Welcome to the legacy website of


Barrhead Summer Club


We hope you find the site informative


History

In the early 1990’s, Bourock Parish Church instigated a new type of Summer Club - different from the normal Church of Scotland “Summer Mission” format and ​utilising Scripture Union material. By the time Doug Swanney took charge for the Summer Club of 1996 it was well established within Bourock. But Doug wanted to ​take Bourock Summer Club to a whole new level. He did more than that.... and the rest, as they say, is history!


1996 Chattabox: Doug’s new approach includes sketches, games, the now famous ‘challenge’, bible interviews and of course the ‘Bourock Band’.

For the first time, figures are recorded and 183 children are registered.


1997 Going Bananas: Long before widespread internet use, the Summer Club goes “viral”. Doug decides that all children in Barrhead should be invited and 361 ​register! Traffic in the Main Street is brought to a standstill and the local police are approached to control traffic as Barrhead went bananas!!

An action-packed club based on both Old and New Testament stories. Some Bible characters seemed to have "gone bananas" for God, but we saw that loving, ​trusting and following Jesus is in fact the sanest thing that anyone can do.


1998 StoryKeepers: Building on the previous year’s success, 372 children register.

The aim was to help everyone learn about Jesus by being Story keepers themselves.


1999 Megaquest: Another popular club with 346 registering .

All about God’s big plan for the world, MegaQuest took us through creation, the giving of the law, the cross, the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit.


2000 Go For Gold: Figures are maintained with 339 registering.

Based around the race run by the apostle Paul, we discovered what it means to 'run the race' in life with Jesus beside us.


2001 GroundBreakers: Numbers pass the 400 mark for the first time with 401 registering.

The theme for this year was based around a building site where each day a different Bible character was encountered who had experienced God breaking into their ​lives.


2002 Desert Detectives: 413 children register for this year’s club!

The aim was to find the 'Mighty Godsword' through looking at various events in the Bible from creation to Christ's resurrection. It was not until the last day that the ​'Mighty Godsword' was not a sword at all but was in fact 'The Mighty God's Word'... the Bible.


2003 Seaside Rock: For the first time children can pre-register using the internet. Registrations are a healthy 396.

A club filled with fun and laughter and - most important of all - hearing how Peter took up the challenge to follow Jesus.


2004 Xpedition Force: Doug Swanney is invited by Scripture Union to write the 2004 Summer Club and “Xpedition Force” is the outcome. Trialed with Bourock Junior ​Church children earlier in the year, it is a great success with 365 children registering.

Xplorers joined the Xpedition up the mountain for adventures and possible danger! Drama, Bible Xplore, Xpedition units, Rations, Xperiencing the five senses, ​Xroads and much more as we went with Jesus on his journey to the cross.

This was followed-up later in the summer at the SECC where the ‘Bourock Band’ was in full swing.


2005 LandLubbers: Doug leaves the town to take up a managerial role in the Methodist Church and the baton is passed to Linda Dye. It is decided to change the ​name of the club from “Bourock Summer Club” to “Barrhead Summer Club”. The change does not affect popularity amongst the children with 347 registering.

Everyone joined the Landlubbers as they gave up their pirate life and learned how to live God's way as they explored the book of Philippians.


2006 Pyramid Rock: It is decided that limiting the attendance to primary school aged children will allow leaders more “quality time” with the children. Numbers are ​subsequently reduced with a register of 289.

Based on the story of Joseph, we explored the story and discovered some key truths about God.


2007 Waste Watchers: Numbers maintained at 278.

With an environmental theme, we learned how God made a perfect world, but that it was spoilt by humans going their own way. We also discovered how Jesus can ​transform lives, turning darkness to light and sadness to joy!


2008 Champions Challenge: Registrations total 241.

Based around a sports theme, we heard stories from Jesus' life and ministry: the story of two builders, Jesus healing the army officer's servant, the feeding of 5,000, ​the crucifixion and the resurrection.


2009 ShowStoppers: Numbers on the rise again with 265 registering.

This was all about the creative arts, discovering God's great plan for salvation using our usual drama, dance, music, games and challenges to see what God did to ​make it possible for us to be His friends!


2010 Rocky’s Plaice: Another busy year with 267 registered.

We found out more about Peter and how knowing Jesus changed his life, and then how he and his friends started to change the world!


2011 Mission:Rescue: Again the numbers rise with 289 registering.

All secret agents got together at Mission:Rescue to discover how God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and how God continues to rescue people today ​through Jesus.


2012 On Your Marks...: In order to reflect the advances in social media, the club is re-branded “Barrhead Summer Club @ Bourock Church” with a new logo, Facebook ​page and a dedicated web site.

This new form of contact encourages 305 children to register. Despite the worst weather ever for Summer Club, children of all ages turned up to learn about being ​on Jesus’ team.

On Your Marks was based around stories about Jesus from Mark’s Gospel. Each day we met Jesus as he called his disciples, demonstrated his healing power, showed ​his authority and revealed himself as the Son of God. We discovered and began to experience what it is like to be a member of the team that has Jesus as the leader.


2013 Space Academy: 307 registrations as our trainee astronauts learn all about Daniel.

We all joined other astronauts at Barrhead Space Academy to discover how God was faithful to Daniel and his friends as they tried to live with him in a foreign land ​that was so different it was like being on another planet!


2014 Mega Makers!: 263 register to become apprentice inventors.

This programme was based on the theme of inventions and explored the vastness of God's love using stories from Matthew's Gospel. The Mega Machine finished the ​week by making the biggest ice cream cone ever!


2015 Polar Explorers: Once again 263 register to become intrepid explorers. The children were explorers who went on a mini-expedition each day and learned about ​a New Testament character. Through the lives of these people, they learned that no one is too anything to be part of God’s big expedition, that is, to be a friend of ​Jesus and go out and help other people be friends of Jesus too.


2016 Guardians of Ancora: Registrations maintaining healthy levels at 254. This year the children were bringing the light back to the city! Each day, the Guardians ​recovered a lost story-treasure, representing a Bible story. These treasures were added to our “Hall of Memories” and by the end of the week all treasures had been ​recovered.


2017 Showstoppers!: This year, the organising team decide to rework the creative arts theme. 257 register and despite the worst weather since 2012 a great time is ​had by all once again. We learned bout God's great plan for salvation using our usual drama, dance, music, games and challenges and got to see what God did to ​make it possible for us to be His friends!


2018 Teambuilders: 259 children register for what was the hottest Summer Club for years. The TeamBuilders daily programme focussed on awesome stories from ​the Bible (including Joseph, Moses, Esther, Jesus and Paul) – each one giving children the opportunity to see what life was like on God’s team, and inviting them to ​join his team for themselves!


2019 Backpackers: This year, with the weather improving after a very wet start, 202 children register for another busy Summer Club. At Backpackers, the children ​travelled with Jesus as he arrived in Jerusalem and explored the events of his last week on earth – helping them to understand his journey to death and his glorious ​resurrection.


Constitution

  1. The name of the club is Barrhead Summer Club (“the Club”). For the avoidance of doubt the Club is operated by Barrhead Bourock Parish Church of Scotland, SC016467.
  2. The Club will cater for children of primary school age or as otherwise determined by the Management Committee.
  3. The aims of the Club are: (one) reach out to all children in the community, (two) take God’s word to the street, (three) fun and fellowship with all the children in the ​community, (four) learning about the bible through fun, (five) all the churches working together and (six) show children that you can laugh, have good fun and dance in ​the church. For the avoidance of doubt it is declared the Club will cater for children from families of any, or no, faith.
  4. It is declared that the Club will not be used as a vehicle to promote any other group, activity or event – church or otherwise.
  5. The Management Committee shall have the power to carry out activities considered to be in furtherance of the aims above set out in clause 3 and operate under the ​guidance and direction of the Kirk Session of Barrhead Bourock Parish Church of Scotland.
  6. A ratio of 1 adult/leader/helper (who must be aged 16 or over) to 8 children will be strictly adhered to. Junior helpers (aged under 16) may only attend while under the ​supervision of an adult.
  7. Members of the Management Committee hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”, will be approved at a formal Session meeting and consist of four (4) members of the ​Kirk Session of Barrhead Bourock Parish Church of Scotland. The Committee can co-opt additional members to serve on the Committee as required. The maximum ​number of members of the Committee shall be seven (7).
  8. The Committee will be governed by the Kirk Session of Barrhead Bourock Parish Church of Scotland and shall report to the Kirk Session as and when required.
  9. The funds of the Committee shall be lodged in a bank, building society or other account, so named to include the words “Barrhead Summer Club”. Cheques shall be drawn ​or withdrawals made against the signatures of any two committee members previously appointed. For the avoidance of doubt, no part of the income or property of the ​Club shall (otherwise than in the pursuance of the Club’s charitable purposes) be paid or transferred (directly or indirectly) to the members, either in the course of the ​Club’s existence or dissolution.
  10. The Committee shall be responsible for ensuring that all property/money received by/for the Committee shall be applied to the aims of the Committee.
  11. A treasurer shall be appointed from within the Committee who shall be responsible for keeping accurate records of the financial transactions of the Committee and shall ​prepare accounts which shall be consolidated into the annual accounts of Barrhead Bourock Parish Church of Scotland, Scottish Charity No SC016467. If monies are ​received from outside agencies in the form of grants, a copy of these accounts shall be submitted when requested.
  12. Meetings of the Committee shall be held as required. At all meetings of the Committee, no less than three (3) members will form a quorum but only in the event of a ​majority of those attending having been appointed by the Kirk Session in terms of clause 7 hereof.
  13. If the Committee determines that it is necessary or appropriate that the Club be dissolved, and the Kirk Session of Barrhead Bourock Parish Church of Scotland concur, ​then any property remaining after satisfaction of all the Club’s debts and liabilities, shall be held by Barrhead Bourock Parish Church of Scotland (SC016467) and applied ​to objects similar (wholly or in part) to the objects of the Club. For the avoidance of doubt, such property shall not be paid or transferred among the members of the Club.
  14. No alteration shall be made to this constitution except at a formal Kirk Session meeting of Barrhead Bourock Parish Church of Scotland.


Numbers

On Monday 1st July 1996, 94 children came along to “Chattabox” - the first of Bourock Church’s modernised Summer Clubs. The number of children attending peaked ​on Tuesday 2nd July 2002 at 323 which proved to be a challenging evening for the leaders but an exciting one for the children.


Since that historic night in 1996, the number of children attending Barrhead Summer Club@Bourock Church reached a staggering 27,691.


A great deal of thanks goes to everyone involved with this project over the years - we couldn’t have done it without your continued support.


Comments

Here are some of the comments made regarding our Summer Club via FaceBook and our online form


“A huge thank you from my boys. Their first year at the summer club. They had a fabulous time . All the helpers are brilliant. See you next year!”


“Thank you to all involved again this year. My son had a great time.”


“Thank you to all involved and all the helpers my kids had a great week x”


“What a brilliant week! My kids have loved it! Thanks to everyone involved x”


“The girls have had a fantastic week at showstoppers! They're looking forward to next year already.


“Thank you all so much for all the time, effort and enthusiasm you put in to give our kids such a fun start to the summer holidays x”


“Brill club, kids love it. Thank you to all the volunteers without you it wouldn't be possible.”


“Well done to you all, a week of wonderfulness, you are all stars .”


“Thank you all my 2 boys had a great time . Cu next year x”


“Thank you all for a fab summer club. My 2 just loved it. See you all next year. Well done.”


“ Thank you so much to everyone involved. My son had a fantastic week and is already asking if summer club is going to be on again next year.”


“Thank you to all involved again this year. My son had a great time.”


“Thank you all so much for taking time out of your evenings all of this week to do this....my wee boy is having a fantastic time. X”


“Couldn't have put it better myself - well done everyone. x”


“Summer Club brilliant for kids - loads of fun.”


“Summer club is great big fun!”


“Well done, another great summer club”


“My wee ones are there and they love it.xx”


“Superb!!! Thanks my girls had a brill first night!!”


“Such a great wee club that's very well ran, my girls look forward to it every year ❤ xx”


“What you do for the kids every year is amazing. They love it!”


“My son had a great time. Thanks everyone.”


“Thanks SO much to all the people that helped! We enjoyed the service too. The kids were delighted to be picked for the challenge!”


“Thanks from us. You all work really hard. Our children loved it. See you all next year.”


“It was brilliant! You can't help but get a lump in your throat when you stand at the back of the hall and watch 200 odd kids singing at the top of their voices "Our ​God is a Great Big God". He is indeed!”


“My summer club was going bananas. First time I ever saw a live group and they were soooo great and loud! And the games! Came back this year to collect my ​nephew and it was great standing at the door listening again to everything. Ba-na-na-na we’re going bananas!”


“Thanks to everyone who helped in any way during Summer Club. From leaders to first-aiders, administration staff to toilet attendants, games supervisors to ​clearing-up and tidying ….. and much, much more. What a team and what a club!”


“Thank you for all your kind work, passion and commitment for this year’s Summer Club. Great work again, many thanks to you all.”


“I would just like to say a huge thank you to every one of the volunteers involved in the summer club, who give a week of their spare time for the local kids. My two ​children love coming along as do the other 200+. I am also sure the parents love the couple of hours free time. Thanks again it’s much appreciated.”


“ The kids are having a great time. My son just loves it.”


“My daughter loves it. If only it was there all summer! Lol”


“My son had a great week, Thank u to everyone involved. Such a brilliant wee club.”


“Just wonderful - well done everyone who helped make it happen.”


“ Well done to you all, my kids remember coming to GOING BANANAS and they're all adults now.”


“What a great week at this club . My son has loved it every year x”


“Thanks so much for another club! Kids were hyper once they found out you were on again!”


“Absolutely fabulous!”


“Well done to everyone involved in making this wonderful annual club such a success.”


“Absolutely brilliant.”


“Well done to you all.”


“Thanks to everyone for this. Our youngest was so excited at being able to come for the first time with her big brother. They had a great week”.


Videos

Summer 1997 - Going Bananas

click on the logo below

Photographs