CHRISTIAN OPTIONS IN PETERBOROUGH SCHOOLS Autumn Newsletter 2016 “ I saw more jellyfish than boats, and only got stung three times.” Jon Ratcliffe, on swimming the Channel to fundraise for CROPS “ What I loved most about doing Breathe today was station 11: Jesus. I just loved hearing about Jesus and his life.” Year 9 student at Thomas Deacon Academy WEB www.crops.org.uk @cropsuk EMAIL [email protected] CROPS PHONE 01733 352701 crops.uk POSTAL 68A Westgate, Peterborough, PE1 1RG CROPS is a Charity Incorporated Organisation, Registered No. 1157651 , Matt Wild s Update CROPS Director As we start this autumn term it is so good to look back on all that we have achieved in the last academic year with excitement for the year ahead! We have had an incredible year in schools, delivering our biggest number of Yr. 6 It’s Your Move lessons and over 25 lessons of Breathe in the summer term alone. Schools work is at the heart of what we do but it has also been a special year for The Point and Letton Hall residentials, linking up many different young people that we work with in schools and in our work to unite young people across churches. Mentoring Project Update You may have noticed that earlier in the summer we were we have the ongoing challenge of continuing our fundraising advertising for a full time worker to join the team and develop to cover year 2 and onwards, but we believe this will come in. our mentoring project in schools. In this we took a step of faith If you would like to fundraise in any way, through sponsored with the finances and we want to thank all who have pledged events, coffee mornings, etc please contact the office. one-off or regular support for this – you are helping to make a dream become a reality. You will find further in this newsletter You may have seen at the start of September the full-page a special feature about the project. The great news for now feature in the Peterborough Telegraph about CROPS Trustee is that we have enough funding to cover the first year of the Jon Ratcliffe – who on 19 August swam the English Channel salary and costs and have someone (to be announced in due to fundraise for this new project! Check out the full story later course) who will be joining our team from January 2017! Yes in this newsletter on page 4 and 5. Departures and Arrivals I always get to the end of July and have two overwhelming emotions – excitement that the summer break is near and great sadness that another year of CROPS has passed and that I am having to say farewell to team who have given a year of their life to serve God through CROPS. This year we have said goodbye to another wonderful bunch of young adults. Firstly to Jen Crawford who has spent three years working on placement with us as part of her CYM youth work degree. Jen has made a massive contribution to the work of CROPS especially week in week out at Nene Park Academy as well as shouldering lots of planning around Letton and The Point. We wish her all the stuck into CROPS, growing in confidence Let me finally introduce Nathanael best as she now pursues the next stage and having such an impact in the lives Grenfell who has joined CROPS for a gap in her life outside Peterborough. Jen is of many children and young people we year. Nathanael finished A Levels at The currently looking at youth work posts work with. We certainly will miss them all! King’s School in the summer, and being and so please join us in praying for her as our only gapper this year will be a busy she discerns God’s will for her life. man! He has already made a fantastic start – and we are so pleased to have We also have said goodbye to our him on the team. all-star CROPS Gap Year Team in the guise of Emily Hunter, Matthew Price To all our supporters, friends and and Andrew Henry. Emily has already volunteers who continue to pray, started as a Finance Apprentice at encourage, serve, and give sacrificially through finances and time, thank you Caterpillar, Matthew is soon to start for continuing to stand with us and for his Geography degree at Bangor and being part of this ministry. Andrew is going on to study Theology at Regents Theological College (Elim). It has Yours in Christ been such a special year seeing them get Matt Wild 2 | Autumn Edition Team Updates We always say how fast a so many experiences and term goes and how it feels opportunities during my like no time at all since our time at CROPS; mentoring, last newsletter entry, but event planning, being a I never realised how fast Letton leader, creating my 3 years at CROPS and resources, working in CYM would go. I can’t write secondary schools (and down in the short words much more) and I am I have here to express or richer for it. CROPS has share with you what a Sheila Bucknell journey this time has been been a safe place for me CROPS Administrator & for me. With my studies to grow, make mistakes, Schools Mentoring Team and my work at CROPS I learn, question, create and have grown and seen my challenge myself and I will Jen Crawford I can’t believe that we have faith strengthened in ways I always be thankful for my CYM Student come to the end of another couldn’t imagine. I have had time here. (Sep 2013 – July 2016) school year! Although I have missed some of it due to having a knee replacement, My year at CROPS is over! people. It was hard to say I am now back in the saddle, I am so thankful for the goodbye, but hopefully Praise God! It has been an opportunity to work with I will be able to come back amazing year with our team such a great team and I once or twice a term to bonding and serving so well will be sad to leave. This catch up with them. together, we will certainly term I have taken part I don’t regret taking a miss them and they have in mentoring with Jen. It GAP year with CROPS. been such a joy to work with. has been great to help It has helped me grow Matt, as ever has led us all in the young people grow in confidence and I have his usual way, with firm but in their self-confidence. grown in my faith too. gentle fun-loving leadership At the ‘Park Up’ and ‘Hot There are many experiences and he remains an inspiration Chocolate’ clubs I have that I can take away from to us all in the team. Emily Hunter built strong relationships this year that will help me in Gap Year Team 2015/16 with small groups of young years to come. I have had an amazing year working with the staff at OBA and the mentoring Well the time is here, I am help lead at The Point. It has has proved to be a great very sad to be finishing been one amazing year with inspiration to us all, with off my time at CROPS. some amazing feedback from such a great team, it will It’s been a great year for the young people concerned. be sad to say goodbye to me personally, growing Thank you to the staff for them. It has been an honour in confidence and in my their support throughout to serve alongside so many own faith. My personal this year. I look forward to great people and I’m just so another great year with highlights have been seeing thankful to Matt and CROPS CROPS (that’s if they don’t some of the young people for supporting me and pension me off!). Love and grow in their gifts and to prayers to all our supporters see them either pray out allowing me to be part of Andrew Henry and friends out there. loud for the first time or what they do. Gap Year Team 2015/16 I can scarcely believe my many great friendships and confidence in delivering final term at CROPS is had the opportunity to aid lessons and presentations. coming to a close already, so many young people on It’s always sad saying where has all of the time their individual journeys. goodbyes, though now it’s gone? However, even In particular, It’s Your time for me and the other though I am sad to be Move this term has been a gappers here at CROPS saying my farewells to fantastic opportunity not to move on too, so my everyone here at CROPS I just for helping the young prayer would be that God know I can look back upon people in their transitions would continue blessing Matthew Price the last year with great to Secondary School, but us in everything we do and Gap Year Team 2015/16 fondness, having forged also in developing my own wherever we go. Autumn Edition | 3 Secondary Schools Mentoring Project It’s an important time for the charity “ You’ve been a great help whilst I was as the trustees step out in faith to help reach more secondary school students in school and I will forever cherish the with this resource. Dealing face to face with children on their own turf, tackling help you gave me” important issues in their life, this project a student’s message to one of our will provide positive role models and a listening ear to hundreds of young people.