The Presbyterian Boys’ Brigade World Mission Committee has launched this year’s (2018) Junior BB project – A Place To Play. It aims to raise £7,500 to build a playground at a church-run school for refugee children living in Jordan.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) has a long association with the Boys’ Brigade (BB). The BB is one of the biggest Christian youth organisations in UK and Republic of Ireland. Each year, the Junior BB Project – for 8 to 11 year olds – gives Boys’ Brigade companies in congregations the opportunity to help raise funds in support of an overseas project. While companies are free to choose how and when they raise funds for the project, the aim is to have all contributions gathered in by the end of June in the following year.
Rev Dr Jim Campbell, chair of the Presbyterian Boys’ Brigade World Mission Committee said,
“We were delighted by the response to last year’s project – ‘Revamp the Camp – Romania’ which raised over £7,500 to revamp a campsite owned by PCI’s partner church in Romania. Our funds paid for the refurbishment of the bedrooms at the camp.”
“Boys from 4th Newtownabbey BB company, which meets in Carnmoney Presbyterian Church, raised over £1,500 for the project – the largest amount raised by any one company. In July four Junior Section boys from Carnmoney BB handed over a cheque for £7,500 to two volunteers from Romania who work at the Algyogy campsite when they visited Belfast. The efforts of the boys, officers and parents was greatly appreciated.”
This year’s Junior BB project – A Place To Play – will help refugee children in Jordan.
The former minister at Cooke Centenary Presbyterian Church in Belfast continued, “This year’s project, ‘A Place to Play’ will support the construction and equipping of a playground at a church-run school for refugee children in the town of Fuhais in Jordan. Here the church provides free education to 32 children, aged 4 to 13 years old.”
“The Middle East country has welcomed around 2 million refugees, who are mostly from neighbouring Syria and Iraq. Sadly, most families cannot afford the school fees needed to allow their children to attend local schools, with many going without an education. The church-run school is, therefore, an incredible blessing,” Mr Campbell said.
Presbyterian Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Charles McMullen, who has just returned from Jordan on a 10 day visit and visited the school encouraged people to support this year’s project. He said,
“Many refugee children need to develop physically and socially after years of living in fear and isolation. I visited the school and met some of the children and their teachers and saw the wonderful work that is being done there. I hope and pray that the playground will literally play a small part in giving the children back something of the lives that they lost.”
“Meeting so many Junior BB boys and officers on my visits to congregations, I know that they will work hard in the coming year to raise enough funds to pay for this much needed playground.”
A small percentage of funds raised by the project each year is given to the BB Global Fellowship to support the worldwide work of the Boys’ Brigade.
Find out more about the Boys’ Brigade in Northern Ireland on their website here.
