Stort Valley Schools Trust

Stort Valley Schools Trust is an independent registered charity formed in 1990 to employ a Schools Worker to support and encourage Christian teachers and pupils in local secondary schools.

There are now three workers employed, working three, two and one day a week respectively. Their main responsibilities are:

• To develop strong links with Headteachers and Heads of RE Departments
• To help set up, or strengthen, existing Christian Groups in Schools
• To take Assemblies and RE and PHSE Lessons
• To initiate, or support prayer groups for every school
• To enable links between schools and churches

Ros Harling was formerly Head of Music in Chingford and still teaches music one day a week in Ware. She lives in Bishops Stortford. Sally Stanley is married with two young children and lives in Dunmow. She has a degree in community drama and has lots of experience of working with young people in various settings. Linda Willbe lives in Elsenham and is very much involved in the young people's work in the Henham, Elsenham and Ugley Churches. She is a qualified teacher and joins the team on 1^st September for just one day a week initially.

We are fortunate that our local schools are generally welcoming and there are opportunities to get alongside the young people. This may not always be the case and we feel called to develop these links while the door is open. There are a large number of young people in our schools who would not otherwise have any link with Christians and the schools clubs are a great way to get them involved and searching.

School Clubs operate in Stansted Mountfitchet, Boys High, Herts & Essex, Leventhorpe, Hockerill and Helena Romanes. There have been lessons and/or assemblies in all these schools as well as County High in Saffron Walden, and to a lesser extent in Newport but both these schools have good church links with regular Clergy visits, however contacts are still being followed up as there have been closer ties in the past with Newport.

SVST have an office base at the Charis Centre in Water Lane, Bishops Stortford, CM23 2JZ where Ros, Sally and Linda can be contacted. Also locally, Linda Peake (Henham) is a Trustee and would be pleased to give any further information or arrange a visit.

Last updated 30^th August, 2004