Seacroft

St Chad's Church			St Chad's Church
St Chad's Church		Giving & Caring Charities......Eco-congregation...Gifting

Seacroft Chance Project

The Seacroft Chance Project was established quite some time ago to meet a perceived need of children in the Seacroft area of Leeds. Seacroft is known as an area of high deprivation with considerable numbers of people unable to work because of health issues, as well as many single-parent families and those struggling to cope for a wide variety of reasons. The Seacroft Team Ministry covers one of the largest Council estates in the country as well as the adjoining areas of Swarcliffe and Whinmoor. There are five Church centres with one ordained person responsible for each.
The aim of the Seacroft Chance project is to take children aged 7 - 11 for a residential week-end with the opportunity to experience a variety of outdoor pursuits. We take children from across the parish who would otherwise have little opportunity for a holiday or who, for a variety of reasons, would benefit from a few days away.

There is always a high adult:children ratio of about one adult to two children. This is a deliberate policy so that there are plenty of possibilities for one-to-one time. The activities include team-building, rock-climbing and the ropes course.

Those taking part obtain a real sense of achievement which, in turn, increases self-confidence. There are also plenty of more informal activities.
After a number of years of going to Marrick Priory in the Yorkshire Dales, we went this year to Duke's Barn which is in the grounds of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. This move enabled the children to experience a wider and different range of activities, including stream walking and canoeing.
This is a unique way in which the Churches can serve the wider community and is greatly appreciated by families as well as the children themselves. The children do not need to have a Church connection and are sometimes nominated by schools or Social Services. Each child contributes a nominal fee towards the cost but the vast majority of the expense (around £3000-£4000 annually) has to be raised by applying to various charities.
If anyone from St Chad's would like to come as a helper, we should be very pleased to hear from you.

Heather Jamieson (vicar of St Richard's, Seacroft