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Gap Year

Many students taking a gap year focus on the opportunities for international travel, often linked to some sort of voluntary work or service, particularly in developing countries. SPEC provides an opportunity for Christian (particularly Catholic) young people to live, work, learn and pray in a dynamic Catholic Christian community, providing an important service to children and young people in our own society.

What?
Volunteers all live as part of the SPEC community but work in one of three different teams, each undertaking a different but vital part of our ministry.

The SPEC Centre team
Peer ministry is a central characteristic of SPEC Centre’s ministry and as such, our volunteers are aged between 18 – 25 years of age. Through peer ministry we are able to tap into the culture of young people and make their faith relevant. It is about young people talking and ministering to young people.

The Loft team
The Loft ministers to children and young people aged 7-14, aiming to encourage their spiritual and personal development.  Loving God and loving neighbour (Matthew 22:36-40) is probably the most consistent theme running through all Loft programmes.  We aim to give children the opportunity to practice loving their neighbour by showing friendship, caring for each other and learning respect for each other.  We also try to help them love themselves by developing self confidence and self esteem and by experiencing love from their neighbour.

Catering team
‘Man cannot live by bread alone’, but we do need physical sustenance.  The catering team plays an essential role in making sure that the community and our guests are well fed.  A clever guy called Abraham Maslow devised a ‘hierarchy of needs’ which, to cut a long story short, tells us that we can’t achieve personal growth and fulfillment (what SPEC Centre and The Loft are trying to encourage) without more basic needs (e.g. food, shelter, warmth) being met first.  So, don’t underestimate the importance of those who prepare the food!

Who?
Our community is an eclectic mix of different personalities: there is no ‘standard’ volunteer.  If you can answer ‘yes’ to the following then a year at SPEC might be for you.

  • Are you 18-25 years of age?
  • Are you a committed Christian (ideally Catholic – we’re a Catholic community), happy to share your faith and wanting to deepen it?
  • Are you able to commit to join the community from the beginning of September to mid-July?
  • Do you want to work with children or young people?
  • Are you a UK resident, or do you have the right to stay in the UK, or are you able to obtain the relevant visa to volunteer full-time?
  • Are you inspired by our mission and the way we fulfill it?

When?
Our ‘volunteer year’ runs from the beginning of September until Mid July (exact dates vary slightly from year to year).

What do I live on?
We will provide board and lodging during term time and £210 per month pocket money to cover your necessary expenses (e.g. travel, toiletries).  Some international volunteers can apply for EVS (European Voluntary Service) in which case your pocket money is provided through the scheme and not by us.

What opportunities are there?

Training: Skills that you will learn and develop include, a knowledge of group dynamics and facilitation, presentation and public speaking, multi-media development, basic administration, communication, outdoor activities (e.g. archery, confidence course, mountain biking), resource and content development, drama and dance

Qualifications!
Possibilities include, especially for second-year volunteers:

·         Evangelisation and Youth Ministry Certificate (Maryvale Centre)

·         Foundation Degree (St Mary’s College, Strawberry Hill)

·         Youth and Community Work Degree (Luton University)

·         Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS)

Travel! See the World!
Possibilities include:

·         Pilgrimages

      • Walk across Spain to Santiago de Compostella
      • Vallechiara, Italy
      • Medjugorie, Croatia

·         Snowdonia, Wales for team building

Social
You will live, work, eat and pray with 25 other young adults from around the world.

Spiritual
We spend much of our time giving, but we also have to attend to our own spiritual needs.  The community prays together twice a day and regularly celebrates Mass together.  There is the opportunity for spiritual direction from our chaplains.  Community members often go to Christian events in London and elsewhere.  And then there are all those discussions over supper, a coffee (or even a beer!)

Want to know more?
Contact us and ask a question! You can phone, fax, write (snail-mail or email): click on the ‘contacts’ link at the bottom of the page
Alternatively you can use the on-line question form opposite.
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*Links
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* Youth Ministry Foundation Degree
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Volunteer Question
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Application Form
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*Downloads
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* SPEC Centre, The Loft and SPECeast volunteering flyer [PDF]
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* © SPEC Centre & Loft - Diocese of Westminster Registered Charity 233699 SPEC, All Saints Pastoral Centre, Shenley Lane, London Colney, St Albans, Herts, AL2 1AG 01727 828888 * Website by Baigent *
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