Stories and Past Events

On eleven different days during the summer holidays, DACYP ran Life Bites, where young people prepared, cooked, shared and ate very tasty meals. New skills were gained, ‘I’ve never chopped an onion before’ said one participant.

 

Alongside the cooking was great conversations about life (and death….there were two funerals on at the church one week), holidays and food.

S3 students from Dunbar Grammar School went on a trip to the WWI Battlefields.  Richard was among the adults who went and was the 'Padre' of the expedition.

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At the Menin Gate, some of the lads laid a wreath on behalf of Andy's Man Club to remember those who suffered mental health difficulties as a result of war.

An amazing work by many human hands, these 3D scenes from the Bible stimulated thinking about familiar stories in a new way.

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Bible storytelling sessions were held and children and adults alike were invited to try their hand at being creative with wool.

We took 7 young people away to the Scripture Union Holiday at Scoughall near North Berwick. Their week was jam packed with adventurous activities, wild camping and lots of fun. Central to the event is helping young people discover the Bible. The leadership of the holiday blend this into the experience quite naturally. The young people who went on the holiday are drawn from the different aspects of DACYP’s work. Some through Harbour Lights Xtra, one from Messy Church and some through contact in school. Here’s what some young people said;

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• The community is welcoming, the activities are fun and high energy. The teaching is interesting and always makes you feel closer to god.

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• It was an amazing experience with fun activities and good bite sized teaching.

One of the summer Life Walks saw a small group exploring Lochend Woods and reflecting on God’s creation. It was precious time to notice birdsong, bugs, plants and fossils. We had the bonus of having two volunteers with a background in geology and palaeontology to add more insight to our walk.

When asked ‘what would you create if you were God?’ The young people thought about a world where people did no evil. Each of them had a ball of clay to create their own creature using nature's resources to accessorise them.

Students at East Linton and Dunbar Primary schools have been helped in their exploration of the Christian Festival of Easter.  As part of the curriculum they learn about the significance to Christians and have time to reflect on what it could mean for them too.

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Words the students used to capture the story:

~  sacrifice  ~  life  ~  

~  grateful  ~  forgiveness  ~  ~  goodness  ~  trust  ~  hope  ~

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Dunbar Primary School enjoyed a visit from Joe Wicks in January 2025.

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Richard was able to meet with Joe and talk about physical fitness, mental health, and about Andy's Man Club.

I got involved with the Lads' Group shortly after it started. I was not sure if it would be something the lads really would want for any reason other than being officially sanctioned time out the classroom.

The volunteers sit in to listen and occasionally to contribute, mostly just adding adult support to the session leader.  Sometimes one of the older lads themselves run the session.

It was amazing to see how so many of the lads changed over a matter of a few weeks from suspicion or vague amusement at the proceedings to involvement in sharing with and listening respectfully and non-judgementally to their peers. Trivial matters are talked about but increasingly each week really important issues are raised, sometimes when the matter had not been talked over with anyone at school or at home.

At the end of the school year this summer, lads were asked to comment on how they had benefitted from the group and the majority gave clear and positive things that they felt had helped them. It is to be hoped that the experience of the Lads' Group sets up a positive attitude to sharing and listening for years to come.

Primary 6 students made a visit to St Anne's Church to learn about Christian ceremonies.  Marriage and Baptism were discussed and acted out.  

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Students also had time for quiet, reflective moments in the chapel, helping to connect their own experiences to this sacred space and concepts of faith.

Paul Beautyman, an experienced youth worker and facilitator led the Trustees, Management Committee and other interested people in a workshop to consider potential growth of DACYP. 

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With DACYP at the twenty year mark, this is an ideal time to think about the "now" and the "not yet".

The Big Questions “Grill a Minister” event took place in December at Dunbar Primary School.  This is one of the ways that DACYP is involved in helping in the delivery of the RME (Religious and Moral Education) curriculum for P7 students.

 

We had 4 ministers on the panel, 3 from the same denomination, but the diverse responses to the questions made this an enriching event for the young people. It was good for them to hear different perspectives of the Christian faith and to assist them make up their own minds about it.

The work I do with this class involves working with all 32 of the pupils which is both challenging and enjoyable.  

I love the fact that I liaise closely with the teacher such that I feel very much part of the team.