A life-changing experience for your Messy Church…

The Messy Church you run is going fairly well, but perhaps you’re left feeling that you only get so far in developing relationships and seeing faith grow in the children and young people you invest your time and energy in. But have you ever thought about taking them away for a Christian residential experience to enable them to experience a different environment, benefit their mental health, help develop personal faith and deepen relationships within the group? It sounds like a great idea, but maybe there are some in your Messy Church who come from a really disadvantaged background – you don’t want to leave them out, but there’s no way that they could afford the whole cost…

The Leavers Coulson Trust (LCT) has been helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to have a life-changing experience for over 40 years. It is a small charity founded in memory of Graham Leavers, a youth worker with Frontier Youth Trust, and Philip Coulson, who lived with his family at a Christian residential activity centre but died suddenly aged seven. LCT trustees are keen to receive applications from group leaders for specific individuals to enable children and young people aged 7-19 to attend Christian residentials as part of a group. All that’s needed is a clear indication of financial need and social deprivation (e.g. recognised metrics such as free school meals and/or receipt of benefits, plus a description of the family’s circumstances, etc.), together with membership of a supportive Christian youth group, and of course, a Christian-based residential to attend.

Residentials nowadays take place in a variety of venues and formats, from a weekend to a full week at perhaps a summer camp, a residential activity centre, or even a Christian music or arts festival. Applications need to be made at least 4 weeks ahead of the event, and trustees ask for a report as to how it all went before the grant is paid. It’s worth noting though that LCT does not normally support the full cost of an event, so we recommend that you find other sources of funding. (e.g. the church, local grant making trusts, the activity centre or event bursary support, fundraising activities, etc.). In some cases the family themselves may even be able to make a small contribution, giving them dignity and allowing them to ‘own’ the idea – quite often, this may be the only holiday away that the child or young person gets. Currently, LCT trustees are particularly seeking to encourage more applications from the Junior School age range, although those from Secondary School ages will of course be considered.

So why not start planning now for a residential later this year, or the next? It could be an experience that truly changes the lives of the individual children or young people in your Messy Church. You can find more information and an application form on the Leavers Coulson website. They also have promotional cards available for you to pass on to other leaders – just contact them by email at admin@leaverscoulsontrust.org.uk