The World Roadshow is big business!
In thirteen years it has grown from a small Good Friday children's activity into a week's summer playscheme, and a pantomime at Christmas.
What happens?
The Summer Roadshow week runs for the first week of the summer holidays. There are other local holiday projects run in the summer holidays but not during that first week. We offer the children a fun packed week for which they contribute £2 per day. This covers all trips. Included this year will be the Paradise Wildlife Park, Brighton Sea Life Centre, Lincolnsfield Children's Centre and High Ashurst Outdoor Activity Centre and a main trip for all to Margate. Other trips are divided into age categories and about 18 children go each day. Also included in the £2 is all drinks, lunch etc, a professional rugby coach in the afternoons, other sports activities and lots of craft activities in the morning. Children make all sorts of things that they can take home, such as painting their own yo-yos, clay modelling, glass painting, making windchimes etc.
We are run entirely by volunteers, mostly local people. All undergo strict CRB checks and training prior to the Roadshow. Most of our children come from the South Acton Estate and mostly from Berrymede Junior School whom we have a great relationship with. We have children from the after school club performing in the pantomime at Christmas.
Last year we had 71 children registered and it was a great success. The only day it rained in London was on our day trip to the seaside (a lot of the children have never been to the seaside), but fortunately it was dry in Margate! We aim to provide trips that the children would probably not experience with their families due to finance, transport there amongst other reasons. This year's Roadshow will run from 24th to 28th July, 10am - 4pm, with registration on the Monday at 9.30am. The age range is 7 - 11 years.
We haven't planned this years pantomime yet! Last Christmas we performed Jack and the Beanstalk and for the first time took the panto into Berrymede Junior School where it was appreciated by 300 children!! A further 3 performances at All Saints were also very well received. We are funded by charity grants etc - last year's summer week cost over £3,000, because we had twice the number of children we had the year before. We are in the process of applying for more grants to raise funds for this year.
Why do it?
To serve our local community.
Many children are at a loose end during the school holidays and we provide a place of safety, supervised activity and fun. Day trips provide variety and new sights for some who otherwise never set foot outside London.
To give a human face to The Church
For many 'The Church' is an alien concept, far removed from their daily lives. World Roadshow means that The Church is interested in them and that people are part of it. A friendly face and a good time in childhood can lay the foundations for contact later.
Because we are told to
Care of and for children is part of the Christian tradition
and is urged in the scriptures. "Let the children come to me."
By going to them, we hope to be faithful to that command.
