On 29-30 June 2024, 15 young people and adult volunteers headed to the newly renovated Lewes Quaker Meeting for our first London Link Group residential event of the year.
Most of us met at Victoria station at 9am on Saturday and took a train to Lewes, with a few others making their way directly to Lewes Quaker Meeting. There has been a Quaker Meeting in Lewes since 1655 (!) and the meeting house was built in 1784.
We played games to get to know each other, aided by some tennis ball catching practice, and took a look around the meeting house to work out where we were going to be sleeping. Once we had established names we assigned secret friends for the weekend.
After lunch, we went to the Railway Land nature reserve, and played frisbee in the sunshine. There were a few hours to explore Lewes, when some people went charity shopping, and others bought things for their secret friend, or went back to the meeting house to sing songs and play card games.
Frisbee fun
We had a tasty dinner of takeaway pizzas and salads, and followed this up with a mighty, loosely Quaker-themed quiz! This included a picture round in which we had to identify whether a building was a current Quaker meeting house or not. Another question required each team to list as many facts as they could about an individual on the next team. The hilarious “false or true” round required us to work out what kind of Fox’s party ring biscuit was the favourite of George Fox, who would have been 400 this year. We finished the day with epilogue and hot chocolate/herbal tea before bedding down on the meeting house floor.
On Sunday, we joined Lewes Quakers for their meeting for worship. The children’s meeting made origami tulips. We had a shared lunch of quiche and salads before heading for the train back to London, having had a fun and fulfilling weekend among Friends.
Looking forward to the next residential event at Forest Hill on 12-13 October 2024!
We’re heading from London to Lewes in East Sussex to the beautiful market town of Lewes (which has a recently refurbished Meeting House). There will be the usual array of hanging out, great food, visit to castle and gardens (tbc), seeing the town, games, Quaker reflection and the fun of camping out with Friends in a meeting house.
On a not-quite spring 3-5th of March 13 young people and 5 volunteers from across the south gathered in St.Albans Quaker Meeting House.
Although tired out by the week, our energy levels were soon replenished by seeing friends new and old.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/camperdown/
For dinner we had a curry of coconut dhal, vegetable curry, pakoras and rice that filled us up. After that meal’s washer-uppers had finished we settled down to watch a film on the projector in main meeting room. We had a short candle lit epilogue and then bed.
At the crack of 8:30am we tided up and joined together to have a veggie cooked breakfast. For one particular participant the morning also marked the dawn of a new age, …age 15. Happy Birthday! In terms of getting up throwing birthday balloons at each other proved very effective.
The first activity of the day was free time in the historic town of St.Albans, with attractions such as the charter market, Roman ruins, a cathedral and the ever popular Tesco Metro and Wilko stores providing places to visit – everyone found something to enjoy.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgeezer/
St.Albans Meeting House is conveniently located close to the town centre, for several hours we opened our exclusive artisan (crisp sandwich anyone?) sandwich shop for participants to drop in. This was also a good opportunity to sing happy birthday and dive into to birthday cake #1.
After letting lunch digest, a few of the participants and 3 of the volunteers went to the leisure centre to try our wits at crossing the inflatable obstacle course. Volunteers struggling with the er…agility, benefited from nice team efforts.
Once everyone was back there was time for some games before starting the main theme session on “What makes you, you? Exploring the world of our own identities”. We talked about about what is an identity and the protected characteristics in law. We went on to try to map out our broader identities with post-its. The meeting house floor was covered with colourful clusters of posits, reflecting the differences and similarities between us.
How can we make the meeting a community in which each person is accepted and nurtured, and strangers are welcome? Seek to know one another in the things which are fundamental, bear the burden of each other’s challenges and uphold one another. As we enter with tender sympathy into the joys and sorrows of each other’s lives, ready to give help and to receive it, our meeting can be a channel for love.
Adapted version of Advice & Queries 18
A made-up example
After consent from the group we wandered around the room looking at what people had chosen to put. A very deep respectful silence was experienced whilst we were doing this, perhaps reflecting the braveness, honesty and vulnerability we were all experiencing. We considered the questions of whether the identities we express change depending on who we’re with or where we are. What parts of our identities change over time and what stays the same. How do we make sure our identities don’t divide us.
It felt like a safe and spiritually connected time.
After some refreshments the volunteers set about making dinner, while the young people organised themselves into playing various games around the meeting house.
A dinner of pasta, pesto, broccoli and tomato was demolished. Cake #2 gently lead us to our open-mic evening, with an eclectic mix of talented and entertaining performances.
Epilogue followed. With a reading:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small Does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking So that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, As children do. We were born to make manifest The glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; It’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others.
“A Return To Love” by Marianne Williamson.
The next morning we got up and reassembled the Meeting House. A very long running cooked veggie breakfast got our hearts, stomachs and minds prepared for Quaker meeting. Some stayed in Meeting whilst others joined a group making clay models.
A lunch of left overs and sandwiches, a few last games and we were ready to head home.
London Link would like to thank St.Albans Quaker meeting for welcoming us again, shifting around bookings and generally letting us make the house our home for the weekend.
Thank you to all the participants and volunteers for an excellent weekend. – Michael, Philip, Amy, Rob and Margarita
Here is the rough timetable (to be confirmed nearer the time)
Friday:
Arrivals from 6pm direct to the Meeting House OR Travel with (volunteer escorted) group meeting at 6pm in London
Welcome!
Dinner
Film night (theme related)
Epilogue
Sleeeeeep
Saturday:
Breakfast
Make a pack lunch
Free time, Trip into St.Albans in groups and/or Swimming (see also: massive inflatables, opportunity to shower), other alternatives possible
Tea back at the Meeting House
Theme activity – What makes you, you? Exploring the complex world of our own identities
Break
Dinner
Games
Epilogue
Sleeeeeep
Sunday:
Breakfast
Quaker Meeting – option to join for full or first 15min
Lunch
Pick up from 3pm from the Meeting House OR 3pm group heads back to London
This event is “indoor camping”, you will need a sleeping mat, a pillow and all the usual things for a weekend away. Reminder: If you’d like to go swimming please don’t forget to bring your swimming things.
All the food will be vegetarian or vegan. Please make sure to put dietary requirements on the booking form.
The cost is £10, it is London Link Group policy that no one should be prevented due to cost. Please let us know on the booking form if you’d like to have a bursary.
January 2, 2020 / Editor / Comments Off on London Link & QHA Christmas Open Shelter Set Up
We must have broken a record: 40 (!!!) or more London Linkers gathered, sorted and set up the Quaker Homeless Action (QHA) Open Shelter.
This was our forth year, so we can definitely consider it as tradition. But never (?) or at least not often have we reached these numbers! Some “Linkers” brought along friends, or younger siblings and parents. This brought participants up to about 60 people shifting boxes, moving furniture; decorating the hall; creating order to the novels; sorting and arranging food, clothes, toiletries and other stuff. All this hard work aimed to create a welcoming space for homeless people or for those who are lonely, or both over Christmas.
It’s had work, yet many of “Linkers” come back year after year to help. And so QHA now relies on London Link to set up the Shelter. So mark your diary for next year!
Among the hard work, there is always lots of laughter and opportunities to meet up with Friends not seen for a while,make new Friends and chat as we worked. And it’s all for a great cause! Lunch is provided by QHA: hot fresh pizzas! We tried to go vegan but the pizza place didn’t have enough, so there were some pepperoni (sausage) pizza’s too, and salads. (It’s just easier to serve one kind of pizza that everyone can eat.)
Sadly, because of lack of volunteers the Shelter was only open a few days, rather than the full week it usually is. And, it was not 24-hours like previous years. So, those of you who are ‘graduating’ out of London Link, make a note: QHA welcomes volunteers 18+! Next year, you could be helping in the Shelter. And maybe giving the time you would have been with London Link to other worthy causes and charities.
If you know of any charities or groups that would welcome London Linkers help, let us know. Send a message to clerk@londonlinkgroup.org.uk
It was gratifying to see such a wide age range, right from those who were 11 years old and attending a London Link event for the first time. One such new “Linker” reported “Everyone was so nice!” and wants to return next year!
This QHA Shelter is a space where volunteers offer a welcomed and kindness, and food, clothes and shower (for those wanting). Unlike most winter shelters, the QHA shelter welcomes guests with their dogs. The QHA mobile library is parked at an entrance, For the second year we were at the American International Church, Tottenham Court Road.
Quaker Homeless Action has come to rely on the energy and commitment that London Link folk give to setting up the Open House shelter over Christmas. Hope to see you next year!
London Link Group is a volunteer-run Quaker group that organises events to bring Young Quakers aged 11-18 together. We are part of London Quakers.
We aim to: help young Quakers to develop their friendships; explore Quaker values; empower young Quakers; put into practice our Quaker ideals to create an egalitarian, safe, inclusive, caring and positive atmosphere at every event. Find out more about us.
