On A Mission! South Africa

An 11-strong team are set for the experience of a lifetime as they embark on a six-month mission to South Africa. The group, which includes a person who works with young offenders, a nursing assistant, as well as students, are part of Scripture Union’s Action Abroad placement scheme, in which volunteers drawn from throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland serve in a local and often under-privileged community.

They will be based in Durban where they will spend their time teaching lifeskills to local children including AIDS orphans, running children’s and young people’s camps, taking classes in schools, and learning about living in a different culture.

Charli Clear, aged 18, who attends Rayleigh Baptist Church in Essex, is hoping to get a lot from the placement: ‘I hope to have some amazing life changing experiences to help me appreciate the world I live in more, and just the satisfaction of being able to help in my little way.’

Scripture Union’s Missions Programme Manager Clare Luxton, organiser of Action Abroad placements, says the experience will have a positive impact on the team as well as those they are working with: ‘It’s amazing to see how much the experience of living and working in another country changes the volunteers. They have a fantastic impact on those they are working with but they also learn a lot about themselves and return more capable and willing to serve others.’

Bridget Hepburn from Edinburgh, one of the volunteers, will be keeping a weblog of her experiences in Africa which can be found at http://bridgethepburn.wordpress.com/

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NOTES TO EDITORS

1) For more information or to interview any member of the team, please contact Scripture Union’s media officer: Christina Farley on 01908 856143 or 01908 856161.  Email: media@scriptureunion.org.uk

2) Action Abroad is a six-month placement scheme, enabling volunteers between the ages of 18 to 30 to serve with other Scripture Union movements in Australia, France, India, Peru, South Africa, Singapore, New Zealand, Swaziland and the Isle of Man.

3) Scripture Union is an international mission movement working with churches in more than 140 countries to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to children, young people and families.

4) Photo credit: Adam Petrie