Key Info
- Dates 23rd to 30th August 2025
- Venue Leighton Park School, Reading
- Costs £590
- Ages 11 to 14 years old (must be born between 1st September 2010 and 31st August 2014, inclusive)
- Theme Global issues regarding conflict and climate change
- Number of places Up to 40
- Junior Gathering Participant Pack
About the event
Junior Gathering is a week long Quaker gathering for young people aged 11 to 14. It is an exciting and busy week packed with activities and a chance to meet new people and have fun. Junior Gathering is a chance for young people to make friends and be together in a Quaker environment.
Junior Gathering is an LGBTQ+ positive event.
Days begin with meeting for worship and end with an epilogue, in between they are filled with plenty of activity.
See also: First day at junior gathering
and an example timetable
There is a variety of fun, creative and active workshops, including music, art and craft and sports as well as swimming. There is also an afternoon out and a day trip; lively evening entertainments and discos.
We explore the theme with visiting speakers and through simulations, workshops and small group discussions. Everyone is part of a small supportive base group which meets each day to get to know each other, play games and talk about the theme (and many other things).
At the end of the week the young people at Junior Gathering draft an ‘epistle’. This is an informal report that aims to capture the spirit of the week and to describe what happened.
Other useful info
Information for parents
Junior Gathering is a week-long event for young Quakers aged 11-14. Each year we have a theme for the week, which we explore with visiting speakers and through workshops drama, worship, films and games.
Two adult coordinators are responsible for the running of Junior Gathering. They are assisted by a team of adult volunteers.
In organising and running its events Friends Southern Summer Events (FSSE) follows guidelines from Britain Yearly Meeting concerning the safety and well-being of those taking part. All adult volunteers are required to have current, enhanced disclosures from the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly Criminal Records Bureau). Read more about how we aim to keep young people safe. Our child protection policy can be downloaded from our “Policies” page.
To apply for place at Junior Gathering for your child please fill in and send an application form to us. Once we have received it we will contact you to confirm the place with further details on the next steps.
If you’re interested in getting involved with volunteering for Junior Gathering, please see the “Volunteer” page.
Bursary information
Financial Fees and Bursaries Fees for Junior Gathering are £590 per person. Some Local and Area Quaker Meetings support their young people to attend, so if the cost is difficult to afford, do speak to your Local/Area Meeting in the first instance – some Meetings support their young people with half the cost as a matter of course.
However it is our policy that no-one should be excluded through inability to pay the fee. We receive grants and gifts that enable us to support participation with a bursary, though the total sum available is limited.
Email Jonathan Hodgson about bursary assistance at: juniorgathering@fsse.org.uk.
Fee payments
In advance of Junior Gathering and Senior Conference, FSSE is required to inform the venue for our events of the total numbers attending and is charged accordingly. Given that the total number that can be accommodated is also limited, the following requirements apply for payment of participant fees:
– To reserve a place, a non-refundable deposit of £50 must be paid upon receipt of your booking acknowledgment to Jonathan Hodgson.
– The balance of the full fee of £590 must be received by Monday 29th July 2025.
Cancellations
In the case of a participant withdrawing in advance from Junior Gathering or Senior Conference or being unable to take up their place, the following applies:
– The deposit is non-refundable.
– If you have paid the full fee prior to cancellation, you will receive a refund of the balance if you cancel on or before Monday 29th July 2025.
– If you cancel after Monday 29th July 2025, the balance cannot be refunded other than in exceptional circumstances.
Donations
Donations in excess of the fees, from Friends and Meetings who are able to make them, are extremely welcome as they enable bursaries to be made. If you are able to make a donation to enable other young Quakers to attend FSSE events, please see the Donate page of our website.
We receive grants and gifts that enable us to support participation by young people who could not otherwise afford the full fees, but the total sum available is limited.
For more information, please contact us.