In May 2017, Bishop Michael launched four Lichfield Diocese Mission Projects.
One of these was the Lighthouse project, a pioneering partnership between Kingsland C.E. Academy and St. Mary’s Church, from which The Lighthouse Centre and The Lantern Cafe were born.
You are the light of the world.Let your light shine before others.
Matthew 5
Opened in 2018 our Lighthouse Centre is a pioneering project between Kingsland C of E Academy and the Bucknall Team Ministry.
It is a community hub for our parents to engage with weekly workshops to support them and their child’s education. There are also weekly opportunities to join in with baby massage, Messy Monsters and Sunbeams toddler sessions.
Our Lantern Cafe is open daily where lunches, cakes and coffee are enjoyed. We regularly hold community lunches and our children join with our older generation to share crafts and activities together.
All of the profits from our Lantern Cafe are used to support our children and families. During the holidays children can join in with activities and have a hot meal provided this helps those that need an extra blessing.
During the pandemic we supported the wider community as our Lantern Cafe prepared afternoon teas, lunches and even 300 Christmas Dinners, all of which were delivered by our volunteers.
The Lighthouse Centre aims to invest in our community so that positive relationships are developed and the community supports each other.
Happy 4th Birthday to the Lighthouse Centre!
— Lighthouse Centre (@VisitLighthouse) September 21, 2022
Thanks to everyone who has supported us through the years... We hope to continue to grow our reach and maintain a positive impact throughout our local community! pic.twitter.com/nVSnDLAvb2
Engaging the local community
Engage
We aim to develop positive relationships and engage you with services provided at The Lighthouse Centre.
Enable
Further developing the services you have engaged with, we will enable you to learn new skills and put them into practice.
The Lighthouse Centre
Encourage
Using newly acquired skills, you will be encouraged to further build your confidence by getting involved through volunteering.
Empower
Through volunteering, your ambitions will be supported to empower you to achieve great things in the future.
LOCAL COMMUNITY
St. Mary’s Church and Kingsland C.E. Academy have excellent relationships with our partners so our community, especially the children, can benefit from the chance to have fun together, develop skills and spirituality by joining us at Toddlers, Lightbeams, Fusion and Ignite.
PARENTING SUPPORT
We will work in partnership with parents to impact on family life and children’s progress. We will provide opportunities to develop our volunteers’ skills, potentially leading to employment and educational advancement.
THE LANTERN
Our cafe is open daily and is an initial point of contact for our community. We’ve got something for everyone and offer a delicious menu with changing specials to keep things nice and fresh.
FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS
The Lighthouse Centre aims to engage the community by encouraging and teaching the people of the local area new skills, so they have the confidence to get involved, volunteer and to take on new and exciting projects.
SPEECH & LANGUAGE
Communication is central to everything we do. It affects who we are, how we learn and how we interact with people. We support the development of these essential skills through a wide range of opportunities as good speaking and listening skills make it easier to read and write.
STAYING HEALTHY
It’s important to stay healthy and at The Lighthouse Centre families will have access to support from Nurses and Counsellors to seek medical advice or counselling.
There will also be the opportunity to learn about healthy eating and cooking nutritional meals on a budget. Support will also be available to help feed some children during the school holidays.