VYP stands for VOLUNTEER YOUTH PROJECT and that is exactly what it was set up to be.  A fund that supported young people, connected to our circuit, to volunteer for work in the UK and overseas, providing service to others as well as aiding their own personal development.

What does it do?

The VYP Committee raises money each year by organising a sponsored walk.  The money raised was originally given in grants to young people undertaking long and short periods of volunteer work.  However by the late 1980s it became much harder to find placements abroad and it was decided to distribute some of the monies raised to suitable charities.  This evolved into our present system where one third is donated to a nominated overseas charity, one third to local or other UK charity and one third to the VYP Fund.  The charities chosen over the years are those specifically involved in work with young people.

Since 1991 part of the VYP money has funded the annual Workcamp which is organised with groups from Germany and Romania (see Workcamp section of leaflet).  Other money is allocated in grants to young people who apply for our help.  In recent years this has included people participating in gap year projects, as well as a number of grants being made to members of the uniformed organisations who were raising money to attend international camps and events.  Any young person involved in the church, or who is a member of the uniformed organisations that meet at the church, is eligible to apply to the committee for a grant.  The VYP committee welcomes any suggestions it receives.  Apart from the Workcamp, money is also available for other group trips, so if you have any good ideas please let us know.

Charities supported over recent years have been Children in Crisis, the Ace Africa Project, the Martin Friend School in The Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Matthew Rusike Children’s Home in Zimbabwe, The Door Step School, India, Karabuni Trust, Kenya, Bromley Autistic Trust, ChildLine, The Shaftesbury Society, Cray Children’s Furniture Project, Daisy Chain Children’s Hospice, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and Bromley Young Carers, plus various VYP projects.