"Belle"

Self-esteem: the beliefs a person holds about themselves, their ability to make decisions and deal with the circumstances they face in life.

The UK has one of the highest rates of self-harm in Europe

In the UK, 1 in 100 women aged between 15 and 30 suffers from anorexia
1 in 4 16 year old girls know of someone else who has been hurt or hit by someone they are dating

These statistics are merely a glimpse of the issues facing young girls today. 

We became increasingly aware of the issues facing young girls today throughout secondary school, then affecting their life post education. Secondary school is a time of rapid change, growth and challenges. Thus, there are overwhelming effects that poor self-worth can initiate (such as depression, eating disorders, self-harm, anxiety, suicide etc.). Although we recognise there are some websites/charities that operate – they aren’t always easily accessed. In Berkshire alone there is a waiting list for child services of 18 months. With this in mind we wanted to create an organisation that can signpost to multi-agencies and to support girls on discovering their value, identity and purpose and then proceed to walk alongside them in their journey. This gave birth to ‘Belle’, a non-profit organisation in 2015.

Founder: Jessie Faerber. I am currently studying a Bsc in Theology and Youth Ministry at St.Mellitus College and work as a Youth Worker across Warfield Church. 

Belle is an organisation with a Christian ethos to equip, encourage and empower young girls in Berkshire.

VISION: to inspire hope into the lives of young girls governed by issues surrounding self-esteem.

Belle aims to tackle issues surrounding self-esteem in 3 key ways;

·        equipping; value, identity and purpose

·        encouraging; mentoring

·        empowering; social media

Belle aims to work alongside schools and youth groups in Berkshire to inspire hope into the lives of our young girls who are governed by issues of self-esteem through equipping, encouraging and empowering.

Belle focuses on working with girls between the ages of 11 and 18 (but also recognises an increasing need in Primary Schools – something Belle will be exploring).

For Belle to be most effective we aim to build in 3 core elements outlined below:

     1.   equipping; value, identity, purpose:

We are fully trained facilitators of Cocoon; a 6/10 week course for a small group of girls, focusing on their personal value, identity and purpose. The course contains links for the National Curriculum in both PSHE & Wellbeing and Citizenship. It is a brilliant, all-     encompassing, tried course that covers areas such as value, feelings and emotions, interests and skills, personality, body image, media and appearance, dreams and aspirations and planning for the future.

“Cocoon is an exciting and fresh course which allows young women to delve into their complex feelings and explore emotions healthily. The course allows today’s media driven young people to take a step back and evaluate who they really are and what they want out of life, giving them practical ways to face everyday situations and challenges”

Head of PSHE, Sutton Academy

     2.   encouraging; mentoring:

We offer an opportunity to mentor (and have a level 5 certificate in Christian Mentoring) within a school or youth group; to meet more personably in a one-to-one setting with a young girl as a listening ear in a safe and controlled environment. It is important to offer girls the opportunity to have someone to speak to about a range of issues; to be someone who cares. We are firm believers that through building relationships with young people, we can inspire hope and initiate positive change. Mentoring provides the opportunity to do so.

NB: We are not fully qualified counselors. Our role as a mentor is to listen and to provide relevant and appropriate ‘signposts’ or referrals where required.

     3.   empowering; social media:

We have created a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter in order to continually equip, encourage and therefore empower young girls through the sharing of relevant pages, articles, resources etc. that cover issues surrounding self-esteem. This is in order to counteract the many issues facing girls that we believe have stemmed from social media.

The aim is to eventually have a personal messaging dimension to the social media          presence in order to discuss issues in a regulated and controlled manner.

See facebook.com/belleberkshire and twitter.com/belle_inspire.

For more information contact jessie.faerber@warfield.org.uk

I'll keep you posted.

What if Jesus were our satnav?

Anyone who has been on a car journey with me will know that me and directions are a recipe for some sort of disaster.

I'm the sort of person who has to know precisely where they're going (due to having driven the journey plenty of times previously) or clings helplessly to their satnav (and still manages to screw up).

Direction in life is a funny thing (though I don't mean laugh out loud funny).

Again, if you know me, I'm quite (?!) an organised, logical person. I have to know where I'm going on the roads but also in the course of life.

Throughout school I worked my butt off to get good grades with the ultimate goal of going to a really good-looking-to-other-people university, on a flipping good course before going straight into employment and working up that ladder - to money, lots of dosh. That was the direction for my life. 

But then came the spanner in the works. Or should I say the "light in the darkness"; Jesus. I came into (and am still journeying in) relationship with him. 

I'm trying on a daily basis to give Jesus control. 
The aim is to plug him in as my satnav and follow his direction one step at a time. Jesus as satnav - now that sounds like an adventure to me!

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it..." (Matthew 16:25a NLT)

I'm not saying it's an easy road following this fella 'Jesus'. He's birthed in me a dream and a vision but I don't have a clue as to how I'm going to get there (well I do have some ideas), I don't know where I'm going to end up - but the joy, the adventure and the excitement are in the journey. 

And I am absolutely buzzing for what he has planned for my life and in the lives of those around me who are surrendering to his will. What could be more exciting than living out your unique, true purpose and calling in life?

Now there's also the danger of becoming static with fear. How do we get to our destination if we turn off the car engine? The satnav can't do anything. The 'magic' of satnavs is that even if we take a wrong turning, they automatically reroute. But we have to make the choice to give Jesus the power to be our satnav and surrender to him, only then will he reroute our lives. 

"In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight..." (Proverbs 3:6 NLT)

It's ok not to be in control. It's ok to hand over the directions to someone who, to put it bluntly, knows way better than we do, because as humans we're limited beings. 

"...but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." (Matthew 16:25b NLT)

Its taking the signpost off "me" and pointing it to the one who has the fuller plan for every single life.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says The Lord, plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)

I'll keep you posted