St John and St James, Orrel Hey receives prestigious award for the quality of its welcome to children.
St John and St James Orrel Hey is celebrating receiving the prestigious Child Friendly Church award from the Diocese of Liverpool. The award is only given to churches following an independent evaluation of the work they have carried out to making themselves more child and family friendly.
St John and St James, Orrel Hey has joined over 30 churches who have achieved this award since it was instigated in 2004. The award was created by the Diocese of Liverpool and has since been adopted by other Dioceses and denominations across the country. It challenges churches to assess themselves across a range of criteria including; is there a vision for developing children’s work; is the church a safe place for young people; do the young people themselves feel they have a say in the matters that affect them and does the church have suitable resources for young people. The award exists to encourage churches to make better provision for young people.
Bishop James said “I am deeply committed to making sure our churches are safe, friendly, welcoming places for all ages and in particular children and young people. The Child Friendly Church Award is an important mark that churches can display with pride. Churches displaying the award are showing the community they have made a real commitment to making their church a great place for young people to be.”
Jane Leadbetter, Diocesan Children’s Worker added “all churches who receive the child friendly award have worked hard to reach the standard we require. Getting the award doesn’t mean the church has to have lots of children week by week, what it does show is that everyone at the church is committed to welcoming children and young people.”
For more information about the Child Friendly Church go to www.liverpoolchildstalk.co.uk
