Young people, children and families find their way through the doors of Scargill House in all sorts of ways but always find the welcome is warm. There are lots of different activities and groups that are run by the team at Scargill, with many children and young people coming to Scargill and finding it a safe place to explore faith, friendship and have fun!
Our Children and Youth Team is a mixture of Community members, International Community Volunteers and Working Friends. All our regular Children and Youth Team have enhanced DBS checks, and we ensure each group is led by one of our team.
Registration
It’s really important that you complete a registration form for each child we are being asked to care for, before they take part in any of our sessions. This means that we know who they are and can prepare to look after them well. To make this as easy as possible you can complete the form online here.
We love children and young people here at Scargill and it is a great place for them to have a little freedom and explore, but like all environments there are potential hazards. Therefore we would like to remind all parents and carers that outside of the session times they are responsible for their children’s safety.
Half Term Holidays
Half Term Holidays are a particularly exciting time to bring children and young people to Scargill. They are often themed around a particular story. Some of our recent favourites have been Paddington, Narnia, Shrek and Encanto. Great effort is put into transforming the house into a space where children and young people can explore their faith in the context of stories they know and love, with friends new and old.
Summerfest
Whatever your family looks like, Summerfest is an ideal time to enjoy a great holiday in the Dales. The intergenerational makeup of Summerfest provides opportunities for children, parents and grandparents to join together for fun, friendship and growing in faith.
Youth Groups
Scargill House is an excellent location to bring your youth group. You can us as a base and get outside to explore the Dales, or stay onsite for times of fun, fellowship, bible teaching and prayer. It is of course possible to combine the two! Please speak to our Group Bookings Coordinator or Youth and Children’s Team leader to discuss how we can help.
Schools, Colleges and Universities
It is always a joy to welcome schools, colleges and universities here for either the day or for a longer retreat. We have had schools bring groups to explore discipleship, Christian Unions enjoying a weekend of fun and bible study, as well as schools bringing individual year groups here as part of their curriculum studies, including a Year 6 residential retreat.
Church Weekends
We love to welcome everbody who is part of your church family. As part of the planning for your church weekend away, our Children and Youth Team will be happy to discuss your needs for youth and children’s provision alongside the adult sessions in the mornings.
Sessions for children and young people
Sessions are usually two 1-hour blocks running alongside the adult programme. Most of our sessions will take place at the top of the house where we have some great spaces for games, getting messy or chilling out. If the weather is suitable we love to get young people outside enjoying activities on our estate, so make sure you pack suitable clothing and footwear!
We are glad that people of all ages often feel instantly at home here at Scargill and find this gives children and young people a freedom to explore independently of their grown ups. Some very lovely friendships have been made this way. That said, in the interests of creatinga safe and enjoyable environment for all, we ask for the support of parents and carers in knowing where their children and young people are and in encouraging them to treat others and their surroundings with respect.
Outside of the organised sessions the children and young people are the responsibility of their parents and carers. Children aged 12 and under must have an adult with them to participate in the afternoon workshops and walks.
Babies and Toddlers
We know how difficult it can be being away from home with small children and how much equipment you need to take! If you let us know in advance we can provide a cot in your room for any little ones and set up the dining room with a high chair and a child friendly table setting. There is a kitchen available for our guests with a microwave, fridge and toaster for making snacks outside of our regular mealtimes. During Summerfest and Half Term Holidays there will be a supply of bread, butter and jam in the Beehive (along with tea, coffee and milk). At others times, please do ask if there is something you need that would make your stay here that bit simpler!
There is a small playroom available for parents and carers to use with their preschool children. We ask that children are supervised in this area and any toys taken from it are returned.
We are only able to offer crèche for babies (from 9 months old) and toddlers during the first hour of the adult sessions. If possible we may take the little ones to our playground.
Additional needs
In order to best meet the individual needs of a child or young person you are bringing to Scargill House, we would find it really helpful if you could discuss any additional needs a child has before visiting. This way the team can work together with you to see how we can include all children in what Scargill has to offer. We are committed to finding ways to make it work on a case by case basis. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer one to one care for any individual child. On occasions it may be necessary for an adult from your party to attend the youth and children’s sessions with a child that has additional needs. We know that being a full time carer for a child with additional needs can be tiring, so please feel free to speak to us about funding to bring an extra adult along to help out.
Safeguarding
Scargill Movement is committed to safeguarding and has a rigorous policy of ensuring all those who work with your children and young people are trained and suitable people for this work. You can view our safeguarding policy here.