New direction for W Norfolk school charity 

A charity which reaches out with the Christian message to children in West Norfolk schools is appealing for supporters to help it explore a new future direction and vision.

CROWNS trustThe charity is holding an open meeting on Thursday January 21 and is inviting ideas and contributions following news that trust leader Kevin Baldwin is to take up a new role as the national coordinator for the LIFE exhibition which goes to schools throughout the UK.

Crowns Trust is a trust which supports those Christians who seek to work in largely West Norfolk schools and provides some help with costs and expenses for those who take RE lessons, assemblies etc.

Richard Pennington, Crowns trustee said "please join the trust as they seek to showcase the work it has done, is doing and hopes to do, reaffirm and build on what Kevin has achieved in schools in West Norfolk, and setting out a new vision as they go on without him and to pray, thanking God for his help and seeking Him as they move forward".

Currently CROWNS supports ;- 
Sally Beadle who does assemblies in Fairstead, Howard Infants, Howard Junior, Middleton, Gayton, Sandringham & West Newton and Greyfriars schools, and has just now been offering input in 2016 for another 20 schools.  She also offers Bible Circus workshops/days - - an interactive R E resource which is based on balloon making!

Brian & Josephine Griffin lead the GenR8 team and also do Puppet assemblies in schools. GenR8 ( www.genR8.org) is a Cambridgeshire  based team which provide support for Brian and Josephine in the work they do

Crowns started in 2003 when Kevin Baldwin felt a call to this work and left his employment as a chef in a school canteen to commit himself to this .This was a a time when many schools were very pleased to have a reliable and Christian input into assemblies and RE lessons at initially at no cost to the school

Kevin approached Richard Pennington a local solicitor with a view to setting up a charitable trust and to enable schools and other charities to donate and also to provide a legacy of contacts/funding also Crowns was more than just about Kevin

Hence CROWNS trust (Christians Reaching  Out in West Norfolk Schools) was born. The charity was registered on 2 July 2003 and the work has thrived over the past 12 years.

In 2008 – 2010 Crowns was able, with support from the Diocese of Norwich Mission Fund, to appoint 2 additional Schools Workers alongside Kevin, this enabled the trust to strengthen their input and reach more schools.

As well as school assemblies, they have - mainly through Kevin - developed expertise in 

  • Bible Explorer (teaching children about the Bible)
  • Open the Book (Bible story-telling in schools - where they have encouraged teams to be set up across West Norfolk)
  • Brian and Josephine also do B & J Puppet assemblies in schools BJ Puppets  http://stmarysheacham.webeden.co.uk/#/puppet-assemblies/4570891225 and this has built this up over the last 5 years the the extent that they visited some 80 schools across West Norfolk last term.
  • GenR8 http://stmarysheacham.webeden.co.uk/#/genr8/4570868254 GenR8 has been operating since 2008, 3 times per year, around 45 schools each tour.
  • Prayer Spaces in Schools

By working closely with Counties (national Christian mission organisation) Kevin has brought to West Norfolk 

  • the LIFE Exhibition for primary schools (the person and life of Jesus), and 
  • GSUS Live interactive computer-based exploration of moral/Christian issues like forgiveness for high schools.

In 2014/2015 CROWNS was able, with support from Norfolk Community Foundation, to take 400 children from 10 schools on half –day or day tours of World War 1 Trenches (built for training purposes in 1915) at Bircham Newton. This has opened up discussions about war, life in the trenches, the importance of the Christian faith of many soldiers etc.

The Open Meeting takes place on Thursday January 21 at King’s Lynn Evangelical Church, starting at 7.30pm. There will be presentations from the team, prayer stations and more. All are welcome and for more detail or information please contact the trustees on trustees@crownstrust.org


AndyLatham276Do you have a news story or forthcoming event relating to Christians or a church in south-west Norfolk?  

If so, e-mail andy.latham@networknorfolk.co.uk with details and, if possible a suitable picture.