St Barnabas Knowle West: A Safe Space for Young People
St Barnabas Church created a free weekly drop-in for children in Knowle West - and the community has rallied around it.
Knowle West is one of the most deprived areas in the United Kingdom. For families living here, that can means limited options and young people with few safe spaces to go after school.
St Barnabas Church has been part of this community since 1938 and understand the pressures facing local children and their families, and recently felt a growing call to help do something practical. The Safe Hangout Space - a free weekly drop-in every Monday night for children aged 8 to 15 - was their response.
"Parents in this community struggle financially. They struggle for spaces to send their children," says Rev Clive Hamilton. "We just wanted to provide them with a safe, free space."
Every Monday, children play football and basketball outside, take part in craft activities inside, and sit down to a hot meal at the end of the session - one less thing for parents to worry about when the children come home.
"We always end with a hot meal because we really believe that's important," says Cesca, St Barnabas' Children and Families Worker. "For them to know they're going to get fed - and that's not going to be something that the parents have to deal with when they go back home again."
The programme has grown by following what the children actually want, not a predetermined plan. Parents have noticed the difference - children more respectful, more willing to engage, more settled. Some have spoken directly with volunteers about carrying those same approaches into the home.
"I think the fact that this is a weekly group is really important," says Cesca . "It's definitely having a long-lasting effect - them learning how to relate to adults who aren't their family, learning to respect each other, and hopefully showing that same respect out in the community."
For the church, the goal was never about numbers or outcomes. It was about showing up consistently for young people who needed somewhere to belong.
"It was originally just intended to be a loving presence - creating encounter with them. Once the encounters happen, they build trust. And maybe that trust will lead to a relationship with the church. They'll know Christ," says Clive.
That quiet hope found unexpected expression when one of the older girls wrote a message on the blackboard unprompted: "Jesus loves you even in hard times."
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"Totally uncoached," says Clive. "Heart-moving."
For more information visit www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11695
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