LUX Update ~ Sam Packer

There are 12 of us in the team working a variety of different hours, days and locations. We meet together once month for catch up, prayer and a Biblical reflection of some description as well as training. Next week I am doing an online two day course on Mental Health First Aid. We also have a weekly prayer meeting in the office at Roundhill Hub on Tuesdays from 9.15am which I join in with online. It’s a great way to start the day and find out what everyone’s up to that week.

So, what sorts of things does the team do? We run a schools-based Chaplaincy & Mentoring project. There are paid workers and volunteer mentors who meet young people throughout the day for mentoring. Schools refer children who can be struggling with a range of different issues from anxiety to ADHD and low self-esteem and low school attendance as well as friendships issues. We play games, do craft activities, colouring in & provide the children with a place to be themselves and do something different during the school day. We currently work in Ralph Allen, St Mark’s, Hayesfield & St Greg’s.

One girl, I mentored last year had come from another school due to bullying issues and her safety blanket at School were her fake lashes, which is not part of the school uniform. When we finished meeting she wrote on her feedback form “I can come to School with no fake lashes on as I feel more confident and love myself”

One lad who hid behind his coat all year wrote on his feedback form “Mentoring has made me feel safer & more confident, I have learned how to respect others”. When I saw him the other day, I almost didn’t recognise him as he didn’t have his coat on.

Outside of school, Sam & Freja run Motus Dance Academy in Southdown, they have an Annual Dance Show as well as performing at various other events including the Showcase & AGM and in December at Carols at The Rec. Their Annual Dance Show was in July at the Roper Theatre in Hayesfield School. It is always really well supported, it was a fabulous event where the children showed off their excellent dancing skills. They call Motus their “family” and really appreciate the sense of community and belonging it brings.

Nick is based at The Hive in Peasedown doing youth clubs and detached work with Joanna. Similarly, Jane is based in Timsbury & runs a Youth Club there as well as working in the local Primary School & at the Church in Camerton. Libby is our Community Mentor and also works in Peasedown. Lea is the business manager & fundraiser and keeps the wheels of admin turning as well as applying for grants. Luke’s the Boss and he keeps us all in check and steers the ship of LUX.

New to the team are Andreea who is the Fundraiser and Events Co-ordinator. She did a great job at LUX’s 40th birthday organising the Auction of Promises at St Luke’s when it was 37 degrees. And Ethan, who I remember when he came to St Mark’s! He & Joanna run the Youth Club at Larkhall URC, which I can see from my room, that opens two afternoons after school and is well used.

I am still loving my role at St Mark’s Church of England Secondary School in Larkhall as their Chaplain three days a week and am in my 6th year now and it’s all good. SIAMS (the God bit of OFSTED) visited for two days the second week of term. Their inspection is based around the Christian elements of the School including RE, Collective Worship & Spirituality School Culture and Vision & Leadership, Curriculum. The ratings have changed recently so it’s either J1 - you’re doing great, keep it or J2 - could do better. These aren’t the way the judgements are described by SIAMS!

Collective Worship is on a Tuesday morning and we celebrate all the Christians themes like Lent, Easter, Advent, Christmas & Pentecost, as well as other topics such as Black and LGBTQ+ History Months, Homelessness, Holocaust Memorial Day, New Years Resolutions & World Book Day. Once the welcome & notices are out of the way, a student lights a candle and reads a prayer to signify the start. Members of SLT take turns as well as me and other outside visitors.

The Church of England’s Flourish project is going well in establishing worshipping communities in schools across the UK. We have an optional group called “The Wednesday Thing” where students meet in The Sanctuary on alternate Wednesday mornings & finishing with our usual termly Communion. On the Wednesday morning, we usually get around 20-25 students attending as well as Susannah, the Curate in Larkhall, & their new Intern Daisy and we unpack the theme of the Collective Worship a bit more, look at different aspects of it, watch a film, talk, read the Bible & pray. This term we’ve looked at the Bible verses linked to the school values of Aspiration": Philippians 2.5-8, Resilience: 4.13 & Community: Numbers 27.15-17 and the tag line of Let your light shine: Matthew 5.16. We read the verses together and I asked them to write down what they thought about them & how it made them feel. Their answers brought me to tears, I’ll share them all in Church on 18th Oct (as there are SO many) but one that stuck out for me was about Matthew 5.16 “It makes me feel special because it’s telling us to be credible” That is a pretty big thing for a teenager to say,

Our numbers for Communion at the end of term have been somewhere between 17 and 37 this year, which for a school of just over 200 is pretty good. Next week Rich Miles is coming in, two girls turned up this morning hoping it was today! Ultimately, I am not bothered by numbers I just want the children who come along to know that God loves them and Jesus died for them.

Breakfast Club happens every morning and it’s so good to be able to be able to offer free breakfast for anyone who wants it. We subscribe to Fare Share who deliver food to school once a week & it’s always exciting to see what has been delivered.

I meet weekly with six students for Mentoring and continue to see young people who are finding life tough It is always a privilege to share in the lives of the young people & encourage them. Many come from chaotic backgrounds or just have lots going on in their families lives & for some school can be a daunting place and yet some children it’s their safe space. If I can provide them with space to be listened to or somewhere for some down time, I will feel like I have done my job as being the hands and feet of Jesus in the school. I am here for the children, their families and the staff.

I also get the joy of going to other Churches in Larkhall and recently went to the URC and take the Service as they are in a vacancy currently. Twice a year we troop down to St Saviour’s Church for our Easter & Christmas Services and get such a warm friendly welcome from them.

LUX is a charity and is reliant on donations from local churches and individuals as well as grants we receive from Trusts although in recent years, these have been less frequent. We are so very thankful to those who support us, some over many many years & I am grateful to you, St Luke’s Church Family for your support and encouragement, it means a lot. If you’re interested in supporting our work financially or prayerfully, please look on our website. And if you fancy a visit to St Mark’s, please do ask me & we can arrange a time.

We want the best for the young people we work with and believe in them. We want them to know that God loves & believes in them too. For more details go to our website LUX Youth Project – LUX Youth Project in the City of Bath & like our page on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and e.

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We believe in every young person we interact with no matter what their background, or how they identify. We want to help facilitate hope in young people’s lives by meeting them where they are in life and help them reach their God given potential.  We deliver open access youth work, breakfast clubs, 1:1 mentoring, small group work, Motus – a street dance academy