ACCelerate is the children’s and youth work of Arun Community Church. We believe in young people and encourage them to achieve their full potential.

With that aim, we run a huge variety of services and activities for children and young people which we define in three categories; Church, Community, and School.

Come along, or get in contact for more information on each activity.

Church

These are our activities for children and young people that have the specific purpose of exploring the Christian faith.

• Sparks

  is a pre-school group for parents and toddlers.
  Thursdays, 10:30am in various venues.

• Kickstart

  is our weekly kids church for Infants and Juniors (ages 5-11).
  Wednesdays during term-time, 5:00 - 6:00pm at The Wickbourne Centre. Cost: FREE

• Ignite

  is the youth group for young people in Years 7 - 9 at Secondary School (ages 11-14).
  Sundays, 6:00 - 7:30pm at The Wickbourne Centre. Cost: FREE

• Fuel

  is the youth group for Years 10 upwards at Secondary School (ages 14+).
  Wednesdays, 8:00 - 9:30pm at The Wickbourne Centre. Cost: FREE

Community

These are services and activities that are open for all children and young people within the wider community regardless of faith.

• PlayCentres

  are our Ofsted registered childcare services for pre-school age children.
  The Rustington PlayCentre runs as a sessional pre-school with limited spaces. You can contact them on 01903 850984.
  The Wickbourne PlayCentre is run as a nursery. You can contact them on 01903 276827.

• Launch Pad

  is a free breakfast club that runs before school each morning offering a healthy and nutritious breakfast for children who are referred to the service. You can view the short film on Launch Pad made by BBC Children In Need below.

• Move!

  is our dance club for children aged 7 to 11. Aimed at those who wouldn't normally attend dance classes, Move! is all about having fun and learning routines to the latest pop songs.
  Mondays, 4 - 5pm, The Keystone Centre, Cost: £1.00

• RePlay

  is a creative after-school club for infants and juniors with art, craft, dance and game activities. Each week has a different focus and refeshments are provided.
  Tuesdays, 3:30 - 5:30pm, The Wickbourne Centre, Cost: £2.50

• Kickstart - The Event

  is our famous fun-packed and exciting children’s playscheme run during the summer holidays. We run one week in Littlehampton and one week in Rustington. Dates for 2012 coming soon!

• TNT

  is an activity-based youth club for young people in Years 7 - 9 at Secondary School (ages 11-14). With a different focus each week, it could be an inflatable night or bouncy castles! Loads of fun.
  Thursdays, 7:00 - 8:30pm, The Wickbourne Centre, Cost: 50p

• Youth4Artz

  is a drama and performing arts group for young people that piloted in 2011. It is hoped this group will continue soon.

• Romance Academy

  is a nation-wide sex and relationships education initiative. The 14-week course creatively addresses the underlying causes of risky youth behaviour (such as poor self-esteem and low aspirations) by promoting the value of stable relationships through a variety of group work activities and individual support. 
  Courses are run at various intervals and cater for up to twelve 14-18 year olds. Please get in contact for further information.

School

As a church we have a long history of involvement in local schools and continue to run lessons, assemblies and creative activities for Infants, Juniors and Secondary aged children. In addition we often host young people for work placments in child care and work closely with the Chaplain at The Littlehampton Academy to run initiatives like Youth Alpha.

Voluntary Opportunities

ACCelerate have a huge team of volunteers who work tirelessly to provide for the children and young people in our communities. If you're interested in joining us for an hour or a year, get in contact!

Partnerships

ACCelerate works in partnership with a large number of organisations including:

• Arun District Council
• East Preston Parish Council
• The Littlehampton Academy
• Littlehampton Town Council
• Local Schools
• Outset Youth Action
• Rustington Parish Council
• Spurgeons LA-UK
• West Sussex County Council
• West Sussex Council for Voluntary Youth Services (WSCVYS)
• West Sussex Youth Support & Development Services (YSDS), and many more!

Additionally we are supported by the generous work of BBC Children In Need, and The Rank Foundation.