A lifeline for struggling families

The last 12 months have been especially tough for parents with young children. Viva’s Charlotte Pearson-Miles shares the stories of two individuals, and the larger-scale collaborative impact of a new Early Years Network in Oxfordshire. I’d like to frame this story with two sets of neighbours. Neighbours with young children. The first family moved in […]

Zoom youth work takes off

Hannah Woods writes about how our Oxford-based partner network’s experiences of virtual youth work have gone global and led to greater collaboration than ever expected. “The impact of the pandemic on some children and young people will be far-reaching, and it will be essential that the right services are there to support them. The crisis […]

There but for the Grace of God

Young people at university in the UK are facing significant mental health issues under coronavirus lockdown. Charlotte Pearson-Miles shares sad news about someone she knew, and reflects on her own struggles as a student and the way out she found in the words of Jesus. Prayer days, outdoor services and light displays will have taken […]

Supporting Oxford’s young people in lockdown

BY HANNAH WOODS The pre-teen and early teenage years – particularly those aged 9-14 – are a period of massive growth and development within the brain. Young people perceive risks differently during this time, and therefore respond to risks differently. Assessing the risks posed by the coronavirus will therefore be a different type of challenge […]

Top tips: how to support young people in your church

Picture the scene. A large family meal is taking place, but there are two tables. At one sit all the adults, engaged in conversation and eating politely. At the other table sit the children, complete with plastic crockery, food spilled everywhere in a scene not entirely unlike the Lord of the Flies. Sound familiar? Now […]