Phase Hitchin

exams

Managing Exam Stress

We have now entered exam season which can be a time full of different emotions, so here are 10 top tips to help you navigate this time... 1) Self-Care is Important – During exam time, it can feel like there is a lot to do but looking after yourself is essential.

emotional wellbeing

Are you feeling lonely?

It's mental health awareness week this week (9-15 May). This is a week that the charity The Mental Health Foundation uses to raise awareness of a different mental health experience each year. This year the focus is on loneliness. Along with many other emotional and mental health struggles,

Easter Workshops

At the beginning of April, after being at Phase nearly 3 years, I finally was able to deliver the Easter workshops for the very first time. Lockdown and covid restrictions have interfered with many things over the past few years, but it felt strange to remember how much of my

The rhythms of life...

If you’re a regular reader of the Phase blog you will know that at the start of each school term the team takes a two day retreat. This is a break from the regular weekly routine for some reflection, recharging and planning. We spend time thinking, praying, chatting, planning,

Joy

What Brings You Joy...?

> I wonder what refills you. What brings you Joy? A phrase that often resonates with me is: ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup.’ Recently, I have been speaking to a few people and have found there is a real sense of tiredness or exhaustion. As we emerge

fundraising

Recycling for Phase - all change here!!

I feel that as a community we are massively indebted to Deolinda (pictured above) and Michael Eltringham. Deolinda was involved in developing the CTH [https://www.cthitchin.org.uk/] idea of gifting Hitchin town with the services of a faith schools worker, which led to the creation of Phase in

change

Coping with Change

If there's one thing that we've all had to deal with over the past couple of years, it's change. We've all had to cope with some pretty big changes to the way that we work, the way that we socialise, and the

adventure

Looking forward not looking back

As we reach the two-year anniversary mark since we went into lockdown and we start to emerge into a place where restrictions have been lifted, we can feel a mixture of different emotions from relief and happiness to anxiety and apprehension. Perhaps one other emotion that is present is disappointment.

bbc news

The struggle is real

A recent BBC News article reported a huge rise in severe mental health difficulties in children and young people in the past year, sadly this is a statistic that is very true and close to home. Over the past year we have seen an increase in the number of children

emotional wellbeing

Learning to be vulnerable

In this guest blog friend of Phase, Rebekah Bacon, talks to us about vulnerability - what it is, when we notice it and how we can benefit from being more vulnerable with people. A little while ago, I sat down with Kieran (the director of Phase) to talk about vulnerability.

celebration

Celebrating success

When was the last time you gave yourself a metaphorical high five? When you had a proper think about what you did well, achieved or managed to accomplish through your hard work? Interesting, isn't it, that most of us (well, speaking personally!) quite often focus on things that

youthwork

National Youth Ministry Weekend

Last weekend I went to the National Youth Ministy Conference, which is an event Youthscape run for those who work with young people. It was a great opportunity to gather as people who love Jesus and love young people, to be challenged and inspired. The theme of the week was

church

Youth Chaplain for the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire

This year I have been given the honour of being the Youth Chaplain to the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, not only is the first time this has happened in Herts, but it is the first time in the history of the Shrievalty, which is over 1000 years old. You can

endings

Ready, steady... plan for secondary school

I’ve been on the road with the Phase team in recent weeks supporting Emily to deliver the first round of our Year 6 programme On Your Marks. If you’re a regular reader of our newsletter or this blog, it might be a familiar name. It’s the workshops

connecting

Step back to move forward

Earlier this week the Phase team went on retreat. We took two days out to spend time learning together, reflecting and thinking, and hanging out together as a group of friends and colleagues. It’s different from your standard team away day in that we didn’t once talk about

company support

Flip Connect supporting Phase

The Flip Connect teamFlip Connect [https://www.flipconnect.co.uk] employees were invited to nominate a charity close to their hearts and chose Phase Many of Flip employees are parents and know all too well the pressures that young people are under in society today. Ben from Flip Connect said

anxiety

Let's Talk Anxiety Support Group Reflections...

Over the past term we have had the privilege of running 5 'Let’s Talk Anxiety Support Groups' across the Hitchin Secondary Schools. We are seeing more and more young people struggle with anxiety, especially as we start to emerge from lockdown and are processing all that has

pornography

Porn-pandemic

In a recent Ofsted survey [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-57411363] it was highlighted that teenage girls were asked for nudes by up to 11 boys a night. The impact of pornography on young people is a silent pandemic that has been spreading for years. The rise of social

Hitchin

One Step at a Time...

This month (June 2021) Phase [https://phase-hitchin.org/] are challenging everyone to join us in carrying our virtual Olympic torch from Hitchin (where we work) to Tokyo! It's all part of getting ready for our Hitchin Home Olympics [https://sites.google.com/phase-hitchin.org/olympics/home?mc_cid=

Time Trek Adventure

Time Trekkers! Here is all the information and links you will need to enjoy your virtual Time Trek adventure. The first thing you will need to help you make the most of your Time Trek adventure is the Mission Brief [https://drive.google.com/open?id=15Qcsxfjdq_z_lh1NuNEIdJXcXjUDWm3g&

mental health

What is normal now...

Hello Phase friends Sending Spring good wishes to everyone. As I’m writing this it’s sunny and I’m in the warmest room in my house even though I know in real life it’s only 10 degrees outside! This week’s blog is a ponder on the unlocking.

anxiety

Let's Talk Anxiety Support Groups

At Phase we are passionate about helping young people live life in all of its fullness, to reach their full potential and thrive. However, due to the pandemic, we have seen a rise in mental health issues and a high level of anxiety. A survey carried out by Young Minds

rest

Having time off… The importance of rest!

This is one those subjects that is much easier to talk about than to do – well it is for me! I am a keen runner and triathlete – though I can’t do triathlons at the moment due to lockdown. However, in the past I have run Edinburgh Marathon and done

burnout

Avoiding burnout

Over stretched, beyond capacity, burnout – these may be terms that were not part of you vocabulary before COVID19 and the beginning of the pandemic, however they may well be part of your everyday speech or thought now. As we approach the year anniversary of the first lockdown many people are

habits

Why I love reading

It was World Book Day on the 3rd March and I have a secret to tell you. Probably one of the only good things about schools being closed is that I didn’t have to scratch around at 10pm on the 2nd March to make two dressing up outfits for