Market Harborough Churches Column: CUBE works hard to support young people in the district

It is something we’ve always known and waited a long time to have affirmed by government.

The CUBE was founded by Harborough Christians and is a member of Churches Together Harborough. While we operate on Christian principles and are supported financially by Harborough churches among others, we exist for those of all faiths or none and our vision is to see all young people of Harborough thrive.

We know young people need to be able to meet in safe environments with the support of leaders who care.

This year has been difficult for young people, the uncertainty felt by us all has perhaps been felt more keenly by young people who were already known to be suffering increased levels of

mental health difficulties.

Problems left unaddressed at this stage of life can lead to more acute problems in adulthood; early intervention is widely recognised as key to good outcomes.

Here at the CUBE we found it extremely difficult to lockdown our programmes and lose contact with young people we had built relationships with. A small minority stayed connected through online groups, but the majority chose not to connect in this way so we have only been able to send good wishes and hold them in prayer.

So imagine our delight when given the go ahead to meet again in person, knowing this is now protected as youth work is finally recognised as essential. During the summer months we hosted gatherings in the garden where we enjoyed water fights, lit fires, toasted marshmallows and had lots of fun and laughter.

The CUBE was purpose built as a space for young people to enjoy and after months of standing empty, it was a joy to see it once again filled with energy and fun.

We also hosted a group of young people on the NCS (National Citizen Service) scheme in August.

They volunteered their time and spent a week working hard in our outdoor space, weeding, tidying, clearing and painting.

The garden looked fantastic when they finished. We were very thankful for the effort they put in, they in turn thanked us for use of the space enabling them to meet together,

build relationships and serve the community.

The CUBE is committed to remaining a safe space for young people to gather, grow and flourish.

We are doing all we can to get groups established again. We recently said goodbye to our youth work manager Charlotte who has followed her heart for children in care to work at a children’s home.

We wish her all the best. We are hoping to recruit a replacement, you can view the advert here: www.leicester.anglican.org/job-vacancies-/youth-work-manager--hyact-market-harborough.phpWe are always on the lookout for volunteers to get involved with our work either directly with young people or supporting behind the scenes. Please get in touch if you have any skills or expert knowledge that might benefit us.

- Jo Giles is a Trustee of The CUBE