Youth
PARISH YOUTH SERVICES
The Catholic Parish of Esher and Thames Ditton offers a wide range of activities, liturgy, and youth groups to support the young people in our community. Please read below to see what we offer. For further details about any of these activities, please contact Pamela Thompson, our Youth Worker at youth.etd@abdiocese.org.uk Additionally you can sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, which provides updates and dates for these activities.
OVERVIEW
Youth ministry holds a vital place in our Parish. It helps young people experience a living and active faith during the most formative years of their lives. It’s not just about bible study or organized events—it’s about nurturing a personal relationship with Christ and building a supportive and safe community where faith becomes real and relevant.
Pope Francis always emphasized the importance of young people, viewing them as the “joy and hope of the Church and the world.” He preached the need for young people to be active members in the Church and our society, encouraging them to be a “joyful presence in the world.” Our young people are not only the future of the Church, but they are also the present!
Our Youth Ministry goal is to create a faith journey that inspires our young people, providing opportunities for growth in their Catholic faith, encourages leadership in their community and above all strengthens relationships with family, friends and our community. With all this, we hope to create a lasting relationship that sustains a commitment to faith in adulthood and shapes future generations.
Intentions:
- Create a sense of community and belonging where everyone feels welcome and valued
- Foster spiritual growth through discipleship and group activities both within our local parish and our greater Catholic community
- Encourage leadership and mentorship among the different age groups, providing opportunities for service roles and charitable work
- Inspire!
While this is just the beginning, hopefully this roadmap for our youth ministry provides guidance and opportunities for young people of our Parish and for other parishioners to be involved. It is intended to be adaptable, as the needs of our young people are ever changing. Together we can make a big impact on our young people!
Pamela Thompson
Parish Youth Worker
PRE-SCHOOL AGE
Music and Play Group
Fridays 9-10.00am at Our Lady of Lourdes
Come along on Friday mornings for a coffee and a chat with other parents after the school run. Music, singing, crafts and play for the little ones and tea and coffee for parents.
Junior Church (aimed at pre-school and primary school aged children)
Sundays, during the 9am Mass at Holy Name
Sundays, during the 11am Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes
Children have an opportunity to join their friends in Junior Church during the beginning of the Mass and explore the Gospel together in a more relaxed environment. They are games, songs and crafts during their lesson that help them understand the liturgy of the day. Children join their families back in Mass after the Gospel and share what they have learned.
PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE
Fun Fridays Youth Club
Fridays 3.30-5pm at Our Lady of Lourdes
A youth club aimed at children in KS2 and their families. It takes place 4 times a year, term-time from 3:30 to 5pm in the church hall at OLOL. Games, crafts, snacks, and prizes. It is a wonderful opportunity to hang out with friends after school and enjoy seasonal themed activities.
Dates for School Year 2025/ 26 are as follows:
- Friday, October 4th - Come celebrate the harvest season and St. Fancis, the patron saint of the enviorment.
- Friday, November 7th - Join us as we kick off our Advent preparations and get involved in our charity outreach program.
- Parish Youth Advent Weekend - Saturday December 6th and Sunday, December 7th. More details to come!
- Friday, February 6th - Calling all pancake makers! Joins us as we prepare for the Lenten season with themed activities, pancake decorating and our charity kick-off.
- Parish Youth Lent Weekend - April 1st - 5th. More details to come.
- Friday, June 5th - Please join us for our Family Bingo event. We will be wishing our Year 6 farewell with a special blessing from Fr. Sebastian.
SECONDARY SCHOOL AGE
Youth 3:16 is our youth group dedicated to teens and supporting the important role they play in our Parish.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This verse, which is one of the most popular verses, embodies the nature of our faith and our mission to inspire our young people to be the ‘joyful presence in the world’ today. Though the following programmes we offer opportunities for faith exploration, community engagement and personal reflection.
Friday Night Youth Club
Every other Friday at Holy Name - term time
A youth club aimed at ages 13 to 17, every other Friday at Holy Name in Esher. This club offers friendship, games, food and guidance on our journey in faith. Please see the newsletter each week for updates. All welcome!
Youth St Vincent de Paul
A youth club for year’s 7 & 8, working with our local St Vincent de Paul group to engage in our communities and take part in social action. Through voluntary work, Youth SVP members not only make a difference, but learn new skills, build lasting friendships and grow in faith.
This year our Young Vincentians helped over 40 people in Kingston who struggle to find housing accommodations. They worked in aid of Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness’ “Spring into Action” campaign, collecting items for care packages donated to local homeless shelters. Alongside the care packages, they raised just over £1000 for KCAH to support their local homeless programmes.
CMYFed Faith in Action Award Programme
This year our Parish invites all young people ages 10 to 18 to join our Faith In Action Award Programme. This award-based programme encourages young people through recognising, rewarding and celebrating their faith through service and reflection. This is an exciting opportunity to connect, grow, and explore your faith with other young people who are discovering what it means live their Catholic faith.
CYMFed, the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation, seeks to help shape and support Youth Ministry in England and Wales. The Faith In Action Award programme facilitates an exploration of scripture and Church teachings, with an emphasis on translating this into action. Many young people are doing so much to follow Jesus' example in serving others in their schools and parishes. The Faith in Action programme encourages young people to take that service into their wider community and accept greater responsibility for their faith in action.
Below you will find an outline of the programme, including information on what you can expect, dates for your diary and programme requirements. Please consider joining us on this journey where our faith is celebrated, questions are welcomed, our community is served, and friendships are formed! We look forward to seeing you at our kick off meeting on Saturday, 27th of September at 4:30pm at OLOL.
Our Parish
Get Involved
Contact Details
General enquiries: info@holyfamilyelmbridge.church
Our Lady of Lourdes
Hampton Court Way
Thames Ditton
Surrey
KT7 0LP
Church of the Holy Name
42 Arbrook Lane
Esher
Surrey
KT10 9EE
Parish Priest
Fr Sebastian Paul
sebastian.paul@abdiocese.org.uk