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AYF is a Christian group that has been in existence for well over 50 years. During that time thousands of teenagers
 have belonged to the group before going off to university or finding a job.

We thought it might be good to have some feedback as to what AYF means to some of them, which may encourage others. 'The Blurb' video clip here

   
 When I was 13, I didn’t really have any friends at school. Most people were quite unkind to me and I was used to being ignored.
One Friday night I went to AYF, fully expecting to spend my time there hiding in a corner, being ignored and possibly even being made fun of – after all, that’s all I ever experienced at school, why should this place be any different?
  
How wrong I was! People I had never met before came over to chat to me and seemed really interested; they even let me join in their games on the playstation. That night I went home feeling like I had friends. Looking back 5 years on, I’m so glad I made that leap of faith and went to YF that Friday. It’s something I look forward to every Friday evening now, and I can count the number of times I have missed it on my fingers.
 
Thanks to YF, I have so much more confidence in myself, I’ve made friends at school and I know I always have someone to turn to. I’ve had some of the times of my life, particularly at our annual summer camp in Wales. Not only have I learnt how to cook, put up tents and clean thick coatings of mud from wellies, but I was shown love, respect and friendship I don’t think I could have found anywhere else. I’ve grown as a person and in my Christian faith thanks to this group, and I know that it will going transforming the lives of young people in Aldridge for years to come.
Tom Bryant - March 2010
     
 

It has been almost 4 and a half years since I first stepped into the church rooms; only to be overwhelmed by the amazing people and loving atmosphere that just seems to radiate from this group! Here I have met some of my closest friends, growing with them in faith and as a person. Every week I look forward to catching up with my friends and spending time attempting to play, what can only be described, as some rather 'imaginative' games.
 
Though each week is special, led successfully by a passionate team of friendly and approachable leaders, one of the highlights of the year for me and many others in this group is our annual camping trip to the Gower, which we are all eagerly awaiting this summer.
 
Camp is a place that lies incredible close to peoples' hearts, including mine, and holds some of my most dearest and treasured memories. AYF is just an awesome place to be, this group has made me who I am and in all honesty, I would be lost without it. 
Ellie Grice - March 2010 
     
 

I must admit then when my mum suggested I go to YF one Friday with a friend, I was very dubious, and in all honesty I didn’t want to go. I’d been to a church youth club before, but it had stopped because there had only been six people attending. So, imagine my surprise when I found myself among forty or fifty other teenagers.
Camp forms were being handed out that night and I was told to go to Camp because (I quote) “It’s the most amazing place in the world.” Being the person I was then, I was rather sceptical of that statement, but when I went I was touched by God in a very small but significant way for the first time. It really is an amazing place.  
That first Camp, my friend and I were put into a tent with seven other girls who we’d never met before. My first impression of them was that they were pretty crazy (and I was right...) but as we’ve spent more and more time together with other friends at YF, Cloverley Hall and Camp they have really become the most incredible friends I have ever had and probably will ever have. I know that when times are tough they are my tower of strength and when times are good they will be there to share that with me. I would never have known them without God’s work in YF.
 
Little did I know that this was just the start of my journey of faith, as during the next Camp, God touched my life in an unforgettable way through the epilogue and the worship. One night in particular was very powerful, so much so that I made my commitment that night. When I look back at that night I see the beginning of my life. I was dead before that night, but now I am alive.
That is what YF means to me. Jessica Gould-Robbins - March 2010
     
 

For me, YF is not only the best place I go, but also the most important. Without YF, I honestly believe I would have fewer friends, less maturity and less of a faith. I would most likely be pretty sad as well. Through YF I have met the best group of friends I could wish for, grown up quite a bit (believe it or not) and learnt more about Christianity than I could have imagined. 
It has a special something, something you can't quite put your finger on. For me, this is learning from everyone else around me, which is why I think the epilogues, and quiet times on camp, so valuable. They’re what makes YF so special to me, and what puts it a step above everywhere else.
 
Only looking back now, I realise how scared I was when I was in year 9, especially of the older lads. Now I can see that as an ‘older one’, I quite enjoy talking to anyone, and this is really what I was talking about before. Mixing with everyone, no matter their age, is what makes YF truly unique, and it’s hard to imagine the same situation anywhere else.
  
I could hardly talk about YF without talking about Camp, it is quite simply amazing and the best holiday I've ever been on, and that’s simply because it’s an extension of YF. In a damp tent in Wales we can get more comfortable with everyone else in the group, mud being a great equaliser, which gives it an incredible atmosphere that you don’t get anywhere else. As an individual, YF has changed me immeasurably, for which I can only say thank you. Dan Leng - March 2010
     
  I have been coming to AYF for the past four years and can honestly say that I've loved every minute of it. I was invited to come by a close friend, and after hesitating a lot, decided to give it a go. I have never looked back since. I was very unexpectedly welcomed and spoken to by a lot of friendly faces, of which many have become amazing friends.
There is no place in the world like YF. When I arrive each Friday evening, I always get a warm sense fill my body; a heart-warming glow. I've never experienced anything like it. Most of my treasured memories have took place at YF, many of them at Camp. Camp? You may think. Yes, it is muddy, usually overcast and people become rather smelly, but that it was makes Camp what it is :) It is a place where mud and God ultimately create new    friendships, re-new old friendships and make close friendships even closer.     
Besides being a place where beautiful and hilarious memories are created with a group of very special people, AYF is a place where we worship God. God is the ultimate centre of YF. I made my commitment at Cloverley 2009 and its the best decision I have and will ever make. Since making it, I feel so much more happier, positive and confident in my life.
AYF has significantly changed my life and I have made some incredible, life long friends. I can't describe how much it means to me. All I can say is that I am so proud to be a part of it, and I hope it lasts for many more years to come, so a lot more teenagers are able to experience the true
beauty and humbleness of Aldridge Youth Fellowship. Its my second home. Keelia Evans - April 2010