Hi, I'm Grace from Peckham in South-East London. I can honestly say this year has been an experience that has changed my life in more ways than one!

I've just completed an Essential* gap year placement in the West Yorkshire town of Wetherby, which is pretty small compared to the big city of London! It took a while to settle in, partly as it was my first time living away from home, but after a month or two I really started to feel like Wetherby was my home.

Through the gap year I have learnt how to be independent and learnt practical skills such as looking after myself by managing money, cooking, cleaning and living with different people. I've also learnt how to work effectively as part of a team, the importance of communication and working together by learning about each other's personalities, gifts and strengths.

I feel I have become more confident in myself because of this and by being involved in leading the different outreach projects run by The Salvation Army in Wetherby, which is a unique community based in a high school run by the local authority. The Salvation Army developed a partnership with the school from a church plant set up some 18 years ago.

Helping students at risk of exclusion
Most of the weekly outreach is in the high school working with the students. We have an inclusion project where students from the high school who are on the verge of exclusion or need support with their education or help with settling into class for various reasons can come to us. Over the year I have built some great relationships with these students and it has been great to see them progress.

In the past four years 81 young people have completed Essential training - contributing nearly 90,000 hours of youth work to The Salvation Army. Click here for more information

We run a lunch club on a Monday to Wednesday where students can chill out, buy snacks and drinks, play music and games and have fun. This is a great opportunity to have a conversation and get to know them better.

We also run a youth club on a Friday night with different themes each week, music, games, a Nintendo Wii and basically again a place to chill out and get to know young people.

Building relationships in the community
As well as a kids club for children in the community I go into the local primary school on a Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. My aim is to support the children in years 5 and 6 with their learning and behaviour in class. I also do playground duty at break and this is a great opportunity to have conversations and build relationships with the children in other classes and invite them to our kids work. It has also been good building relationships with the staff and children's parents as well.

This year has also helped me to step outside my comfort zone in more ways than one, but I have learnt each day the importance of trusting God and asking him to guide me in all I do so I can show others his love. I feel my faith has grown so much throughout this year through being stretched in my thinking through biblical and theological training. I have learnt a deeper meaning to many topics such as the Trinity.

Bonding at boot camp
I have loved attending regular Essential training sessions, to spend time with and get to know the other gap year students through sharing in food, fun and learning and growing together throughout the year. Our September training was one of the key highlights in my Essential gap year.

We started off with ‘boot camp' in Gloucestershire, where we took part in a range of team building activities such as abseiling, canoeing, raft building and rock climbing. This helped us to get to know each other and grow as a team really quickly.

I was also privileged to be on the team and give my testimony at our divisional youth councils in Doncaster and to be part of the youth team at ROOTS, where I led the young people through cell groups, worship, prayer and learning about God together.

Try it for yourself!
If you are 18+, and are open to be stretched out of your comfort zone, and be transformed through learning and growing in the way you serve God and live your life, then the Essential gap year is definitely for you!!!

Grace recently completed the Essential1 course and was one of 15 young people to be recognised at ALOVE UK's Essential Celebration in London. Click here to see pictures

*Click here for more information on the Essential mission and discipleship training course developed for 18-24 year olds by ALOVE UK, The Salvation Army for a new generation.