As we start the new school term, our theme between now and Christmas is identity. For young people, the discovery of who they are is an important part of adolescence, and perhaps culturally the concept of identity is really significant. How we identify is a question young people will be asking, and have asked of them, frequently. And yet, the fundamental questions behind what is current culturally are really very similar to the questions young Read more…
Last week I was in Archway School doing some “curriculum enhancing” sessions with year 9. They’re just finishing a module called Young People and Other Animals, and I want them to dig into what it means to really stand up for what you believe in… The world seems full of protest at the moment – anti-Vaxxers in the High Street, Extinction Rebellion on the motorway, Pride in the Park. Making a stand seems like ‘the Read more…
I love September. I love the late summer sunshine, the rain and wind. I love watching the leaves start to lose some of their sheen as they think about turning golden brown. I love the way the nights draw in, and the dew on the grass and cars in the morning. I love the fact some supermarkets are stocking mince pies already, and that hallowe’en displays are going up. I love the last throws of Read more…
Walking up the drive towards my front door, fresh from my daily exercise with my Labrador Maya, I spotted something bright red bobbing about between the front door and the wheelie bins. I was intrigued and so was Maya. After a quick sniff, she turned away eager to get inside and get her “reward” for her behaviour on our walk. Whilst I didn’t smell it, my interest lasted a bit longer. Where on earth had Read more…
On Monday children and young people across England will physically go back to school for the first time since December. Parents will rejoice, teachers will breath a sigh of relief that they no longer have to teach via video-link, and most of the children will be happy to get out of the house and see their friends again. But many, probably more than you’d care to imagine, are anxious. Young people are expected to have Read more…
On Shrove Tuesday (aka Pancake Day) my social media feeds were full of pictures of pancakes – I’m not complaining, I posted a few myself. One of them even elicited a follow from @fabandfitonabudget! When I was growing up we always had pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, loads of them with sugar and lemon juice. It was fun trying to flip them, and whilst to eat they weren’t anything special, the sense of occasion was memorable. Read more…
During Lent (17th Feb to 3rd April) we have put together 7 challenges for you to complete – one for each week. This #LentChallenge will get you thinking, moving, giving and praying – helping you to engage with God in new ways. Each challenge lasts the whole week and is really simple. They will challenge you each day to focus on God and your faith for just a few minutes. Did you know that it Read more…
A friend of mine asked the question on Facebook the other day “what unnecessary things from ‘before’ do you find yourself still doing?” He clarified his question by explaining that he still ensures he wears black socks on a work day, despite sitting in his living room on ZOOM all day. It got me thinking about the things I might be hanging onto from the past – both pre-lockdown and more generally from a time Read more…
It feels like we’re in a particularly weird place, even in this, the weirdest of years in living memory.Schools have re-opened in a variety of socially distanced ways, the National Youth Agency have declared that Youthwork is an Essential Service – meaning that some of the latest Government rulings don’t apply, and we are teetering on the verge of a new lockdown (at time of writing new annoucements are coming thick and fast) We recently Read more…
With the government announcement that from the 24th July face coverings will be compulsory in shops, I thought I’d start early, and put mine on and as is typical for me on a Thursday, I went to do my weekly food shopping. A few weeks ago my wife was experimenting with making her own out of old socks, and I had this mighty offering – obviously adorned with a bit of illuminate branding to make Read more…