that some possess really is phenomenal, and I am astounded by the beauty they produce. Please thank everyone on my behalf and assure them that they have made what for many is a very difficult time a little easier to bear.

To know that someone cares about them enough to do this means the world to them. Thank you again.”

At St Josephs in Swindon the Youth SVP group have been busy

The first task was to raise funds to support the Swindon Night Shelter. The SVP group decided to give people henna on the last day of term to raise the money. They raised a total of £83.60 which was used to purchase men's clothing, something that Swindon Night Shelter said they had needed.

Alongside supporting the wider local community, the Youth SVP wanted to do something to help their school community celebrate and set about raising funds to decorate the canteen for the Christmas dinner (what a brilliant idea). They sold candy canes with messages, and then these were delivered to the recipients by Santa himself who happened to be in the area.

In this next term there are plans already afoot. The group are planning to join a pen pal program that has been set up in Swindon to write to people in local nursing homes. In addition to this, they are getting all romantic: selling Valentine gifts to help raise funds for Easter.

Formed in a Pandemic

The Youth SVP at St Thomas More Catholic Secondary School Bedford was formed during the pandemic. We already had a Christian club called ICTHUS with Year 7 and we asked the students if they would like to change the group into a Youth SVP. We wanted an opportunity to respond to the pandemic and show faith in action.

We met on line and then face to face once we were back in school. It was so encouraging meeting with the students on line, pray together and share ideas. In the early days one of our first tasks was to produce messages of hope for those who received a paper copy of the parish newsletter at home. We then produced family packs (a colouring book designed by the students, colouring pencils and sweets) to accompany the food hampers being delivered by the Adult SVP conference.

The Youth SVP group are now in Year 8 and still going strong.

Here are some favourite memories from them.

We sang Silent Night for Christmas and we learnt the Lord’s Prayer in Sign Language, we also sang and recorded ‘Shine Jesus Shine’ for the end of Year service & we coloured in eyes and made crosses for COP 26. Everything we did in Youth SVP made me smile!

In the Youth SVP group we met Bishop David. He gave us a blessing and after we could ask him lots of questions. We also sent some cards to the care home to make people feel better.

I enjoyed going to the Polish Church because it had loads of history and it was a fun experience and our first trip. Things I remember were the really old font and the stain glass window dedicated to a loved one and we got to light candles there was also this big cross with coloured lights shining on it. I was also the groups ‘google translator’ as my first language is polish!

In the Youth SVP my two favourite things were the letters and cards to the care home. I liked the cards and letters to the care home as that made the people who lived there feel happy and they know hope is always around. I remember writing letters of hope and faith to those shielding from the virus at their house or in care homes. Along with these, we drew some colourful pictures. And the other thing: Climate change crosses. On mine, I drew pictures and wrote messages about climate change, as well as a prayer. The prayer was to help world leaders make the right decisions at COP26. I hope in my future, I will be able to expand on this list of actions I do with the Youth SVP even further.