Serving Students at Milson School

The whānau at Milson Combined Church are fully behind the work that Milson School does in supporting kids and their families. 

Their Thursday ‘Breakfast Club’ feeds between 20 to 30 students each week. Lynda Whitwell (Vicar’s Warden) supervises the children who serve in the kitchen, “They are incredible young leaders who do so well in preparing and serving their classmates. It is a joy to work alongside them.” 

Rev. Andy Hickman, on the other hand, helps the students line up and sign in, “But really,” says Lynda, “He is just one of the kids, listening to their stories, asking them about what they like doing, and playing ball. Often he will go AWOL when it is clean-up time, but usually someone like Isaac will say, ‘I just had to show Andy my artwork in my classroom. Andy and I are mates!’” 

Last week the team presented to the school several boxes of quality winter clothing and sports equipment, including a signed rugby ball from the recent World 7’s. Melissa Colville (Release Teacher) and Ian Eaton (Sports Co-ordinator) were delighted to receive the much needed items saying that they will pass some of it on to the children who need them, and other items will be used by the school for group play. 

Dave Neal (Milson Church Council/Vestry member) was able to source the items from ‘Replay’ (who source recycled sports gear for the Manawatū) and other local agencies saying, “It’s all about collaborating with others in a shared vision of helping people in our local area. For us as a church this is one way in which we express God’s love to the wider community.” 

The church got involved initially after the leadership team began looking for new ways to truly bless the Milson families and their children. They had been praying for the wellbeing of Milson School since before Lockdown 2020, so at the start of this year when they heard of the need for Breakfast Club volunteers they offered to help serve. 

“The invitation from God in this is that mahi tahi (collaboration) achieves so much when we bring our diverse skillsets and passions to a shared goal of holistic wellbeing – physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, financial, educational. ‘E hara tāku toa i te toa takitahi, he toa takatini,’ (my strength is not as an individual, but as a collective). It just makes sense that the only church and the only primary school in our suburb should be working together,” says Andy.