Child Friendly Church Award
Altrincham United Reformed Church was awarded the Child Friendly Church Award on 1st December 2013. This award covers our buildings at both Trinity Hale and Woodlands Timperley. Plaques and certificates were received from Leo Roberts, the N.W. Synod Youth Training Officer. The award was received by our Minister Revd Brian Jolly, Megan Gilks youth leader at Trinity Hale and Sue Jesson youth leader at Woodlands Timperley.
The Child Friendly Church Award has been developed to help churches give children the best possible experience of church and acts as a tool to help churches evaluate their children’s and youth work. It is a self assessment scheme designed to celebrate and support a church’s journey to being Child Friendly. CFCA Advisers work alongside the churches and guide them towards the final award which is presented for a 5 year period.
Families visiting or moving to a new area and looking for a church that would welcome their children will be attracted by churches that have been awarded Child Friendly Church status. Any church which meets the criteria for receiving the Award is given a Child Friendly Church plaque and certificate to display.
9 criteria in order to achieve the Child Friendly Church Award:
- Child Protection Policy in place, implemented and regularly reviewed
- Church buildings offer a safe environment
- Training and support for leaders in place
- Provision for children’s and youth nurturing groups (0-18yrs)
- Opportunities for children and young people to be included in child friendly church services
- Suitable materials for under 5’s available in church
- Opportunities for voices of under 18’s to be heard
- Feedback obtained from children and young people
- A vision in place for Youth and Children’s Work.
Altrincham United Reformed Church Vision for Youth and Children’s Work:
Whilst being nurtured in the Christian faith our children and young people will say that they feel safe and happy and that they are valued, contributing members of the church family.