The challenge of supporting our local school communities over these past few years hasn’t been simple or straight-forward. In the midst of lockdowns and extended periods of home-learning, many churches found their relationship with their local schools disappear all together.

While social distancing measures remain in place, churches across the country are continuing to serve their local schools in new and creative ways.

Glasgow’s Pre-Loved Uniforms was formally constituted as an SCIO in March 2020, but the work started in 2017 when Donna Henderson, member at Tron St Mary’s Church of Scotland, set up a uniform bank in Balornock, Glasgow. Donna wanted desperately to make a difference in her community and with her own three boys attending the local primary school, helping support nearby families became a priority.

I know that many of us have been wrestling with the same question over these past few months. When the majority of schools aren’t welcoming outside visitors, how can we continue to support our local schools?

It’s been an unprecedented few months and as a team we’ve been reluctant to promote the work of the project during the ongoing pandemic. We know there are far greater priorities at the moment with people’s health and safety paramount.

Emma Howard shares the lasting impact a high school mentor had on her life. The relationship was strengthened when she didn't get the exam results she needed for her desired university course and with the help of her mentor she embarked on a new career path.

Paul Shane Spear famously said that “As one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person.” This is certainly true of Sheena Wurthmann, a member of Netherlee Parish Church, who in her role as a high school mentor has been changing lives of young people in one of the most disadvantaged communities in Glasgow.

We sat down with Morag Crossan about the value of schools work. Morag is currently a Probation Minister in the Church of Scotland and she brings a wealth of experience from her time as a youth worker.

We sat down with Lisa Cameron, Youth and Children's Ministry Leader at St James' Church in Glasgow to hear how she's serving the primary and secondary schools in her parish. She has a strong focus on supporting pupils' emotional well-being and has some great advice for first approaching schools.

If you already have significant involvement in a school community, proactively looking for other ways to be involved with that school or other schools in the area is not always easy. But perhaps it’s always good to be asking the question: what else can we be doing here?