Southport has seen more than its fair share of tragedy this year. But this Christmas, Faith Guides, local churches and Local Mission Partners are uniting in an enormous project to bless the local community.
Under the banner of 'Love Southport', an army of volunteers is revealing the love and hope of Jesus in every school across the town.
Sadly, the town of Southport has been in our news headlines a lot this past year. The heartbreaking story of a knife attack in a dance studio, where three young girls lost their lives and another 10 individuals were injured, shocked the nation back in the summer. The fear and outrage following the attack led to a wave of protests and riots across the UK, with violence erupting on our streets even as people gathered to grieve the deaths of their loved ones.
The impact of a tragedy like this on the local community is difficult to imagine. But while the official investigations and judicial proceedings continue to take place, and prayers for the family and friends of victims are always a comfort, a more practical project is also in the works this Christmas.
Tabz, who works for one of our Local Mission Partners in Southport explains, ‘The Blessing in a Backpack’ project is part of what we call locally ‘Love Southport’ – an initiative of the local churches’
Rich Vernon, one of the church leaders, says, ‘Our goal is to bless every primary school child across our town with a backpack full of goodies that we hope will not only bless them, but will also communicate a message that God loves them.’
This amounts to a mammoth task: 6,500 backpacks filled with toys, books, resources and a message of hope to every child. As you can imagine, it has taken a huge team of local, national and international individuals and organisations giving their time and resources to achieve this vision.
Tabz tells us, ‘All in all there are 6,500 backpacks still in the process of distribution to 19 different schools, and it has been such a privilege to be involved so far. Each backpack has a whole bunch of toys gifted from churches across the country and some large American church partners.’
"It has led to a lot of excitement and very happy little faces!"
Thanks to the continued generosity of our Scripture Union supporters, there is a copy of Diary of a Disciple (mini edition) in each of the bags, alongside a number of other resources and a note explaining who the backpack is from. Southport and Area Schools Worker Trust, the SU Local Mission Partner where Tabz is based, are the obvious link with many of the schools and have shared in the school assemblies as some of the bags are delivered.
‘All I can say is that it has been really wonderful to see, and for the children to experience such a large-scale act of generosity. It has led to a lot of excitement and very happy little faces!’
Right now, the project is ongoing, bags are still being packed and an army of volunteers are working to deliver them to primary schools across the town. Tabz has kept us updated with a few photos and videos, and more will be on the way from ‘Love Southport’ as things are completed.
Thanks go out to everyone at Love Southport as well as Tabz and the team at SASWT for sharing this story. But most of all, thanks to each of our amazing supporters who are making a difference in the lives of children and young people and helping us reveal Jesus this Christmas.
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