A week away in the sunny south of France, where you can immerse yourself into a friendly community of many cultures is what sold this trip to me. Wanting to discover the hidden aspects of yourself would surely intrigue anybody.

After arriving to a warm welcome of literally 27 degrees, we were given a map along with timetable that we will be living by over the next week. The structured routine, simple food and accommodation you make you think it would be hard to adjust however, after spending just over a day here I already feel myself falling into place. The strong sense of community helps.

The sense of togetherness is felt even more in church, services here are quite different to the experience of churches in England. In Taizé, chants are used in each service which are written in multiple languages. This puts into perspective how many different people are here.

During the rest of my time here I’m looking forward to meeting new people. Spending time in my small group will give me the chance to build new relationships. Even though I’m not the most outgoing I will try to leave my comfort zone to make the most of this amazing experience.

We’re excited to see what else Taizé has in store.

Ella & Harry (Archbishop Holgate's School)