First Methodist school group at 3Generate

"We're really proud to be the first-ever Methodist school group to come here"

Richmond Methodist School is the first school group attending 3Generate. Its 17 pupils had fun, discovered a strong community-feel and got closer to God.

Nine-year-old Theo captured the essence of what made 3Generate special, explaining, "There are so many activities and you get to choose what you do! I have been walking around with my partners and we went wherever we wanted." This sense of freedom was echoed by ten-year-old Eddie, who made a striking observation: "I am freer at 3Generate than at home or school."

The theme of resilience emerged strongly from the children's experiences. Theo shared a valuable lesson: "I learned about resilience. For example, I tripped over playing football and I hurt my knee, but then I ended up almost scoring after that."

These reflections came from pupils at Richmond Methodist School in the Darlington Methodist District, which became the first-ever school group to attend 3Generate. Mrs Stevenson, Richmond Methodist School’s headteacher, was delighted to attend: "We're really proud to be the first ever Methodist school group to come here."

Revd Richard Andrew, then Designate President of the Methodist Conference, and Penny Fuller, one of 3Generate’s organisers, visited the school in 2024. Mrs Stevenson recalled, "I'd never heard about 3Generate before." Intrigued, she asked Wendy Bunting, the school chaplain, to conduct a reconnaissance visit, returning with a strong recommendation after seeing how much children enjoy the event.

Mrs Stevenson and Wendy brought 17 children, year five and six pupils aged between nine and eleven. The headteacher observed, "The independence that they've shown today has been phenomenal. They've gone off in little pairs, explored and come back to us; that's been really exciting."

Community, connection and independence

The diverse activities captured every child's imagination. Joshua, aged 11, said, "I loved the cave activity. When you go into the cave maze, it's really fun." Claire, nine, explained, "I like the park where you could play hook a duck and all the games and stuff." Clara, ten, shared her environmental learning: "I learnt about how to look after the planet in the escape room Another Way. I pledge to use available water bottles instead of buying new ones."

The inclusive atmosphere particularly impressed the school delegation. Emily, ten, noticed the strong sense of community: "There is a community feel here; even if you weren't next to the person at night, they would still say good night to everybody." Wendy emphasised the importance of accessibility: "We've got children with additional needs here today and they have been able to access everything, which is important to us."

Mrs Stevenson explained their vision: "We wanted to make those connections. We want to give the children that opportunity to explore their faith and spirituality and that deep thinking, to explore the Methodist Way of Life so and meet other children."

Being the first school group at 3Generate held particular spiritual significance. Nine-year-old George valued "spending more time with God, because this is a religious place; I've been thinking about God a lot." The festival taught him profound lessons about faith: "I've learnt that God always trusts you and is with me all the time."

The Revd Richard Andrew said:

“As a Methodist institution, Richmond Methodist School is committed to faith. When we informed them about 3Generate, they quickly saw that the students would enjoy it. When I asked the children during lunch if they'd return, they all enthusiastically said, "Yes!"

The school has Methodist governors on its governing body and a Methodist chaplain who works across the local schools. We have a strong relationship with the head of the school, providing a foundation for discussions about initiatives like 3Gen. Many schools share these connections, and by encouraging attendance at events, we can foster ongoing participation.”
(Image with thanks to A R Mackley)