Meet the Team - Clarrie Scott

Clarrie Scott

Hi, I’m Clarrie and I’m 19 years old. I have just finished my first year at York University studying Sociology, and I’m loving every minute of it! I went to South Africa for the first time last year with The Cupboard, and was completely drawn to both the place and the people. The sheer joy, love and hope I saw in each individual meant that, when the opportunity arose to go again, I couldn’t say no! 

Society and the different features which make communities work across the world are fascinating, and the opportunity to walk alongside different communities in their brokenness and strength is humbling. I am really looking forward to go back and am excited to see ‘old’ faces as well as to get to know new people. I hope to challenge myself further and to really immerse myself in everything we do.

Meet the Team - Oliver Dilley

Oliver Dilley

Hi, I’m Oliver Dilley. I’m 19 years old and have been a worshiping member of St Andrews Church in Biggleswade all my life. I have just finished my first year studying Paediatric Nursing at City, University of London. Working with children has been something that I have always been interested in from helping at holiday club to being a leader within a Sunday School team. Over my past year of training I have been very privileged to be able to work in some amazing places and work with some incredible children all of which have been very loving and welcoming, much like the children from the communities within South Africa.

As many of you will know, I was lucky enough to go out to South Africa last year with the team from St Andrews, ‘Cupboard2Africa’ and when I got home the only way I could describe my experience was “the best two weeks of my life”. Throughout the two weeks we spent in the vulnerable communities last year I learnt so much about myself, so much about Hands at Work and so much about the communities which made it impossible to say no when making my decision for this year. As those who have previously been on a trip to the Hands village, or I’m sure a similar one, will know that these trips are truly life shaping. I realised so much throughout my trip last year that I couldn’t ignore and learnt so much which I have tried to think about and work on within my life back home.

I am very much much looking forward to our 2 weeks in South Africa and am excited to see new communities, for myself (and for St Andrews teams), as well as visiting some old faces in our partner community of Mafambisa. Over the past year I have been worshiping at St Paul’s Cathedral in London and have been privileged to be able to listen to many talks, from many different people talking to many different people with very different nationalities. The one underlying message that has been present in nearly all sermons was how as Christians (or even as humans) we must support our neighbours, close or far. I am looking forward to being out in South Africa with our 2019 team, I am excited to be able to see these communities with new people and am excited for our team members who will be visiting South Africa ( and Hands at work) for the first time, including Lucy - My mum, and to see everyone form relationships with the care workers, the children and the Hands at Work volunteers.

I feel very privileged to be able to go as a member of the St Andrews team 2019 to visit our partner community and to walk alongside our neighbours. As I mentioned previously, I learnt a lot while out in South Africa last year with one being the importance of everyday (or regular) prayer. Therefore I ask that you continue to pray for our team in the coming week for our final preparations for our trip as well as throughout our trip. If any of you are able to comment on our blogs or facebook posts each day it is lovely see what you have thought of our days and to provide those crucial words of encouragement.

I cannot wait to go back to these communities, the Hands hub and South Africa as a whole! And I am sure that we will have some amazing stories, pictures and memories to share when we get home!

Team Orientation Day

Orientation Day

Thursday meant orientation day for most of our team, unfortunately with Alice having already flown out to South Africa to complete 2 weeks mission before our trip, we met as a 6. It was amazing to be together again, to be sharing stories, laughs and getting to know each other a bit more.

We started the day with some reflections from Alice Scott. Alice talked us through a couple of verses that she had picked out from the bible which would be relevant to our trip and something we can take out with us. This provided a time of reflection for all of us, to think about the words that Alice shared and to think about the stories that some of us shared relating to our previous visits. One thing that Alice encouraged us to think about was who we would class as our Family, outside of just our biological family. We all shared different perspectives of who we would class as our families including colleagues from work, church families, friends and volunteers at the Hands Hub. After watching a few short videos and reading a story of a young girl that has access to a care point, Alice encouraged us to make ourselves vulnerable - this included sitting in silence on our own for 15 minutes to reflect, pray and to encourage silence within our days. Many of us found 15 minutes a long time but it was a good activity to prepare us for what previously may have been awkward silences.

We then came together to talk about some practicalities of our trip which is always good to aid any worries and anxieties about the upcoming trip. Then we shared a delicious light lunch and some time to talk about what we were really looking forward to while in South Africa.

After lunch we ‘talked the talk’. This meant remembering, or learning, Siswati. Which proved a bit more difficult than we expected with everyone remembering different parts of the language but we managed to get a hold of the basics. We then spent some time organising the amazing donations that we had already received for our Care Worker packages - we managed to include a face cloth, a form of soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, nail varnish, a comb or brush and a hand cream or lip balm in all our packages and as we are still collecting donations we hope to make as many packages as possible. From our previous experiences that we have had out in South Africa, we know that the care workers will hugely appreciate what seems to us to be a small gesture.

We were very thankful for the time that we had together for our orientation day and we were exited (and nervous) that the next time we will gather will be Saturday 3rd August for our commissioning service. We would love to see as many people at our service as possible 7:30pm at St Andrews Church, Biggleswade.

Meet the Team - Alice Scott

Alice Scott

Hi, I’m Alice and this will be my third trip to South Africa to be part of the vision and support of Hands at Work. Growing from my two previous experiences, every opportunity to travel out to Africa and meet with the most vulnerable yet strongest children, women and communities is an exciting and challenging opportunity. In each visit, different challenges have been faced by the communities we visit and now, as part of another team who is travelling to support, encourage and show love to these communities, I have an insight and have walked alongside them in their recent history. Being part of their community witness and walking alongside them is a huge privilege.

Asking ‘how are you?’ is a powerful question we ask when visiting communities and walking alongside care workers and care givers. With the time I have spent out in South Africa, this has even greater meaning and significance as we visit and hear the continuing stories of children, women and families from previous years. I can’t wait to see and catch up with old friends and flourishing children, asking them ‘how are you?’. Their answers, in their honesty and bright hope, are why I keep going back! 

Team Africa 2019!

Welcome to Team Africa 2019! We are in the final stages of our preparation for this years trip. Over the next couple of weeks we will be introducing this years team and why they have chosen to join the trip this year. We have a mixture of people that have been before and those that it will be their first time! First up is Alice Parker who will be helping to lead this years team! She is actually off to Africa tomorrow so we thought we would start with her! Here is a recent picture of our team on our final briefing day!  

Alice Parker

Hi, I am Alice and I am off to Africa this summer for just under a month. I am going to spend the first two weeks with friends in Durban who are in the process of setting up an inclusive school and volunteering at Liv Village before then meeting the team in Johannesburg for our trip to Hands at Work. 

I currently live and work in London as a teacher. I am the Leading Practioner for Inclusion and work across three Primary Schools and an Under 3's Nursery for the London Diocesan Academy Trust! I have been a member of Kings Cross Church in the heart of London for nearly ten years where I lead a small group and kids church. The vision of my Church is... 

'to recklessly give ourselves away to God, each other and the people of King's Cross and beyond.' 

I think for me this vision is not only that of Kings Cross Church but of how I want to live my life...I want to be able to love recklessly, give my time recklessly and to share God's love recklessly and to build a community around me that shares this vision. 

The above vision for me sums up what going to Africa tomorrow is. I love spending time in the communities and seeing the impact that Care Workers who are often in similar situations are willing to give all of themselves to help others in the community. This will be my fourth time to Hands at Work and every time I am blown away by the courage, joy and love that the African communities offer to each other, the communities they serve and to us as visitors! I cannot wait to be surrounded by a big cooking pot again or chopping up large amounts of beetroot or cabbage! 

For those of you that know me well, will know that South Africa holds a particular space in my heart and has done for a while. I am looking forward to being able to share God's Love and Grace with the different people we meet in South Africa and having the opportunity to walk alongside and pray for them. I have no doubt that I am going to find it challenging and difficult at times and my faith will be tested but then if we are going to love recklessly and share God's love recklessly then I also know that God will be there every step of the way cheering us all on!! 

There is so much more to experience, be challenged by and to fall in love with... Let the adventure begin!!!!