Parents & Tots for Killough
A new Parents and Tots Group has become a popular addition to the outreach work in Killough led by Sarah and Colin Irwin. Sarah and her Mum run the group every Thursday morning and word of toys, tea and chat has spread quickly!
“We got off to a quiet start on 30 September with one mum and her daughter,” says Sarah, “but from then on we’ve had around 15 on average attending every week which has been amazing. I am very excited to see what different opportunities arise from this.”
Killough is a coastal village outside Downpatrick, and the parish is part of the Lecale Area Mission Partnership (LAMP). A part of the diocese’s church planting initiative, Sarah and Colin’s work there began in 2015 when they identified a lack of provision for children and young people. They started a Wednesday night Kids’ Club for primary school children and went on to add a Youth Club to cater for the children who had outgrown Kids Club.
Parents and Tots is for all children up to primary school age with their parents, grandparents or carers and runs on Thursdays from 10.30 to 12.00 pm in St Anne’s Parish Hall. Sarah made a Facebook appeal for toys and equipment and has also been able to meet the setup costs with a grant from The Church of Ireland Orphans’ and Children’s Society (Antrim and Down).
“During the pandemic I completed a community survey, and a parents and tots was one of the needs that was identified. It had been in my plan pre–Covid but I think the timing is perfect. Talking to local mums during Parents and Tots, they have felt very isolated during the pandemic and as there have been no classes or anything, they haven’t been able to socialise with other mums. They’re very thankful for the get–together on Thursday mornings.”
It’s also great timing for Sarah as her little boy Jack was born during the pandemic. Becoming a mother has given her a connection with other mums in the village and, of course, Jack enjoys Parents and Tots too!
Sarah continues:
“We had an interesting 18 months during Covid, from welcoming Jack and attempting to do things online. It was tough getting many children to engage with the Zooms we did, so we had to think how we could still connect with those that we have worked with for the last number of years. We did giveaways, door to doors and in the summer months we held some outside clubs and treasure hunts for the whole community. I so am glad we’re at the stage now that we’ve been able to get our Kids and Youth Clubs up and running again on a Wednesday and Friday. All of our children and young people have come back, and we have new children also which is so good. Between that and the Parents and Tots Group, I am so excited to see what different opportunities arise for the rest of this term.
Please continue to pray for Sarah and Colin, and for the pioneering work they are doing in the Lecale area.
