Mission, Values and Vision
Mission
Mobilising the Church to create life changing moments for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and abandonment
Programme Values
Vision
Every local council in the United Kingdom is served by a Starfish KIDS programme
We are a Christian Charity.
The Christian church has been at the forefront of social charity since it began. Helping children in need is key to true faith (Isaiah 1:17; James 1:27). Whilst our work is based on a Christian ethos, our programmes are for children of all faiths (or none). While our national leadership and local camp leaders adhere to an orthodox Christian faith, there is no faith requirement for campers. We train our volunteers to ensure all children feel safe and welcome regardless of religious or spiritual background.
In the Bible, it is clear that God cares for the marginalised, and in particular marginalised children. In the Church we find a ready-mobilised pool of people and resources that can be used to help children and their carers. All of our programmes are led by a local church serving children in their local authorites.
Our Mission is to mobilise the Church to create life changing moments for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and abandonment.
One traumatic experience can colour a child’s existence forever. While total recovery from trauma can be complex and time-consuming, we believe (and research supports this) that a series of positive moments can help change the trajectory of a child’s future.
One affirming word from an adult…
One joyous experience never known before…
One memory from camp that tells a child that life doesn’t have to be as it has been…
We value treating people royally, keeping forward movement, and making moments matter.
Every human has been created in the image of God, and as such deserves our best effort to honour and serve, going above and beyond to make every volunteer, every camper, every person feel like royalty.
No matter what each day brings, we focus on moving forward to brighter and better things. Failure comes to all of us, so it is important to focus not on that rough moment, but rather put our eyes on doing better, going higher, moving forward.
Each moment is an opportunity to reflect on a victory, lift up a friend, or learn a lesson. Moments matter, and we strive to make the best of every one.
We envision a day when every local council authority is served by a Starfish KIDS programme.
There are 382 council authorities in the United Kingdom. Our goal is to see that every looked after child in every council across the nation will have access to a Starfish KIDS Camp or Mentoring Club.