Our Inspire Programme
Inspire, Equipping for Life’s most recent innovative programme, established in September 2022, has the vision of inspiring the children of the Shankill to unlock their enormous potential and help shape their future working lives. For the 2022/23 programme we have involved over 850 children with our inaugural events at Wheatfield Primary School and the next two at Forth River and Glenwood. Our hope is that a seed will be planted in the lives of these young children, the next generation on the Shankill Road, and that these seeds will come to fruition as the children progress in life to achieve their full potential.
Like EfL’s other programmes, volunteers are central to the work of Inspire and we are grateful to the growing group of volunteers (Inspire Facilitators), from a wide range of careers, who introduce the jobs they do to the children and their routes to achieving success.
Their stories are inspirational as you can see from the faces of the children in the video of our first Inspire Day in Wheatfield Primary School which took place on the 29th March.
The Inspire Facilitators encourage these young lives to dream big for their futures and from our assembly prior to the event and on the day to realise that God has made them all with unique, gifts and abilities to SHINE.
Inaugural Inspire Day – Wheatfield Primary School Wednesday 29th March 2023
We were blessed that Brother David, Founder of Equipping for Life, opened our first Inspire day in prayer and we would like to thank the doctor, optician, lawyer, hair dresser, beautican, author, banker, fireman, baker, accountant, engineer, coding author/teacher, actor, outdoor pursuits leaders, clothes-maker, florist , headmaster and, last but not least, Mr David Jeffery MBE who was our guest speaker.
What an inspiring life story David has as he shared with the children overcoming the crushing news when he was told “you’re not good enough” to play for Manchester United to going on the receive an MBE. It was a lovely moment when he was presented with his MBE in the Inspire assembly by a P1 girl on her birthday!
We were also privileged to welcome Mr David Healy and some of the Linfield squad who took time out of their rest day to INSPIRE.
Glenwood and Forth River Inspire Days.
What wonderful Inspire Days we had at Glenwood Primary School on 16th May 2023 and Forth River Primary School on 25th May 2023. All of the children from these schools experienced a large range of interesting and stimulating ‘hands-on’ demonstrations from bakers, PSNI, NI Fire and Rescue, medical professionals, engineers, architects, accountants, artists, actors and many more. There was free ice cream, assault courses and even the BBC!
Future Plans
With God’s provision, we would like to roll Inspire out across all of our partner schools on the Shankill in the next 2 to 3 years. It is our prayer that the Inspire programme will realise a deepening collaboration with the schools who began the journey with EFL in the Shankill and the wider community. Prayer is central to our work and we ask you to pray that this seed that has been planted will grow and flourish as the children set positive steps to achieve goals and improve their life chances and for the teachers who play a key role and who inspire on a daily basis.
For our next two events we would love it if there were any joiners, electricians, artists, mechanics, chefs to name but a few who would like to take this opportunity to Inspire the next generation on the Shankill Road and beyond.
If you would like to be involved as an Inspire Facilitator at future events please contact EfL at pat@equippingforlife.org.uk
Drawing Inspiration from Amy Carmichael
The story of Amy Carmichael reverberates down the ages and her courage, faith and love is an example to us all. Located in Cambrai Street close to the Shankill Road, the Welcome Evangelical Church was originally established by Amy Carmichael to give the Belfast Mill Girls, ‘Shawlies’, a place of refuge from their harsh lives and also a haven for them to hear the Gospel of Christ.
Equipping for Life has partnered with the Welcome Evangelical Church to provide follow-up field trips to some of the pupils who have completed the Inspire Programme. Pupils visit the purpose-built Amy Carmichael Centre and learn about the truly inspirational life of this Northern Irish woman. Each pupil receives a free copy of the beautifully illustrated book of Amy’s life.
The pupils sing songs that Amy loved and learn about her work in Belfast and India. They also get a taste of what it was like to be a Victorian Mill Girl by visiting the statue of a ‘Shawlie’. The trip finishes off with a Kit Kat, a drink and a memory verse “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to. Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Prov 3:5-6
