About | Splash for Schools and Communities

Who We Are

Splash! is passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of children, young people and their families.
We are a Christian charity working within schools and at the heart of local communities in rural West Sussex.

Through the dedication of staff and volunteers over more than ten years Splash has gained the trust and appreciation of many schools, communities and churches in our area.

Thank you for visiting our site. We hope you enjoy looking around and finding out more about who we are and what we do!

Our Team

The Splash team is the heart and soul of the operation with a passion and enthusiasm to bring a continuous flow of fresh ideas into our activities. We have a strong emphasis on working alongside local churches to envision, train and equip others. This means the core team stays small, relying on strong team work and effective partnerships to deliver our activities and programme.

Michelle

Project Manager

Michelle has been involved in splash for a long time; first as a valuable volunteer and mother, then as a trustee and now she has taken on the role of project manager. Here is what she has to say: “As Caroline decided to step down, I felt God telling me it was time to step up, so here I am! Some of you will know me through the time I spend volunteering at our Splash summer holiday clubs. I have also been a trustee of Splash for a number of years. I am married to Steve, we have four children (Caitlin, Joshua , Rachel and Caleb) and we are a part of the community at Storrington Community Church. Splash has had ten amazing years with Caroline at the helm and I feel privileged to take over from her. I am very excited about the new season we are entering into and I am looking forward to meeting many of you over the next few months. I pray you will all join me on this amazing journey!”

Lois

Assembly Co-ordinator

Lois has a real passion to tell others, especially children, of the love of Jesus and her heart is to see lives transformed. As well as bringing great professionalism to our assemblies, Lois has an amazing ability to get alongside children in the smaller lunch clubs and after school clubs. She claims to have a “scary teacher voice” developed over years of experience working in primary schools – but so far she’s never been heard to use it!
Contact Lois about our current schools programme, to book an assembly visit.

Julia

Assembly Team

Julia was previously involved with the Splash assemblies as an ‘Associate’ for a couple of years so is a familiar face to some of the schools we visit. Now with an increased involvement she’s delighted to be helping with the planning, and delivering, of the assemblies which she finds really exciting and thought provoking. Julia has had previous experience at her Church – working as part of the Children’s Liturgy Team at Our Lady of England RC Church in Storrington and also has involvement at her local primary school over many years (St Mary’s CE First School, Washington). Julia says “I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of the Splash team as a Schools Worker and have admired the work of Splash for many years and to be part of a team spreading the ‘Good News’ to so many children in the locality is such a joy and an honour. I am really enjoying working with a great team in such a beautiful environment! Julia lives not too far from the Splash office near the village of Washington with her husband and their two teenage sons.

Jo

Assembly Team

Jo is a teacher and is a brilliant asset to the assembly team. She is also the brains behind our ‘Assembly Plus’ packs which are a great extension of our assemblies. Jo says: “I saw a Splash presentation at my local church a few years ago, and it was so much fun that I thought, ‘How can I join in with that?’ A couple of years (and two small children) later and here I am! It’s such a privilege to share my love for Jesus with so many young people. I’m a primary school teacher and peripatetic music teacher, so I really enjoy putting together the Assembly Plus packs for Year Six students.”

Nick

Assembly Team

Nick joined Splash at the end of summer 2020. He’s enjoying being part of the great team producing ‘virtual’ assemblies, and also looks forward to when Splash is able to go back into schools in person. Nick is actively involved in various ways at St. Mary’s in Billingshurst, where he lives with his wife Nicki. He plays drums and (as is tradition for joining Splash!) is learning the ukulele. He is training as a psychotherapist/counsellor. Nick first experienced Splash in action when the team visited St Mary’s. He’d also heard great things from families about Splash’s visits to local schools. He’s really excited to now be part of that team, sharing some of God’s love and light with children and adults in schools and communities.

Our Trustees

The charity is overseen by a group of trustees who have had a close relationship with the values of Splash over years. They are rooted in their communities and bring support and local insight to the promotion of Splash’s aims. Our trustees have a professional background in education, business or church life.

Dan Jenkins

Trustee

Dan is the Diocesan Youth Officer for Chichester Diocese. He has been working with young people for over 15 years and brings connections with local Anglican churches and youth groups. Dan runs the annual diocesan youth festival May Camp as well as producing resources and delivering training for youth groups and churches across Sussex. Dan loves good food, muddy dog walks and his wife Beccy. He roasts his own coffee and talks constantly about his electric car. Dan hates single use plastics and unnecessary waste.

Michelle Leach

Trustee

Michelle Leach is a busy mother and involved in supporting young mothers and developing parenting skills within school and community settings. She is the trustee with overall responsibility for Safeguarding and Child Protection. She is also generally the “go to with any problem” person at holiday club each year. Her strong community links means that she somehow knows all of the children and the families too! She attends Storrington Community Church with husband Steve and children Caitlin, Joshua, Rachel and Caleb

Ben Sheldon

Trustee

Ben is the Youth Worker for St Mary’s Church, Billingshurst, and has been involved in youth work for over 10 years in both community and church youth work settings. Ben is passionate about young people finding a sense of belonging within their communities and for them to have a voice.

Ben enjoys good coffee, time in the countryside with his wife Lydia, as well as good food! Lots of food!

Sally Richardson

Trustee

Sally writes

‘I am married to Ian and have three grown up children. I have lived in Storrington for nearly 40 years having worked my way South from living in Northumberland! I never cease to be amazed at the beauty of the South Downs and love to be outside walking or running!

I have been a member of Ashington church since the beginning of the century! And I taught at St Mary’s School in Washington for 20 years. I retrained on leaving teaching and am really enjoying working now as a counsellor.

I am very excited to be part of the ongoing vision and work of Splash. I saw first-hand when I was teaching the excitement of the children when Splash arrived to take assemblies. It is wonderful that Splash have open doors into so many schools now and that many children have the opportunity to hear truth presented in such a fun way that otherwise they would not hear.’

Our Values

Our core values have been set out by our Trustees to underpin all of our activities.

In everything we do, Splash aims to be:

Responsive to God’s lead

Relational

Encouraging

Serving

Enabling

Inspiring

Innovative

Our Policies

Splash is a UK Charity Registered by Trust Deed in 2004 (Charity Registration Number 1106290).

We are committed to the welfare and protection of children and young people and have robust policies and procedures in place to ensure that safeguarding receives the highest priority.

All of our staff and volunteers are subject to enhanced DBS checks where eligible, which are carried out under the umbrella of thirtyone:eight (formerly CCPAS). Safeguarding co-ordinator Michelle Leach retains an overview of safeguarding within the organisation and provides a forum for learning and sharing good practice among staff and volunteers. Staff and volunteers receive full training in Safeguarding in line with West Sussex County Council and thirtyone:eight guidelines.

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Privacy Policy

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Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy

View our Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy to find out how we keep those we care for safe whilst in our care.