Having already been in quarantine for a week with her family, youth worker Hannah Woods shares her key learning points and ‘dealbreakers’ of how to stay home together. As I write this, I sit between my seven year-old, doing literacy, and my nine year old, doing maths. This is a steep learning curve for parents […]
Tag: Doorsteps
Matt’s story
Walking alongside and empowering a young person is an invested journey, with plenty of ups and downs, says youth worker Hannah Woods. During library lessons, I regularly read with young people to get to know them and identify who might benefit from youth work contact in future. It was during this time that a Year […]
My work experience: Singing and scoops
BY ELEANOR SIMPSON From singing with toddlers to eating two great big scoops of Banoffee ice cream with a local boys’ group… These are two of the events I was fortunate enough to attend run by Doorsteps, Viva’s partner network in Oxford, which creates partnerships of hope for children and young people in Oxford and […]
More than just marshmallows
BY EMMA STONEHOUSE I had the privilege of going to one of the taster sessions for next year’s Find Your Fire youth programme which starts in September. We took a group of eight young people from a local secondary school out of East Oxford and into the woodland: to make dens, whittle sticks, eat a […]
Fuelling the fire
BY MIKE MACLENNAN God blesses us, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Isn’t that an incredible truth? God has made each of us unique. Viva has partnered with others in Oxford to work to fulfil the plans God has for young people here. PIG… that was a knock to my self-esteem when I visited a […]
Mental health: helping young people flourish
BY ANDREW DUBOCK The mental health challenges of our children and young people can feel like a hopeless situation. One in eight 5 to 19 year olds has a diagnosable mental health condition, yet only a quarter of these have had contact with specialists in the past year. This statistic, released by NHS Digital in […]
Viva showcases a variety of art at Oxford exhibition
Viva is hosting an exhibition for Oxfordshire Artweeks 2019 created by staff and friends, inspired by working with vulnerable children around the world – from those working in youth services in Oxfordshire to refugee camps in the Middle East and to children on the streets of Delhi. The exhibition will run from 4th-11th May (excluding […]
Finding Fire, under-fives and further ways to work together
Doorsteps, Viva’s partner network in Oxford, which launched four years ago, is continuing to lead a co-ordinated response to some of the most pressing needs facing vulnerable children and young people in the city. Here’s a short update on three key areas of work. FLOURISHING UNDER 5S During the autumn, we ran a successful and […]
Building resilience
Andy Jefferson asks: how do we protect our young people from those who would exploit them? The challenge of tackling exploitation can seem daunting. When we hear stories of young people being groomed or taken advantage of in some way, it can make our stomachs turn. And, as a youth worker, it can be heart-breaking […]
What My Year At Viva Has Taught Me About Jesus
BY HANNAH BARR My first few days working at Viva were terrifying! They coincided with the 2017 international team meetings, which meant I had a real baptism of fire; not only did I have to be introduced to and get to know everyone who works in the head office, but I also had to meet […]