Welcome to Animate

Animate... Working with Schools

Lowe House is the new home for Youth Ministry in the Diocese. With a large hall, smaller rooms and extensive grounds we can help to develop RE curriculum in schools. Days of Recollection, Retreat Days, Days with a Difference can help support your needs in delivering dynamic, contemporary and inspiring sessions to communicate the gospel message. We Endeavour to enhance ICONS Programme for RE by running days that will work in conjunction with the curriculum. Areas we are working in presently include, Yr 7 Days around the idea of community and belonging. Yr 8 Days-Conflict and Reconciliation, Yr 9& 10 Living simply, Yr 11 Where to now? Yr12 & 13 Values and dreams. We are a Team with flexibility and if it is not possible to come away we will come to you.

School Missions
Over the past couple of years the Team has been working with a number of schools, including St Mary’s-Crosby, SS Peter and Paul’s-Widnes, St Bede’s-Ormskirk and St Aelred’s- Newton le Willows on full scale school missions. This involves 8-9 months pre-mission planning, a celebration week and post- mission follow up. As the Team is local we can be on hand to help advise and support the mission of the school. To find out more details please do not hesitate to contact us.

Here are a selection of school groups that the Animate Team have been working with...

After spending a fun few days with the year 10’s we were joined by the year 8’s the girls school in Croxteth. The day was spent doing many different activities around the theme of ‘Who do you say I am?’. Whether it was the dramas, affirmations, artwork singing or the beautiful newspaper fashion show, the day was enjoyed by everyone involved.

‘It was excellent and fabulous’
‘I had a boss day’
‘thank you for making it such a good day’

We were joined by a number of year 10 girls from this Salesian school in Croxteth in April. The day was spent doing many different activities around the theme of ‘Who do you say I am?’. Whether it was the dramas, affirmations, artwork singing or the beautiful newspaper fashion show, the day was enjoyed by everyone involved.

As I write this some of the guys on the team are working on our third day with the year 7’s from one of our local St Helens schools. We have been exploring the theme of ‘Celebrating Us – I am the way, the truth, and the life‘. The days have been jam packed with games, singing, artwork, dramas and time for reflecting on their lives in the past year as year 7’s at their ‘new’ secondary school. It’s been a great few days so far and we’re looking forward to another few days to come.

This is the third year that Animate has led a mission at the college. It was a great week where we explored the theme through different subject areas wh

ich included, history, sport and languages. In group work people met the team on a more personal level as well as carrying out activities that ranged from dodgeball to sumo wrestling. The main sessions were very well received with 'Trading my sorrows' being sung with great exuberance. The masses for the different years were the climax of the week and we look forward to working with staff and students again.

For our first day retreats of 2008, we ventured to Astley to visit St Mary’s Year 8s, and studied the theme of “Conflict and Reconciliation”. The group really made a lot of effort to think about why conflict might be happening in certain situations and what can be done about it.
Comments…
“I really enjoyed itJ”
“Can we do it again?”
“I really enjoyed doing the Affirmation Booklet!”

We were happy to welcome St Peters Year 7s to Lowe House for their first time, and we looked at the theme “We are one body” (Romans 12). The groups were really enjoyed producing a body shaped poster to represent what gifts and talents they can offer to their school body.
Comments…
“It was a fab day out of school, it was well good”
“Good Music, good Jokes from John!”
“I really enjoyed it and I would love to come again”

Lowe House played host to Year 8 Retreat Days for Cardinal Heenan on the Theme ‘Walk Humbly and act Justly with God” (Micah 6:8)
The Boys really got involved in some great discussions about Fairtrade and came up with some really good posters.

Comments…
“A Brill Day Out!”
“Great day, very exciting and interesting!”

We also enjoyed the company of a small number of St Thomas Beckett Year 11s, who helped us explore the theme of ‘ Lent: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving’
The day was really productive, full of challenging realisations about just how lucky we are. The group made a number of posters to promote their Lent fast day, which will be held in school on 22nd February.
Comments…
“Prayer Stations were my favorite part”
“I really enjoyed doing the drama”

SS Peter and Paul came to us to explore the theme “Your heavenly father knows all you need” (Matt 6). When challenged to think about the things we need and what we could do without, the group came up with a ‘LiveSimply’ promise, something they will try to stick to; especially this Lent.
Comments…
“Great Day!!!!!!”
“I had really great fun!”
“My favourite part of the day was finding out about recycling and the games!”

The community of De La Salle welcomed the Animate Team, from the 5-9th November, for there mission week. The theme of the week was the X Factor, and the team spent time with each year group exploring what the cross means to us, whether it was just a fashion accessory or whether it had a deeper meaning. This theme was explored through dramas, movement, presentations, group work and faith sharing. On Thursday night the wider community of De La Salle joined together to celebrate the weeks mission in a community celebration. The young people raised the roof with their renditions of Jesus is a rock and Trading my Sorrows.

It was a great opportunity for the animate team, to work with young people from the school, leading up to the mission so that young people were involved in some of the presentations in the main sessions and the Masses during the week. Including a fantastic Jeremy Kyle sketch, Movement, sign language and music.

There was an incredible atmosphere throughout the school and the team felt very welcomed by pupils and staff alike.
Headteacher: “You brought laughter to the school, which was infectious. The team brought a freshness and unaffected enthusiasm.”

Teacher: “the mission was outstanding, it allowed us to be a community.”
Year 9 pupil “I have become closer to God this week.”
Year 9 pupil “This week has given me the opportunity to reflect on issues in my life.”

This month also saw a series of Year 7Day retreats, firstly with St Alered’s School from Newton-Le-Willows, here at our very own Lowe House. We explored the theme of ‘Journeying together in faith’ through fun and games, reading scriptures and thinking about our own gifts and talents and how we can use them on our journey for the benefit of everyone.

Fantastically creative banners of the St Alereds logo were made on each of the days, which will be taken to school for display (once we’ve sewn them all together!).

The days were a great time of discovery and discussion and the pupils told us that the guided meditations were a particular highlight. We felt that the attitude of the pupils lent a lot to the success, with everyone joining in and not afraid to share their thoughts and ideas.

“It was well good!”
“I enjoyed everything”
“I really liked the meditation. I will definitely do it again!!!!”
“Very good! In fact, Brill!”

St Julies
There was also the start of 2 weeks of day retreats at St Julies, Woolton, running into December. We were looking again at ‘Journeying Together In Faith’, but this time we also touched on Mary’s Journey, especially as some of the day retreats will be taking place in Advent. It was great to go to the former school of our very own Helen Currie, and Helen really enjoyed working with the new Year 7 groups, and all her former teachers as well! At the time of writing, we’ve got three more day retreats to go, but so far we’ve been really pleased with just how well the groups have worked, and just what a nice group of people they really are! Everyone seems to have had great fun and really got involved.

The feedback we have received so far is also very positive;
“It was fantastic and thank you very much!!!”
“Please come to our school again!”
“…Wish you could come back and do a retreat day with us again. PS It was fun”

Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High School, Skelmersdale
We had a great day with the year 11’s thinking about the theme “I am with you always”. We spent the thinking about the last five years that they spent at the school and what they were going to do in the future and how they are not alone in these choices, God is with them. The day ended with a mass celebrating their five years at OLQP. It was a great day and the team really enjoyed going back into the school.

St Augustine’s
It was great to be able to finish up our day retreats by spending 6 days working with St Augustine’s from St Helens. We looked at the journeying together. We started with by playing some fun games. The young people designed a welcome banner for next year’s new students with welcome messages and tips. We had some fun at lunch with football on most days although it did rain on a couple of days!!!!!! We ended the day with a time of prayer and reflection.

St Aelred’s Mission
The Animate team were welcomed by the community at St Aelred’s College from 9th –13th July for their mission week. The theme of the week was following in the footsteps of Jesus. It was great for members of the Animate team to work with young people leading up to the mission, so that young people were involved in some of the presentations in the main sessions and the Masses during the week, including an amazing Jeremy Kyle show as well as reflections during Mass involving sign language, music, and movement.

The team spent time with each year group exploring what it means for us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus as well as with the wider community on the Wednesday evening where young people, staff governors, parents and friends were given a taste of some of the things that happened during the week. We raised the roof with renditions of such Animate favourites as Jesus is a rock. There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the school and the team felt very welcomed by pupils and staff alike. Lunch, break and group work times were a great opportunity for us to share our thoughts on the theme, ask questions and generally socialise with one another.

Broughton Hall High School
We had a fantastic time with Broughton hall here at Lowe house. Looking at where are you. Starting the day off with some fun icebreakers. We looked at a few scenarios and thought about the choices we would make in our own lives. We where lucky enough to have 2 very sunny days so there was some great footie matches at lunch too!!! We finished the day with some time to reflect on our own lives using personal reflections and guided meditations!!!!

“The best part of today was working as a team because it was funny but serious too!!”
“It was great talking to new people and all getting on”
“It’s all been brilliant I especially enjoyed the meditation”

St Francis Academy
A good time was had by all when we were lucky enough to have St Francis academy year 7’s at Lowe House. We were looking at the theme “we are one body”. We began the day with some energetic icebreakers and building some brill bridges. We went on to look at how we are all part of the same community, and how we can use our gifts and talents to make a difference in our world.

“ Hot spud was hilarious”
“I really enjoyed the affirmation books. I love feeling great and people knowing how special they really are”

St Thomas Becket-Huyton
We had a great two days working with year 8 groups from St Thomas Becket, Huyton. Together we looked at the theme of ‘That Great Generation.’ It was a great opportunity for the young people to see how they fit into today’s society, and how they can empower themselves to be a great generation, and make a difference to the world around them. They did this by highlighting the plight of sweatshop workers, using the CAFOD game ‘Trading Trainers’ to put themselves in their impossible situation. There was also a fantastic prayer session to bring such a good day to a close.
Comments...
"I liked the day and it was really fun and the workers were fun
Well done. Loved it. Had fun!"

St Mary’s College-Crosby
It was great to spend a week in St Mary’s Catholic College Crosby for the third year in a row. We focused on the theme ‘and they returned by a different route’ Mt 2:12 looking at the story of the three wise men and how they returned to their country by a different route after meeting Christ, and how we too can be changed through Christ, we also looked at how the wood of the crib and the wood of the cross is linked as one. We had such an awesome time with a mock Jeremy Kyle show, different liturgical movements and again some great songs like Jesus is the rock, making melodies and we wanna see Jesus lifted high.
Comments from the week...
“I have learned to think about the decisions I make and how they affect my future”.
“I have learned about different peoples experiences when finding God and the different routes that we can take in our lives”

Our Lady Queen of Peace, Skelmersdale
We spent 2 fabulous days at Our Lady Queen of Peace with year 7’s looking at the theme “Together in Christ we grow”. It was a great chance for the young people to work together and look at how they can show God’s love to one another. Each pupil took part in workshops looking at: let your light shine; make a positive impact and CAFOD’s Live Simply campaign.

“I loved the games and our egg survived!! The team are wicked!!”
“We loved the songs they were awesome!”
“We would love it if you would come and visit our lady’s again!!!”

St Mary’s-Astley
We had a great 4-day mission at St Mary’s, Astley working with the year 7 – 9’s. We looked at the theme ‘Who do you say I am?’ It was a great opportunity for the young people to look at who society says they are, who their friends say they should be, who they think they are and how God sees them. The young people participated in assemblies for each year group where they watched clips from Harry potter, were up and dancing along to the songs and finished with a time for reflection. The young people then had 2 members of the team in their RE class looking at the masks that we wear to hide who we really are.

“I loved all the songs n dances they were ace”
“it was totally awesome when u came to our school!

Ellesmere Port Catholic College
The beginning of February starts with year 8 day retreats with Ellesmere Port Catholic high school at the Castral Centre in Ellesmere Port. The theme for the retreats is “Growing in faith together” The focus for the young people has been thinking about the choices that they have to make over the next few years, how they are growing in faith and how they can make a difference to the lives of all they meet through all that they do. The young people have thought about how they are filled with God’s love and how they can share that gift of God’s Love with others
Comments...
“Over all I enjoyed the day and thought it was fun”
“For me the meditation was the best part because it gave me time to think about my life.”
“I think that the day was very good and that you made it exciting by making it different”

‘You are made in my image’ was the theme of the Yr 7 days for different from from De La sale St Helens. During the retreat days they looked at the image of Jesus that we have and also how Jesus sees us. Each group made crosses which will form part of the schools mission week. They also watched a clip from ‘Happy Feet’ and had time outside in the garden as well as prayer and meditation

‘Where your treasure is there will be your heart also’ was the inspiring them for St Julies Yr 12 retreat day. It was wonderful to be back at St Julies for a second year. The Animate Team worked with 120 of the year to help them look at where they are going at this crucial time in their lives and what they truly value in life. During the day there was an amazing fashion show in which groups had to make an outfit out of only a bin liner, a strip of sellotape and some newspaper. The photos speak for themselves! The day continued with workshops exploring how the clothing/fashion industry impacts on the lives of the poor throughout the world. The VI Form were asked to look at the livesimply challenge as a way of making a difference today. Through workshops the group looked at choices and decisions in a closer way and came up with some amazing art-work and dramas. The retreat day finished with a time of prayer and worship.

St Bede’s School Mission-Ormskirk
The Team had an incredible time in St Bede’s in October for their mission week entitled, ‘Who do you say I am”. From Jan to Oct the school and Animate were preparing for this special week to celebrate the 50th year of the school. It was a week of real excitement and fun. Each day the Team led presentations and group work for the different year groups. One evening there was a community celebration in which different members of the school community spoke movingly about their faith. The week ended on a high note with masses with each year group prepared by the students. Thanks to all for making it such an amazing week.
Comments...
“I thought that the mission was absolutely outstanding.”
“I enjoyed the songs and the group work most because everyone got involved and the dancing was great.”
“The Team helped us realise that we are all special in different ways. I hope that you can come back soon”
“I don’t think anything could have been different, but I would have liked more time with the Animate Team. It was all quite cool and I hope that you come again.”
“The mission was never boring and was real fun.”
“It was fun learning sign language with Kirsty and getting to know people from Animate.”

Sacred Heart School-Crosby
This day for Yr 13 at Sacred Heart was exploring Jesus’ words, ‘where your treasure is there will be your heart also.’(Luke 12:34) Yr 13 really entered into the day and got very involved in all the activities. The day explored what our values are, who we are called to be and opened up discussion about our own beliefs. The day ended with a celebration of mass with probably the best singing of a VI form in the diocese.
Comments...
“The songs were good and a good way to put religion and singing about god in a good/fun way.”
“Thank you for a great day. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I am seriously considering applying to join Animate in the future. You have really inspired me through your work.”

St Aelred’s School – Newton-Le-Willows
It was fantastic to welcome back year 7s from St Aelred’s. The school has come to Lowe House for the past few years. The Team worked with different groups exploring where each person is in their life at the moment and where God is calling them to be.
Comments...
“I enjoyed every minute of the day. Thanks.”
“It was great fun and the games were fantastic.”
“Cool, fun, fantastic, brilliant.”
Teacher - “Brilliant day! Great to see a modern approach towards religion especially the Catholic faith and young workers giving it the energy it deserves. Thank you.”

St Edmund Arrowsmith
At the end of March, year 7s from St Edmund Arrowsmith came to Lowe House for retreat days on the theme of 'Change me O Lord'. During these days we thought about Lent and how it is an opportunity for us to think about, and offer to God, the areas of our life that need to be changed. We also thought about our own gifts and talents and how we can use them to make a difference. Some fantastic banners were made be the groups that represent these gifts and talents and how we are going to put them to use to make a difference. Over all these were very successful days and enjoyed by all.
Comments...
"I can't choose my favourite part it was all brilliant"
"I wouldn't change anything. The best part of the day was making the banners"
"It was really fun and I would like to come again"

We were lucky to have the year 8’s from St John Bosco at Lowe house for 3 days. Together we looked at the theme ‘Where are you?’, looking at not only where each of us were on our life journey but where God is in our lives. You lot were fantastic and I definitely loved having a Salesian school in!!! After getting to know each other a bit better in our icebreakers we looked at how we can walk in Christ’s footsteps along our journeys making a positive difference to all the people we may meet.

Archbishop Beck-Aintree

‘Your Kingdom Come’ was the theme of Archbishop Beck and it is the motto of the school named after him. The motto was explored in a number of ways on the retreat days. The question was how could each from build God’s Kingdom where they were in school, in the local community and in the world. Each group looked at how Archbishop Beck who was Archbishop of Liverpool in the last 60s to the mid 70s built the Kingdom in his life.








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