In January 2019, Project Touchline was featured on the nationally recognised BBC One programme Songs of Praise — one of the UK’s longest-running Christian television series. The feature highlighted how faith, sport, prayer and relationships can work together to help children experience “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10). 

Faith on the Touchline

Presented by Kate Bottley, the episode was filmed at St Lawrence Church of England Primary School and explored the growing impact of Project Touchline within Church schools. 

The programme captured children participating in:

• Collective Worship rooted in Scripture,
• values-based rugby activities,
• moments of stillness and reflection,
• and shared prayer together within the school day.

Rather than presenting sport simply as competition, the feature showed how games and physical activity can become spaces where children practice encouragement, forgiveness, resilience, respect and teamwork in real life.

Sport, Worship and Belonging

Throughout the broadcast, Chris Andrew, Founder and Director of Project Touchline, spoke about the programme’s distinctive “values first, sport second” approach.

The episode explored how:

• worship and PE can reinforce one another,
• prayer can become part of everyday school culture,
• and Christian values can move from classroom displays into lived action and relationships.

Children were shown engaging enthusiastically in rugby-based games while also learning to listen, encourage one another, and reflect together. The atmosphere of joy, calmness and belonging became a central part of the programme’s message. 

“The Lord’s My Shepherd”

A particularly memorable part of the episode included the hymn The Lord’s My Shepherd, which helped frame the wider theme of trust, guidance and faith amid the challenges children and schools face today. 

The combination of worship, storytelling and sport created a powerful picture of faith lived out practically within a school community.

A Significant Moment for Project Touchline

The BBC One feature became an important milestone in the growth of Project Touchline. It introduced a national audience to the programme’s vision and helped many schools, churches and families begin conversations around:

• spiritual development,
• wellbeing,
• Christian distinctiveness,
• values-based education,
• and the role of sport in shaping character and community.

Since the broadcast, Project Touchline has continued to grow across Church schools in England and Wales, partnering with more than 150 schools through Collective Worship, Prayer Clubs, values-based PE and whole-school culture development. 

Continuing the Story

Today, the vision featured on BBC One continues through:

• five-week school programmes,
• lunchtime prayer clubs,
• Collective Worship,
• staff reflection and CPD,
• legacy films,
• and ongoing partnerships with dioceses, schools and churches across the country.

The Songs of Praise feature remains a reminder that small moments of encouragement, prayer, teamwork and belonging can have a lasting impact on children’s lives.