Mablethorpe charity Kidz2911 opens new night youth group

At the launch of the new youth centre, from left: Isabella Coleman 11, Charlie Coleman 15, Rebekah Gibb, 9. Back L-R Stacy Gibb, Hannah Gibb, 13, Phil Gibb, Suzi Coleman, Jean Shapcott. Photo: D.R.Dawson PhotographyAt the launch of the new youth centre, from left: Isabella Coleman 11, Charlie Coleman 15, Rebekah Gibb, 9. Back L-R Stacy Gibb, Hannah Gibb, 13, Phil Gibb, Suzi Coleman, Jean Shapcott. Photo: D.R.Dawson Photography
At the launch of the new youth centre, from left: Isabella Coleman 11, Charlie Coleman 15, Rebekah Gibb, 9. Back L-R Stacy Gibb, Hannah Gibb, 13, Phil Gibb, Suzi Coleman, Jean Shapcott. Photo: D.R.Dawson Photography

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Youngsters looking for a safe, welcoming space to come after school and do their homework can now visit a brand new group in Mablethorpe.

Stacy Gibb and husband Phil run a charity called kidz2911 and Overboard Elim church from Mablethorpe, taking over the former Barclays bank building on the High Street and converting it into the 4C Centre.

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Their charity moved up to Mablethorpe with them when they relocated here from Stevenage in 2007, and aims to help and improve the lives of children in Zimbabwe and Mablethorpe.

Named kidz2911, with a Z as a nod to the children they help out in Zimbabwe, the 2911 is a nod to Bible passage Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future”, which is the philosophy of their charity.

Stacy said: “Phil has been going to Zimbabwe for 20 years as a missionary and we’ve been taking our children [Rebekah, 9 and Hannah, 13] since they were one and four, but there’s so many children here in Mablethorpe who have never been outside of this town.

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"We want to show these children that there is as future out there and just because they come from a deprived area, doesn’t mean they can’t go on to do great things.”

Stacy and Phil then launched their Overboard Elim Church in 2018, and they now run multiple groups reaching a range of ages and needs, including Mablethorpe’s Night Light Cafe, an NHS initiative offering out-of-hours non-clinical support for those suffering with their mental health, running at the centre on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7pm until 10pm.

Then there’s the Little Lambs toddler group, which is is smaller in size than most toddler groups, as Stacy explained: “We recognise for some parents socialising and being in large groups is too overwhelming.

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There is also a knitting group, kids and youth group, older youth up to 19, and NKUK which is Nannas Know, U Know, a support group for nannas which is run by local ladies on Tuesdays from 10am till 11am and is a safe space for nannas to come and be supported by other nannas.“A lot of our kids, mine included, don’t have nannas and so during the holidays, the kids get involved and it’s just wonderful,” Stacy said.

The charity’s good work also extends to offering a school uniform bank, which has a range of donated uniform items for schools across the Mablethorpe and Theddlethorpe areas.

kidz2911 has it’s own charity shop also on site, which generates income for the charity by selling a huge range of items including DVDs, home items, and most popularly, clothes:

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"Our clothes have been really popular as a lot of people are struggling with the cost of living crisis, and there’s no longer a stigma around charity shop clothes which is good,” Stacy said.

On Easter Sunday, Graham Cullen officially opened the Upper Room Youth Centre for all the kids and youth groups to have their own space.

And now kidz2911 is launching a brand new youth group in the upper room – Wednesday Night Live – a homework club for kids who want to come along after school at 4pm and have dinner, then do their home work together after Stacy and Phil purchased four laptop computers for the children with a grant from the Bishop of Lincoln.

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"A lot of homes struggle with their electricity bills and a lot of the time, if people are struggling then the internet is the first to go,” Stacy explained, “As a lot of work in schools is done online these days, it can be really had for families if they don’t have a computer or the internet.”

"We want to offer a space where kids can come and do their homework, have dinner together, and then afterwards spend time together socialising.”

The Wednesday Night Live group is launching this Wednesday (April 26) and all children are welcome.

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Stacy and Phil hope that with enough fundraising, which their children are planning to do during school holidays with tombolas and games, they will be able to take some of their youngsters to Africa to give them an idea of what life is like for those in real poverty:

"That level of poverty – it’s a once in a lifetime thing that everyone needs to see and I think it would do our teenagers a world of good.”

They also have plans to buy the 4C Centre building, so that their monthly rent they currently pay can be used to sponsor more children in Zimbabwe.

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Donations of clothes and other items for their charity shop and school uniforms for their uniform bank will be greatly appreciated, and these can be dropped off at the centre.

The Overboard church is open all day on Sundays, not only for services but also for people of all faiths and belief to pop in and have a chat and a cuppa.

​To find out more about the kidz2911 and Overboard Elim church, visit https://ignitelincoln.co.uk/overboard/ or https://www.facebook.com/kidz2911/