Hope08 challenges secondary schools to work for community

|PIC1|Every secondary school in the UK is being challenged to bring hope to their local communities by carrying out good deeds as part of the nationwide initiative Hope08.

More than a year in the planning, Hope08 finally got underway this month, uniting Christian leaders and churches across the country in a year of worship, social action, evangelism and prayer.

It is not only Christians, however, who will be engaging in the yearlong initiative. Local churches will be teaming up throughout the year with community groups, local police and council authorities to foster strong partnerships at the community level.

Hope08 visionaries, including The Message's Andy Hawthorne, Soul Survivor's Mike Pilavachi, and Youth for Christ's Roy Crowne, are encouraging high school students to be part of the process of change.

Mr Crowne said: "Hope08 was set up to see churches, police, councils, community organsiations and Christian groups working together for the good of the areas where they live. The goal is that schools will partner with churches, but they can carry out the work in any way they want.

"Research has shown that it's not churches, but schools which are now the centre of communities, and that's why we want them to get involved with the Hope Schools Challenge."

A letter has gone out from Hope08 organisers to every secondary school in the UK, asking them to get involved. They have also sent out five specially devised lessons that teachers can use to encourage a sense of community spirit.

School students, meanwhile, are being asked to create a short five-minute video diary as part of a competition to find the best hope-bringing projects by young people. The students behind the winning project and their school will receive a prize to be presented at the Champions of Respect awards ceremony held annually by Christian organisations including Youth for Christ, Crusaders and the Evangelical Alliance.

"We are looking for the most creative ideas of how the young people deliver hope into the places where they live, whether that's a village, town or city," said Mr Crowne.

Hope08 has already won the backing of the Prince of Wales and Communities Secretary Hazel Blears MP.

One of the highlights of the year will be the One Million Hours of Kindness scheme in May, when churches and other groups will launch into their local communities to carry out good deeds.

Mr Crowne explained, "Groups are already planning ways of how to carry out random acts of kindness in their community. For example, one church I know has found that it has never given blood, so each member is going to give a pint of blood."

There are plans for the people behind the winning kindness project to meet Prince Charles in a reception at Clarence House.

"The office of the Prince of Wales contacted us to ask how they could get involved with Hope08, as Prince Charles is a keen supporter of community initiatives and wanted to help us. We hope that he will host a reception at Clarence House, but we're still in talks with his office," added Mr Crowne.

Any school which wants to take part in the Hope Schools Challenge can visit www.hope08.com/schoolschallenge for more information.