Ekklesia Project supports young people
The Ekklesia Project has been supporting young people in Fakenham for over five years; working with both individuals and groups.  A key point of contact is the weekly High School Drop-in run by our youth worker, Paul (pictured right). Some students want information; others want to talk through issues or have a chat.
One girl disclosed that her friend was pregnant; she was encouraged to seek medical advice and introduced to Pregnancy Crisis. A boy came in a few weeks ago lamenting the fact that he had been put on report. Paul was able to help him to devise strategies to improve his behaviour and he is no longer on report.
Some issues are more difficult, such as providing support to those affected by the death of a fellow student. The resultant leaflet, on dealing with grief, generated a positive response from the young people and has also been used by Norfolk County Council’s critical incident team at other schools.
It is not all about dealing with problems, we also try to have fun! One girl studying for GCSEs illustrated this by saying ‘it’s great coming in here, because I can relax, have fun and not think about schoolwork and exams’.
 Paul has taken several assemblies, which give him the opportunity to impact a wider audience and Sarah, Ekklesia’s Project Manager, has lead some sessions on problem solving with year 10 students.
Future plans for the summer include making a film with some students during curriculum enhancement week and a motorcycle project. This initial 10 week course will introduce 15 year olds to the enjoyment of riding a 125cc Honda bike in a controlled and safe environment.
The Ekklesia Project is funded by donations from individuals, trusts and charities. We are fortunate to have received enough funds to be able to run some new pilot projects, but to secure our long term future we need additional resources.
 For more information about the Ekklesia Project contact Sarah Durke at the Ekklesia office. Tel: 01328 851020 Email: ekklesia21@aol.com | 