Get Ready for Lent!

As Lent begins, we turn our hearts toward Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection — and with it, the promise of renewal, healing, and reconciliation. Lent invites us to reflect, to repent, and to respond. It is a season that reminds us that hope is always possible, even in the most broken places.

This Lent, we are launching the Healing Young Hearts Appeal — because renewal is desperately needed in the lives of many young people we serve.

In the Volkhov area, too many children grow up surrounded by violence and instability. For them, home is not always a place of safety. Many witness addiction and emotional abuse on a daily basis. Some find refuge in abandoned buildings. Others go to bed cold and hungry. Poverty leaves many children vulnerable — bullied at school, isolated, and ashamed. Some girls have even felt forced to sell indecent images of themselves online, simply to afford food.

These are the young people who come to our Open Hearts Youth Group (OHYG). They are children who cannot rely on their parents — especially during school holidays, when support systems disappear and risks increase.

Through OHYG, we offer consistency, care, and hope. We’ll be sharing the stories of Melina and Venisa in our next blog — two teenage girls whose lives have been transformed through the group, and whose journeys show just how powerful a safe, loving community can be.

Alongside dedicated leaders Dasha and Artyom, the OHYG supports young people aged 11–18, meeting both their weekly and seasonal needs. To continue this vital work, we are seeking to raise £12,000.

A gift to the Healing Young Hearts Appeal will help provide:

• Nutritious food and basic clothing

• A safe, loving community where young people are known and valued

• Teaching on drug awareness, sexual health, violence prevention, emotional well-being, and Bible study

• Positive activities — sport, music, and creative projects — especially during high-risk periods when drinking and violence increase

• Christian residential trips during school holidays

This Lent, as we reflect on Christ’s love poured out for us, will you help us continue bringing life-changing hope to children who need it most?

Together, we can help heal young hearts.

Visit the Lent Appeal page 👉 Click Here