About Us
We are very proud of what we do and we have a unique model of working
Who are we?
The EXODUS Project is a children’s charity, with a Christian ethos, based on the Barnsley/Wakefield border at South Hiendley. We were registered with the Charity Commission in June 2002.
We work with children and young people, many from the most disadvantaged communities. Our aim is to divert them from destructive lifestyles. We do this by working in partnership with families and others within the communities. There are 5 aspects to our unique model:
- Our main focus is on mid-week activity clubs in the heart of less advantaged communities. Our clubs for 8-11’s are called Kidz Klub. Our youth groups are known as Rock Solid. There are currently 15 groups meeting every week during school term time.
- We deliver weekend “camps”, which combine great fun and educational activites, at our own activity centre known as Jenny’s Field. The children and young people who attend the mid-week clubs, come in their turn to the centre, again with the aim of building trusting relationships and growing aspirations.
- We visit the children in the younger age clubs every week at their homes, to be accountable to parents and carers and to build partnerships.
- We partner with the wider communities in which our activity clubs are based, by working alongside schools, community associations, ward alliances, residents groups and local authority officers, delivering galas and community improvement initiatives.
- We deliver supplementary food parcels to some families of the children we work with. Building relationships through our visiting rounds, parents/carers feel more confident and able to express their needs to us. We then arrange for the food parcels to be delivered weekly by a member of our team.
- The final aspect of our unique model is volunteer development. Over half our volunteer team are former service users. They progress from the Kidz Klub groups to the Rock Solid groups, and when they reach 14 they can be become junior leaders (volunteers) in the younger age clubs. After that so many progress to become adult leaders. We have known many of our adult volunteers for 6 to 14 years, as a result of our relationship building approach to volunteer development.
How can you support us?
You can support Exodus in so many ways. Our volunteers will testify that working for Exodus is like being part of a big family. There are roles to suit all skills and interests. We need volunteers to work in our activity clubs with children and young people. We need people to support our weekend activity camps. If working with children is not your thing, then we need gardeners, cleaners, cooks, administrators and shop workers. Please do consider giving a few hours a week to help in any way you can.
Because we target less advantaged communities, our services are all but free to the children and young people who benefit. So we need those who have, to stand alongside us in helping those who have not. So, if you’re thinking about running a marathon, riding a bike from coast to coast or walking the three peaks, please consider raising sponsorship money to keep our work going. In fact, any kind of individual and corporate fund raising will be met with huge smiles and heartfelt appreciation from everyone at Exodus.
We also have a monthly giving scheme called “Footsteps”, which enables companies and individuals to support our work regularly, giving us much needed and predictable income.
We can even offer advice and support in establishing a will if you consider leaving a legacy to Exodus. We’re here for the long haul, trying to improve the lives of children and young people in disadvantaged circumstances. You can be assured that any support you give in this way will reap benefits long into the future.
Our Values
We exist to help children and young people in less advantaged circumstances to grow their aspirations and make positive lifestyle choices. Our Christian ethos ensures that the emotional, physical and psychological needs of young people are met, as well as their spiritual needs. A Christian perspective is taught alongside other legitimate world views, and our approach is recognised as reasonable, balanced and sensitive. We do not promote religion, we promote the growth and education of children and young people, that reflects a world that is rarely black and white.
Our volunteers, staff and children go by our six core values
Kids and Fun are number 1
Be nice, think twice
Be fair, be firm
Plan it well and it will tell
See it, sort it
Don’t be slack, put it back