Children and Young People at church in Wimbledon

We are a family-friendly and child-friendly congregation, and children and young people are a very important part of our community here in Holy Trinity Church.

What do we mean by this? Best to explain by describing what we actually do in seeking to follow Jesus Christ's instruction to his disciples: ... when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. [Mk 10:14]. Therefore children are not only welcomed and taught here, but they also bring their experience into our shared understanding of God's kingdom and the church.

Here are some of activities we organise particularly to include children and young people in our community of faith, to nurture their spirituality, and to ensure their safety by complying with the law and following best practice.

Creche (0-3 years)

There is a crèche for children aged up to 3 years in the choir vestry during every 10 am Sunday service (apart from 1st Sunday of the month which is an all age Eucharist). Crèche sessions comprise a mix of play and structured activities: free play, story time, singing, art/craft. Helpers undertake a CRB check in the interests of child protection. Talk to a crèche leader about using the crèche.

Parents of crèche members take turns running crèche sessions on a rota basis, lead by a member of the crèche team. The crèche supports parents/carers in attending and enjoying the service, and introducing their little ones to Holy Trinity. Parents are encouraged to stay in the crèche until their child is comfortable to be left, and they are comfortable to leave them! Children can be dropped off after the ‘welcome’ and collected before communion. Some parents drop their children off for the duration, others use it more as a temporary outlet for their child at certain times during the service. We ask parents to sit close to the crèche so we can easily find them if their child needs them.

Contact: Sylvie Baird (see Crèche on the Contact page)

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Junior Church (3-14)

Junior Church is a vibrant part of our church community with four age groups meeting on three Sundays out of four every month throughout the year except during August. .
Find out more on the Junior Church page.

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Planet Plenty, Easter 2009

Jubilate (6+ years)

Jubilate is our young people's choir which welcomes children from 6 upwards who enjoy singing or can play an instrument.

More about Jubilate

Contact: Tracy Lees via Jubilate on the Contact page

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All Age Eucharist
An All Age Eucharist is celebrated monthly on the first Sunday morning at 10.00am, this Parish Eucharist is intended for all ages (not just children!)

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The Early Service
The Early Service is held on the 2nd and 4th Sunday mornings of the month at 9.00am - 30 minutes of worship designed for children up to 6 years and their carers.

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Baptism
We are pleased to baptise any child who lives in our Parish after a period of preparation involving parents or carers and godparents.

Find out more from our Baptism page.

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Children and receiving Holy Communion
As a parish, we welcome children in Key Stage 2 or above to receive communion before Confirmation. Children and their carers first take part in a 5-week course of preparation. The children are then received together into communion during a Parish Eucharist.

Background information on Children receiving Holy Communion at Holy Trinity [PDF 57kB]

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Confirmation by the Bishop
Each year we run a dedicated course of preparation for young people (usually aged between 11 and 16 years) who desire to be confirmed in their faith by the Bishop.

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Child Protection
Being an inclusive community is more than just a matter of running 'activities' - important though these are.
We aim to help our children develop in faith in a safe environment. These are some of the ways we aim to do this.

We aim to follow best practice guidance by having an actively-managed Child Protection Policy:

As a parish we follow the Church of England's guidance and the Diocese of Southwark's Guidelines on best practice for ensuring the protection of the children in our care.

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) have adopted the Policy issued by the Diocese of Southwark
and it is administered by the Safeguarding Officer.
Contact: Louise Fox, Safeguarding Officer

[More about the Child Protection Policy]

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These are just the headlines about what we do to include children in our community life.
Whenever we plan, we take account of the distinct needs of children and aim always to include them,
'...for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.' [Mk 10:14]

More about the Child Protection Policy

This Parish aims to comply with the ongoing guidance on child protection from the Anglican Diocese of Southwark.

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) has therefore:

appointed a Safeguarding Officer;
introduced a Child Protection Policy which includes the requirement that all adults working with children first achieve full CRB clearance.

The PCC has fully implemented this Child Protection Policy and reviews its operation annually.
The full Policy is available from the Rector or the Safeguarding Officer.

Process

Every person requiring to work with children or young people at Holy Trinity must first complete:
(i) a confidential Declaration form.
This Declaration will be handled in strict confidence, and will be seen only by the Vicar, and CPO and kept secure. It will be used only for Church purposes.
(ii) a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance form.
This CRB form will be seen by the Rector or Safeguarding Officer and sent to the Diocese of Southwark which handles all CRB clearance across the diocese.If the search proves ‘nil’ then the individual will hear directly from the Criminal Records Bureau and the Parish will be informed that the check has been satisfactorily completed.

Contact: Louise Fox, Safeguarding Officer

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