Boost Celebrates a Decade of Chaplaincy Partnership with Felixstowe School
November 2024
Boost Celebrates a Decade of Chaplaincy Partnership with Felixstowe School
Felixstowe-based charity Boost is celebrating the ten year anniversary of a partnership with Felixstowe School, marking a decade of impactful collaboration through their School Chaplaincy project. This milestone highlights the dedication and commitment of both organisations to support the spiritual and emotional well-being of students.
Since its inception in 2014, the Chaplaincy partnership has provided a safe and supportive environment for students to seek guidance, and develop a sense of community. The Chaplain has been instrumental in fostering a positive school culture, promoting mental health, and encouraging personal growth among students.
"We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together over the past ten years," said Mick Warner, Chair of Trustees of Boost Felixstowe. "Our partnership with Felixstowe School has allowed us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of many young people, and we look forward to continuing this important work."
The chaplain, Josh Hunt offers a range of services, including bereavement support, mentoring and clubs, including the popular Garden and Theology Clubs. These initiatives have been well-received by students, parents, and staff.
Headteacher Emma Wilson-Downes writes,
We are so privileged to have experienced ten years of chaplaincy in our school community, thanks to the partnership with Boost.
The richness that chaplaincy adds to our school reaches all of us, those of all faiths and those of no faith, and reduces the feeling of loneliness that can sometimes exist in our busy world. The sense of peace that surrounds Josh and his work in school is absolutely a tangible thing, and something that we crave and cling to, especially when we face challenges in our lives.
Chaplaincy is in part about finding meaning, and we live in an age where many children do not have that connection to a higher being, they aren’t exposed to religious ideas, and as they get older and find their place in the world, they try to seek out some kind of meaning.
Josh’s presence is reassuring and calming, even at times of great pressure, and I cannot tell you how much I personally appreciate having Josh in our team because he has been an absolute constant of peace and respite even at times of real turmoil.
The milestone of ten years was marked at a recent celebration and thanksgiving service at the school, attended by staff, students, representatives from local churches, the Diocese, and Unity School Partnership. There were many stories shared of how the chaplaincy has supported staff and students through difficult times, including one young person who shared a personal story of how chaplaincy had helped him overcome a range of challenges throughout his teenage years. Boost also launched a number of new resources to support school chaplains, which are available via their website.
Josh said “it is an honour to be chaplain to Felixstowe School, supporting a wonderful school community, and being able to help individuals in times of need. We know that life for children and young people is not always easy, but whether it’s through our pastoral support, our lunchtime clubs, or just being available during the school day, we can look back over ten years of chaplaincy and can see moments we have been able to provide some light in the darkness.”
