Pioneering project provides sanctuary in Bradford school grounds

Set in the heart of a school grounds in Bradford is a pioneering Salvation Army project which provides a place of sanctuary and support for secondary school children. 

Led by Salvation Army chaplain Emilie Trotter, the Sanctuary at Immanuel College offers one-on-one support for pupils and staff, runs lunchtime activities and helps students explore their faith. 

Emily, who is part of team of chaplains based at the school, also runs a mentoring programme where sixth form pupils support new year sevens through the first years of school. 

Emily, who works alongside Salvation Army youth worker Matt Sanderson, said: “Our days involve a lot of one-to-one mentoring for students who are facing all kinds of challenges, from bereavement to exam stress, peer issues, mental health struggles or general school related anxiety.

“We run lunchtime activities within the building. It’s a small community space for some of the students that don't want to be in the busyness of the main bit of the school. They can sit quietly, chat, eat lunch and play games. 

“We want it to feel like it's sanctuary from the moment they walk in. We know each pupil, their family make up, their pet’s name, the experiences they are going through. It’s a community space where they feel known and cared for.” 

As part of the post-16 mentoring scheme, Emilie trains sixth form pupils to support younger students one-to-one as they start secondary school. 

“The mentor is a sounding board, supporting them through any issues they might have and helping them to problem solve. They meet for six weeks to complete the mentor scheme, but nine times out of 10, they will continue to meet each other,” Emilie said. 

“It’s been amazing to see the confidence that the younger ones develop from having someone to talk to and the sixth formers feel like they've given back, which is really meaningful.

“What fills me with the biggest sense of pride is when the mentees come back and ask if they can volunteer. That’s the biggest blessing because it shows they’ve found meaning in service.” 

Unique for a school environment, Immanuel College has a chaplaincy team led by Church of England chaplain Rev Stuart Hacking, as well as Emilie and staff chaplain Rachel Tarr. The chaplaincy team host a staff lunch on a Friday and see staff one-to-one if required. 

A recent project they’ve been piloting is bridge back conversations, where they facilitate restorative conversations between staff members and students. 

Emilie said: “When it feels like that relationship between pupil and teacher has broken down, we give a space for them to have a conversation to try and get the student and the teacher to understand the emotional impact on both sides. A lot of the feedback from students has been that they’ve felt more understood.” 

One of the big challenges facing schools is the impact of smartphone addiction that has become more evident to Emilie over the past four to five years. 

She said: “It’s become a huge problem. We’re seeing more cyberbullying and self-esteem issues. The biggest thing is fear of social exclusion. Social media is curated to make us believe that we're not enough and the impact of that on young people as they're trying to find their social groups is huge. 

“When things go wrong on social media they can block, delete, cut friends off and move on. There isn’t the depth in their friendships in the same way there used to be because they are having so many interactions, but not so many deep and meaningful connections. This was exacerbated by the covid pandemic when they spent a lot of time at home during that crucial age where they are learning social behaviours with their peers.”  

However, Emilie feels hopeful about the future. She added: “I love working with young people. They know all of this isn't good for them, and that they’re experiencing isolation. Many are faith curious and see the power in community so are seeking that out.” 

One of the strengths is the partnership working with other churches, including Holy Trinity Church in Idle and Sorted Church, a Christian group specifically for young people. Emilie also hosts Pulse, the school’s Christian Union, which has 70 students attending. 

Emilie added: “We gather every half term, share faith, discussion and pray together. That's one of the joys of what I do here.

“I think it’s a church’s mission to care for, look after and nurture young people and the best way of doing that is to meet them where they are, to be in their lives day-to-day, to step in when they need support and to offer a kind of care that is different to what the secular world offers.

“It’s a privilege and an honour to be somebody that is not only signposted to for pastoral support, but also that represents the church. I think that students know I am here to represent my faith, so when they receive good quality care, they're learning something of the motivation for that that - it's motivated by the love of God.”