Sometimes the simplest ideas can make the biggest difference. That’s certainly true of The Beacon, a parish-led project in Winchcombe that offers young people a warm, welcoming place to spend time after school.
Based at the St Peter’s Centre, next to St Peter’s Church, The Beacon is supported by the Diocese’s Mission Grant Fund, helping the parish continue this valuable ministry to local young people.
Simon Andrews, churchwarden for the Parish of Winchcombe, which includes St Peter’s Winchcombe, Christ Church Gretton and St Michael’s Stanley Pontlarge successfully applied for a Mission Grant to support the project.
“The Beacon project is designed really for 11 to 17-year-olds, from those just leaving the local primary school through to the end of secondary school,” Simon said. “Working closely with local schools, The Beacon welcomes young people who will particularly benefit from having a safe, supportive place to spend time.”
Sessions run twice a week after school until 6.30pm, giving young people the chance to relax, enjoy a hot meal, complete homework, get creative with crafts, chat with friends or simply kick a football around outside.
“The Beacon project is primarily a safe space,” Simon said. “Our voluntary mentors provide a stable environment where these children can come into and engage with each other. They are fed whilst they’re with us, and it is a warm, comfortable space.”
While The Beacon isn’t a formal youth club with a structured programme, it offers somewhere young people know they are welcome and valued.
“The project isn’t overtly faith-based, but its Christian foundations are clear in the way it serves the community. The leaders and mentors are Christian. They’re decent people doing the right thing for the right reasons, looking after our fellow human beings. That is what Christ’s teachings tell us,” Simon said.
The Mission Grant Fund has played an important role in helping the project continue.
“The Mission Grant, amongst others, has allowed us to continue to run the programme,” Simon said. “The Parish is running at a deficit, so every grant we receive helps us continue supporting these young people.”
Simon found the application process straightforward and approachable. “I found that the questions were clear and easy to work through,” he said. “The complexity was more in explaining the project’s finances and showing how different sources of funding fit together. It’s worth having an understanding of the finances and budgets before you apply.”
As The Beacon looks to the future, the Parish hopes to expand the project so even more young people can benefit. Sustaining the project remains a priority, with the Parish committed to keeping The Beacon running for as long as possible while continuing to seek the widest external funding to support its work.
“We can realistically take a maximum of about 10 to 12 young people at a time in terms of space, but that’s from a potential pool of around 40 children, so we have to manage numbers carefully,” Simon said. “There’s an aspiration, working with Tewkesbury Borough Council and Winchcombe Town Council, to bring another building in the town back into community use. If that becomes available, we’d have the space to welcome many more young people into The Beacon.”
If you would like to know more about the Mission Grant Fund please contact the Revd Canon Dr Sandra Millar, Director of the Department of Mission and Ministry, at ku.gro.coidsolg@rallims.
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A brilliant idea for Winchcombe- one of my very favourite little towns.. and a needed space for young adults to meet up. I hope it all goes well.