The Rock summer 2022 newsletter

Welcome to our latest newsletter!

We hope you'll enjoy hearing about our achievement awards evening, post-pandemic term time evening sessions, bike workshop "Spokes", archery at the Rock, our work in schools and the new minibus!

Amazing awards!

Every young person we work with is amazing! It was fantastic to celebrate the achievements of so many at our recent awards night.

We were thrilled to have Finn, Shannon and Guilia providing awesome singing performances through the evening. Bishop Robert of Gloucester, The Mayor of Cheltenham and The High Sheriff of Gloucestershire helped give out over 100 awards.

It was so encouraging to have a packed church, so many family, friends and partner organisations — together we can support each other to be the very best we can be. Thank you everyone for the part you have played in making this such a great year at the Rock.

We are again so thankful for the way God has provided, inspired and guided through this challenging time.

After schoool evening sessions!

Another full academic year of our evening sessions have gone by in a flash, and what an amazing and exciting year it’s been! Last academic year our evening sessions were interrupted with COVID restrictions, this year the sessions have been such a positive vibrant encouraging environment with so many new young people getting involved.

There have been many highlights throughout the year including Graffiti, Boxercise & Everyman Arts happening as part of our new look program within TNT. The massive improvements and skill levels achieved within archery and SAS as they continue to be great positive and safe spaces for all to have an opportunity at the unique and inclusive activities The Rock offers.

Additionally, we have been able to restart trips, taking SAS to Cardiff Ramp World and TNT to our local fire station to spend the evening with the local watch who were so positive, engaging and fun.

This is all underpinned by our amazing group of Young Leaders, who give so much to The Rock by offering an older role model and learning to lead within the sessions they are a part of. It really has been the best year in our evenings, and they wouldn’t happen without our amazing volunteers, young leaders and team.

A massive thanks to all!

"Spokes"

Spokes, our community focused bike workshop, has had a promising start this year. We opened up the space to offer a work experience opportunity to schools, with positive results. It’s been lovely connecting with the community through this project with anything from

emergency puncture repair to more general service requests, matching people up with a freshly serviced second hand bike, and seeing people return knowing we’ve helped them previously. Spokes is open term-time on a Tuesday 10am-3pm or contact (Trev).

Thanks to Roger

We say a huge thank you to Roger as he steps down after over 6
years of volunteering with The Rock. Roger has been the driving force
behind developing Archery at The Rock, passionate about making
archery accessible to all young people. Thank you so much!

Roger’s legacy is a fantastic archery group, well-resourced and with
an amazing team. Please do get in touch with Chris if you might be interested in volunteering with the archery team.

Schools Work

It has been another great year at the Rock and part of that has been the wonderful engagement we have had in our schools work throughout the daytime. Young people from schools around Gloucestershire have been involved in many exciting projects over the years, ranging from transition groups focusing on the move to secondary school, one to one mentoring sessions, secondary school group projects, retreat programs right through to bike maintenance courses.

Young people have learned many skills over the year including cookery, photography, creative art, bike mechanics, archery, sports development and many more. We would like to say it has been amazing seeing all the growth and development of each and every young person who has stepped through our doors this school year and we look forward to the fresh adventures of the new year.

New minibus

Thank you to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for the generous grant, which alongside fundraising by young leaders helped us to purchase a new minibus.

St Peter’s Church, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, GL52 5LL
01242 700700
therock.uk.com
Charity: 1190651