London Link Group

Young Quaker London Link Group

What in Watford bookings

September 5, 2026 / / Comments Off on What in Watford bookings / Sticky

What just happened indeed – we just opened the bookings for our next residential weekend taking place at Watford Meeting House on the 9 – 11 October!

The deadline for booking is 30 September, to book use our booking form .

We’re planning a great residential weekend. Currently in our plan is the usual mix of:

  • Introductions and getting to know each other
  • Film night
  • Games – from Board games to Empire to Sardines (we’ll explain it all, join in with what you want to)
  • A thought provoking session on the theme of “Taking action”
  • Quiet reflection time – Epilogue and Quaker meeting (option to stay in for full hour or first 15min)
  • Eating together
  • Bonfire
  • Walk / Trip out park
  • Craft activity
  • Friendship and fellowship
  • Free time / hanging out

There are different options for travel.

Friday 9 October 2026

Option 1) Arriving direct (independent travel) to Quaker Meeting house, Watford 150 Church Road, Watford, WD17 4QB: Please arrive after 6pm.

Option 2) Travel with group from London: Please meet in the garden of Friends House, Euston Road at 5:45pm

Sunday 11 October 2026

Option 1) Departing direct (independent travel) from Quaker Meeting house, Watford: Departures from 3:30pm.

Option 2) Travel with group from Watford Meeting House back to Friends House, Euston, London, aiming to arrive back at Euston for 4pm.

Please state which option you are intending in the booking form

Cost is £15 but let us know if support to pay this is required!

This event is open to all young people age 11-18, who are Quakers or connected to Quakers.

Silent Walking Vigil for Peace (Saturday 19 September)

August 17, 2026 / / Comments Off on Silent Walking Vigil for Peace (Saturday 19 September) / Sticky

London Link Group are offering to provide (DBS checked) adult accompaniers for any Linkers (aged 11-19) who want to attend the upcoming Silent Walking Vigil for Peace in a group.

This is taking place on Saturday 19 September 12-4pm in central London and all are welcome.

Further details are available here: https://quakervigilforpeace.org/

We intend to meet at Westminster Meeting House at 11.30 and join the vigil for about an hour before returning to Westminster Meeting House.

If you would like to attend with London Link Group, please can you let us know by Sunday 13 September via this booking form This is to ensure we have enough volunteers. Thank you.

Paddles ahoy!

July 20, 2026 / / Comments Off on Paddles ahoy! / Sticky

We are advised to Live Adventurously and that is what 13 Linkers, supported by 5 adult volunteers, did on a hot sunny day in the Lea Valley.

After successfully passing a challenging swimming test, involving jumping into a fast flowing body of water to prove we could swim to safety, 16 of us were divided into 2 crafts to experience Whitewater Rafting – down the course built for the 2012 London Olympics.

Events were faithfully recorded by our onshore Ffriends and we thank them, and our lovely instructors, for their support!

We learnt the importance of following instructions in order to prevent capsizing/falling out of a raft, how to work together as a team to move forward (and backwards), and how to overcome understandable fears and move out of our comfort zones. While having a very fun time (if not quiet – there was a lot of screaming). Many of us also got some first hand experience of following instructions after capsizing/falling out of a raft. 

We then hit the water again for Wipeout – cheerfully racing each other on an inflatable obstacle course, occasionally falling (or pushing someone else) in! While less scary, there was still a lot of laughter and screaming. Once we’d tired ourselves out we enjoyed bobbing blissfully in the lake under the hot sun.

History, murder and shining lights in Forest Hill

March 11, 2026 / / Comments Off on History, murder and shining lights in Forest Hill / Sticky

On Saturday 7 March a group of 8 young people aged 11-18 and 5 adult volunteers made their way to Forest Hill for the weekend. On Saturday afternoon we enjoyed a walking tour around Bermondsey, hosted by local Quaker Sheila Taylor, who showed us key spots from the history of the remarkable Ada and Alfred Salter. Ada had been mayor of Bermondsey from 1922, the first female mayor in London, and Alfred was a GP who became the Member of Parliament. They campaigned for better housing, clearing dreadful slums, planted trees and cared tirelessly for the young, the sick and the poor. Ada ran girls’ clubs in the area. Tragically, their only daughter Joyce died aged 8 of scarlet fever. BYM has an annual Salter lecture, named in their memory.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch in the Ada Salter garden at Southwark Park, and from there we visited the Brunel Tunnel museum in Rotherhithe, where the first tunnel under the Thames was dug (now housing the Windrush Line). Feeling educationally nourished and physically tired, we headed back to the meeting house for biscuits, luxury hot chocolate and squirty cream, and a game of Mafia. 

In the evening we ate double portions of pasta bake, Madeira cake and custard, and got dressed up in the style of 1930s train passengers for a very dramatic and highly entertaining murder mystery game. Most players were able to correctly deduce the identity of the murderer who done it, the guilty character being a detective by the name of Hugh Dunnit. We ended a happy day with a short epilogue in the meeting room. 

On Sunday morning, International Women’s Day, we awoke to news of the Grand Prix result from one or two who had arisen extremely early (or stayed up extremely late!) to follow events in Melbourne, sang a few songs, and enjoyed delicious pancakes and hot cross buns as part of Forest Hill Quaker Meeting’s monthly shared breakfast. A bumper 24 children and young people joined the Children’s and Junior Meeting, on the topic of the Salters, before heading into the meeting room to join the adults for all age worship.

We were all given a card shaped like a candle to write the names of “shining lights” – Quakers who have inspired us. After meeting for worship some helped in the garden, including clearing a memorial stone removed from the old meeting house/burial ground in Peckham, which included commemoration of Ada and Alfred Salter. Around this we placed all the “shining lights” that Friends had written in meeting for worship. We shared lunch with Forest Hill Friends, and went on our way feeling very grateful for a super weekend together and looking forward to seeing each other again soon. 

Sheila Taylor shared a lovely short film (6 mins) which was made for the Salter centenary by the local secondary school. (The one which is now on the site of the school that the Salters’ daughter Joyce attended.)  It depicts Joyce as she was back in 1910 and then imagines her as a contemporary schoolgirl playing football with her friends on the river path and in the Ada Salter Garden. Video here

Winterval

February 8, 2026 / / Comments Off on Winterval / Sticky

What do Venn diagrams, pizza and a wooden ghost all have common?

They all featured in the London Link Group annual Winterval celebration kindly hosted by Westminster Quaker meeting at the end of January.

19 young people from in and around London, and 5 amazing adult volunteers, came together to enjoy different games, a fantastic quiz, and pizza making. We shared a Meeting for Worship for Business where names were considered to complete our new London Teenage Quaker Meeting (LTQM) clerking team, and ideas were taken for future events.

It was a friendly and good-humoured afternoon, with much patience shown when a rogue food order delayed the presence of biscuits. Cue a slightly frantic supermarket sweep – apologies to anyone in Covent Garden looking for pizza bases – we ate them all! And enjoyed them.

Winterval & LTQM Meeting 2026

January 6, 2026 / / Comments Off on Winterval & LTQM Meeting 2026 / Sticky

Winterval (for ages 11-19) is taking place on Sunday 25th January 2-6pm. Join us for games, a fun Quaker quiz, Worship and making your own pizza!

London Teenage Quaker Meeting (for ages 13-19) will be held every 4th Sunday of the month in 2026 (2-4pm). Join our friendly young Quakers for games, biscuits and worship.

These are taking place at Westminster Meeting House

Booking is essential and needs to be done if you want to come to Winterval or any LTQM!

This is so we know about any possible issues (e.g. allergies) and have emergency contact details if needed. Thank you.

Buzzing in Brighton

October 22, 2025 / / Comments Off on Buzzing in Brighton / Sticky

From Friday 26 to Sunday 28 September, 23 young people and 6 adult volunteers headed to buzzing Brighton for another marvellous London Link group residential.

We met for dinner at Wagamama whilst the stragglers battled with disruption on the underground, all being present and correct by our appointed departure time. The rear half of the post rush-hour Friday evening train was out of action, so with the other passengers, we squeezed on to the half of the train that was operational, and enjoyed catching up with Friends old and new as we trundled through the dark past Selhurst Park, Gatwick Airport and up over the South Downs.

We pulled into Brighton station and stepped down to the sanctuary of the Quaker Meeting house, where some participants had already arrived from Brighton, Lewes and environs, as had our Sainsbury’s delivery.

After a few “getting to know each other” games, we closed the day with epilogue and settled down to our improvised beds, snuggled in sleeping bags and roll mats.

On Saturday morning we feasted on Cheerios and toast with freshly brewed tea and coffee, made picnic sandwiches and headed off to Brighton Museum.

The museum was pleasingly interactive, and had an exhibition on Mod Fashion and style (1958-66). A rolling video reminded us that Abba’s Eurovision success with “Waterloo” had taken place at the Brighton Dome over 50 years earlier. 

We had our picnic lunch in Pavilion Gardens and headed off in small groups to enjoy free time in Brighton, some taking in a graffiti art trail. Back at the Meeting House garden, we got to work trimming green beens from bushes which had bean gleaned the day before from a nearby farm, being uneconomic for the farmer to harvest. They were delectably cooked up in a Thai green curry and coconut sauce for dinner, and given out to Friends at meeting on Sunday.

After a dinner of mostly Mexican fajitas and nachos (with aforementioned green beans on the side) with cake and custard for afters, we played games and walked down through the busy Saturday night life to the beach for a memorable epilogue, under the stars and seagulls, the lights of the pier visible to the east.

On Sunday morning we joined a bumper meeting for worship of almost 90 Friends, with a brilliant Children’s Meeting to accompany it. We enjoyed participating in a marvellous shared lunch of soups, quiche, salads, breads and cheeses. After clearing the meeting house we headed back to the train, sorry to say goodbye but happy to have spent a delightful weekend among the company of Friends

What in Watford

October 12, 2026 / / 0 Comments

On the 9th to the 11th of October 36 young people and 7 volunteers met at Watford Quaker Meeting house. We were last at Watford in 2013 so we were well due a visit! 

Friday 9th Oct the Young people arrived both directly to the Meeting House and with the group from Friends House, Euston.

Two volunteers arrived early, and with the help of the Meeting House Warden they busied away getting the meeting house ready and loading up the 47 baked potatoes into the oven and cooking the veggie mince topping.

We then ran an introduction session to get to know each other and went over the event boundaries. We then split into our helper groups for the weekend.

Time and energy levels soon ran low, so while the first group was helping tidy and wash up, people hung out, watched Traitors(!) and played games. We went into an epilogue with some music and a few candles to help us center down into the silence. 

Setting up for bed and getting some sleep were the final items left to do after long days, and for some long journeys.

Saturday we woke up nice and late and had a veggie cooked breakfast, cereal, toast and jam. 

After tidying up and some free time we gathered for a theme session on taking action, in this case taking action in conflict situations using NVC – Non Violent Communication . Michael talked about how NVC can help us put our Quaker Peace Testimony into everyday practice by getting out of ‘violent’ communication traps (that we have all learned), and how these lead to conflicts not being resolved. 

We wondered if most conflicts could be reframed in the NVC way as violence being “the tragic expression of an unmet need”.  We split into groups and thought about a few example conflicts to see how we might understand them. [ Shameless plug – Michael runs NVC practice sessions in Welwyn Garden City on Monday evenings and has produced a free quick start guide  ]

Some more free time while “Quaker Subway” was being constructed in the kitchen for our build-a-baguette-sandwich (does that count as fusion cuisine ?) lunch. Some free time and trip out to the local park Tesco metro. Once back we split into 3 different activity groups: newspaper hockey, ‘mafia’ and board games/crafting. 

Dinner was the classic pesto broccoli pasta followed by just about enough time to fit in a film before a lovely epilogue around a firepit in Watford Quaker’s extensive garden. We were fortunate to be serenaded by a guitar based musical contribution from one of the young people.  Sleep time.

Sunday we were up early to get breakfast in and the Quaker Meeting House ready for Quaker Meeting. Those who wanted to, stayed in Quaker Meeting for the whole hour, whilst others either went out to the park or joined a discussion group. Tea, coffee and a lunch of left overs meant we had time for one last game before making our journeys home. 

We came away a little tired, but very much with our friendships nourished, hearts heartened and many happy memories made. 

Michael, Sally, Al, Gwenillian, Annette, Philip, Amy, Tavi, Wasim and all the young people. 

Buzzing in Brighton

August 19, 2025 / / Comments Off on Buzzing in Brighton

Friday 26 September 2025 (6pm Victoria Train Station) – Sunday 28 September (afternoon)

While it might officially be Autumn by the end of September – London Link Group are hoping to prolong the summer vibes with a residential trip to Brighton!

Last visited in 2022 – we hope to offer a similar blend of beach, games, and interesting places to visit with spending thoughtful time with Brighton Quaker Meeting, who have kindly agreed to let us sleep on their comfortable Meeting House floors again.

After meeting for pizza close to Victoria Train Station on the Friday evening, we will travel to Brighton on the train together in time to arrive for settling in with Epilogue and hot chocolate.

Those wishing to travel direct to Brighton Quaker Meeting can do so, for 8.30pm. We will spend Saturday exploring the joys Brighton has to offer, and Sunday with Brighton Friends – travelling home together after a shared lunch.

Because of the need to ensure we have adequate volunteers and train tickets etc the deadline for booking is Saturday 20 September.

Please find the booking form here: https://londonlinkgroup.org.uk/buzzing-in-brighton/

The cost is £20 – but no-one is to be excluded so please contact us if you need to discuss this.

Please contact David Holtam (david.holtam@gmail.com) or Rebecca Fricker (clerk@londonlinkgroup.org.uk) if you have any queries, and do forward details of this event to anyone you think might be interested.

Return to Adventure Island….

June 30, 2025 / / Comments Off on Return to Adventure Island….

On Saturday 28th June a group of 19 Linkers, pre-linkers and adults met up at the Kindertransport statue outside Liverpool Street station, and boarded an early train for Southend.

Three of our number, over in London for June/July, are normally based at Albuquerque Quaker meeting in New Mexico, USA and we enjoyed talking to them about their life there.

We arrived at Adventure Island just as it opened for the day, Southend Pier and the Thames estuary illuminated by glorious sunshine. 

We enjoyed the thrills of various rides and attractions, regrouped for a picnic lunch in the Cliff Gardens, supplemented with chips from the many fish and chip outlets, and cooled off in the shade of the amusement arcades. 

Towards the end of the afternoon, we met to head back to the station (via the sweet shop!), with one person picking up an electric guitar in a charity shop.

We returned to London on the train, some catching up on naps.

Everyone is looking forward to seeing each other at FSSE Junior Gathering and Senior Conference in August, and then at the next LLG residential to be held on 27-28 September in Brighton!

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