Funding for Sheffield Falcon Holiday Camp

On Wednesday, 2 October 2019, Dr Alan Billings visited Jonathan Buckley at the Sheffield Methodist Circuit offices to discuss the Sheffield Falcon Holiday Camp.

The camp provided a holiday for 20 children from disadvantaged backgrounds and was held in August over the school summer break.  Jonathan was successful in securing £2,000 from funding from the Commissioner’s Community Grant Scheme to contribute to the camp.

Dr Billings said: “I always try to visit those who received funding from the small grants scheme. I recently had some feedback on a Summer Holiday project which saw about 20 young people from disadvantage backgrounds spend a week at Hagg Farm near Ladybower reservoir.

“Hagg Farm was once a working farm but is now a residential centre owned by Nottinghamshire County Council. I have often noticed the signs to it along the road to the Snake Pass.

“Jonathan Buckley, who works for Sheffield Methodist Circuit, arranged the week of visits and activities. The young people came mainly from the Parson Cross area of Sheffield.

“The week exposed a group of young people with some positive role models at the camp while diverting them away from anti-social behaviour over the holiday period.

“This is an area of the city where last year the local Methodist Church, Mount Tabor, provided 2,740 food parcels – an increase of 36% over the previous year. One in three parcels were for children.

“It was also an area where in 2018 there were 390 crimes recorded, 82 of them for anti-social behaviour.”