At the end of May, Urban Saints North hosted it’s very first Summer weekend away at Bowley Campsite, in East Lancashire. 2 groups of young people (all girls) joined together amidst a backdrop of hills, woodlands and scenic views and had a weekend of God, games and giggles.
The theme of the weekend was ‘Identity’. Our guest speaker was Wilson Beare who encouraged the girls to see themselves as God does - masterpieces.
We looked at Ps 139 and continued to explore God’s love in relation to our value and purpose. The girls were encouraged to ask questions and to be open and honest about how they see themselves.
Seeds were certainly sown and the girls were gifted a youth Bible to take away.
We could not have asked for better weather which made all the planned games and sports possible.
On Friday evening; the girls played a ‘get to know you’ circle game which was the perfect icebreaker with all girls participating. This was followed by a lively game of rounders and further exploration of the site.
We had such an action-packed day on Saturday including activities such as soft archery, and badminton. After lunch, the girls enjoyed a variety of team games involving balls, blindfolds and lots of water!
Two of the highlights have to be the grass sledging where the girls bravely journeyed down the hill steering their own sledge and later they all got absolutely drenched sliding down the water slide.
All you could hear was laughter! It was a joy to see them having such fun together.
Camp wouldn’t be complete without a bonfire so on Saturday evening, we toasted marshmallows around our manmade bonfire which was the perfect end to an exhausting jam-packed day. 
At night-time on both nights, the girls enjoyed karaoke with some of them dancing freestyle to the music. This was so brilliant we even had an informal ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ type competition.
These girls really are talented and it was an encouragement to see them showcasing their gifts.
On Sunday morning, some of the girls engaged in bushcraft. One of our leaders, taught the girls how to make their own fire. The girls were excited to take part and this is sure to be amongst their favourite memories of camp.
Thank you to everyone who made this event happen.
Pam Kershaw North Impact Team Leader
Lorna Penn North Support Worker
