Download PDF version of this page02/09/2008
Press release
Issued by the Catholic Communications Network
New website taps into children’s rising interest in things spiritual
For immediate release
The creators of a pioneering website for children hope that their new resource will appeal to the increasing number of children and young people showing an interest in Religious Studies and Spirituality.
www.yfaith.co.uk is designed to cater for 10 – 13 year olds who have questions to ask and want to learn more about life, relationships, spirituality and the world around them. It features more than 20 interactive pages covering music and film, ‘Girls only’ and ‘Boys only’ sections, book reviews, prayer and a questions area. ‘Step Ahead’ interviews are also one of the highlights; these feature teenagers of 14 – 16 years old who serve as older role models.
Emily Davis is one of the Yfaith creators and said: “Research suggests that the number of young people taking GCSE Religious Studies continues to rise and Religious Studies continues to be the most popular short course. [1] Yfaith is a resource which aims to encourage and support children and young people in their journey of spiritual discovery and enquiry. We hope that there is something on the site for everyone.”
Central to the site’s strategy is that it has been moulded, and in parts co-written (with adult help), by the target age group who’ve energetically given input and feedback every step of the way. The site showcases a wealth of talent from a pool of budding young writers who share candidly about their life, likes and beliefs.
James is aged 12 and attended a pre-launch children’s party. He said: “It’s easy to understand. The things they say you can really relate to.” Meanwhile Laura, aged 11, said: “I think it’s really good. It tells you about things you want to know and it tells you about what other people have said.”
Yfaith is to be used primarily in the home to enable children, perhaps along with other family members, to express their concerns and what matters to them in a creative way. It is designed to complement what children receive in the classroom and enable them to discover the contribution that they can make to the world at large. It lays particular emphasis on children’s spiritual questions and interests.
The site has been created by the Catholic Agency To Support Evangelisation (CASE), which is an agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Yfaith has been created to appeal to children from all backgrounds. It encourages neighbourliness, sharing and Christian spirituality.
During the creation of this resource CASE worked in liaison with the Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service (CSAS) and has been advised by the Child Exploitation And Online Protection Centre (CEOP).
The site will go live on 7th September 2008.
Ends
For Editors
[1] http://news.reonline.org.uk/headline.php?191 and http://www.jcq.org.uk/attachments/published/396/GCSE~AppGCSE~Entry%20Trends.pdf
Catholic Agency To Support Evangelisation: www.caseresources.org.uk
Matt Tidbury and Amanda Nelson are the Directors of IMDC which is a web design company; they created the site alongside Emily Davis from CASE.
An endorsements sheet for the site is available and includes additional quotations from:
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor
Archbishop of Westminster
Archbishop Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Birmingham
Mgr Keith Barltrop
Director of the Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation (CASE)
Adrian Child
Director of Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service (CSAS)
For more information please tel: 020 8458 3316. E-mail: Emily.Davis@caseresources.org.uk
For general media enquiries contact: Clare.Ward@caseresources.org.uk Tel: 0770 939 1998.
Alternatively, please contact the CCN. E-mail: ccn@cbcew.org.uk Tel: 020 7901 4800
Also see: http://www.caseresources.org/resources/resources_downloads.htm