Annual Report 1997
Report by Simon Loveitt
REPORT OF WORK JANUARY
1996 - MAY 1997
I have now been working in
Hulme for eight years. Below is a report of many of the projects I have
been involved in during the last 18 months.
1. REDEVELOPMENT OF HULME
UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
This has been a very long
running project. It began about three years ago, when Tatton Street had a
structural survey carried out on the building. The result of the survey
showed that although the basic structure of the Church was sound, it needed
many thousands of pounds spent on it due to the age of the building, and
neglecting repairs when they became necessary.
At about the same time
City Challenge was drastically changing the face of Hulme. I had negotiated
with Hulme Regeneration that in year five of this scheme money would be made
available for work with the fabric of the building. A plan came together
with the possibility of drawing money from three sources: City Challenge,
English Partnerships (a central government funded body) and the Fletcher
Trust (a local trust fund).
C.T.A.C. (Community
Technical Aid Centre) were brought in to draw up some plans for the
building, which included an idea to create an self contained youth centre
upstairs, with a lift for disabled access, its own kitchen and toilet area.
The costs of the plans C.T.A.C. drew up came to £ 1 40,000, which Hulme
Regeneration believed was very expensive for what was being proposed. Hulme
Regeneration suggested we used Architects and Quantity Surveyors in house to
draw up plans and costs, which should prove more cost effective. The costs
which came back were £175,000. (£100,000 from English Partnerships, £70,000
from City Challenge, and £5,000 from Fletcher Trust)
After months of phone
calls from English Partnerships encouraging us to apply for the £100,000
when we eventually submitted the application, it was rejected due to lack of
economic outputs, which had never been an issue when the project had been
discussed with English Partnerships. They were aware right from the start
that the proposal was for a community centre.
The £70,000 from Hulme
Regeneration was on condition we received matched funding from English
Partnerships. Overnight the attitudes of Hulme Regeneration changed. In a
steering group meeting they stated that we could expect to receive perhaps
£20,000, as there had been overspends in many of the budgets in previous
years, and in effect we take the consequence of this.
At a subsequent steering
group meeting the representative of Hulme Regeneration was given a very hard
time. She was told in no uncertain terms that we had waited patiently until
Year 5 of the City Challenge and we expected a reasonable amount of funding
to help convert the church into a community centre. This approach worked as
more money was made available.
The Steering Group asked
John Glendenning from Moss Side Community Build to give a quote for the
total scheme George Mills and Hulme Regeneration put together. Instead of £1
75,000, the total scheme price was £80,774. It seems as though we were
victims of some political game in which we, were pawns.
The redevelopment of
Tatton Street has now become a 2 phased operation. Phase 1 has just been
completed, and was a £40,000 up grade of the existing facilities of the
Church. This included a new roof, windows and doors, new central heating, a
new enlarged kitchen, an upgraded toilet facility and preparations for a
possible Youth Centre upstairs with the removal of the partition, and
general tidy up of the facilities. We are still short of about £5,000 to
complete phase 1 satisfactorily, as new furniture, kitchen equipment are
needed to bring this facility to a fully operational community centre.
Phase 2 will hopefully
include a bid to the Charities Board of the National Lottery for £40,000 to
complete the building of the youth centre, including a lift and toilets and
kitchen for the first floor youth centre. An application for part time or
sessional Youth workers would also be part of this bid, so that the facility
could be used to its full extent.
2. HULME CITY
CHALLENGE
March 1997 saw the end of
the funding for Hulme City Challenge and with it a tremendous change to the
fabric of Hulme. As this report is being written, the last of the deck
access housing on Bonsall Street is being demolished, and with it, much of
the reputation of Hulme as being a problem area.
New housing solves one of
the many issues facing such communities as Hulme, but housing was only one
of many social needs of an inner city area. The main emphasis of City
Challenge was to change the housing and to an extent the social mix of
Hulme. Whereas before City Challenge, young people or students or
frightened elderly people, the attempt occupied the ‘crescents’ and deck
access was to have mixed social housing or private housing. To a large
extent this has worked, but as with many of the Central Government Capital
Schemes (S.R.B. & City Challenge) it hasn't tackled the many other social
issues in a locality.
To put Capital Schemes for
the social programme in year 5 of City Challenge was a mistake in hindsight
as overspending of many other budgets eroded the social programme budget. To
have good housing in a community with high unemployment, a renowned drug
problem and a high crime level particularly amongst young people which
hasn't been addressed is short sighted in the extreme.
3. UNEMPLOYED GROUP
Numbers have fluctuated
quite dramatically during the last 18 months. The group we had 18 months ago
of those in their early twenties have moved on, as the only activity to
attract interest was go karting, which a special rate had been negotiated.
Since this, the centre has closed down, I hope not as a result of the
special offers we were offered. These young people have not been going
since.
The group we more recently
have worked with are younger with fewer young people. We were recently
assessing whether the group was viable and linked in with a group of
unemployed young people on the Aquarius estate of Hulme, when the group
around Tatton Street suddenly picked up. We are now considering whether to
include the Aquarius group long term.
In May 1997 Pierre and I
together with Heini (a Finnish Diaconal worker) organised a residential for
four days in the Lake District for 10 unemployed young people. It was one of
the best residentials Pierre and I have ever organised.
4. YOUTH CLUB
For much of the last 18
months both youth clubs have struggled with numbers. Each Tuesday we have
had great difficulty persuading even four young people to turn up for the
club. About a year ago we began working with another group on the Shawgreen
estate of Hulme. Our problem on the Shawgreen estate is that the trips are
too popular!
Numbers with the Tatton
Street group continued to reduce, so a decision was taken recently to
combine both senior and junior clubs The Youth Club can no longer afford to
run two clubs, with two minibus bills.
5. CREDIT UNION
The last 18 months have
been very hectic in the Credit Union. In January 1996 we began the year
with an operating loss of over £8,000, due to a variety of reasons,
including bad debts, relocation costs which Hulme Regeneration promised to
meet, then changed their mind, and too high a level of expenses.
It was decided to reduce
the expenditure, to fundraise, and to chase up bad debts, and not to just
write them off.
The result has been a
dramatic turn around of the Credit Union. By the end of October we had
broken even. By the end of December 1996, we managed to give a small
dividend of 1.5%
In August, Tony the
Treasurer had a big stroke and Alan and I have taken on the day to day
running of the Credit Union. I became acting Treasurer.
At the last A.G.M. in
April 1 997 I took on the role of Treasurer for a period of one year. The
aim of taking this role is to sort out the finances into a manageable size,
and to sub divide the treasurers role so it becomes a role others will be
happier to take on. Already an accountant from Moss Care is helping with
Bank Reconciliation’s and the quarterly reports, which have to be sent to
the Registrar in London.
This year the Credit Union
is much busier. By the end of May 1997, 104 loans have already been given,
with loans to members now totalling £101,000.
6. FINNISH DIACONAL
PROGRAMME
During the period
of this report, two sets of Diaconal students from Finland were on placement
in Hulme, with mixed results.
Tuna & Niina, the students
on placement in Hulme during 1996 were disappointing. The set programme of
work was fine when they worked separately, but due to a serious personality
clash any work they were supposed to do together just wasn't done. On one
occasion, when they walked from Tatton to Wesley, they walked on different
sides of the road! This problem lasted
about four weeks and almost resulted in them being sent back to Finland.
When an ultimatum was given them they did finally sort out the problems.
The latter part of the
placement went better, but they still didn't get as much out of the
placement as they should have done. Part of the placement is designed so
that one has to use initiative to develop beyond the skeleton programme
prepared for them, which in it is not a full working week.
The placement with Heini
in 1997 was excellent. Heini was very conscious of her age and relative
lack of experience of life (her words not mine!), going straight from school
to college at Seurakuntapisto. Indeed some of the young people she was
working with were the same age as her. In Community Work there are far more
important aspects to the work than the age of a worker. To be effective you
have to be open minded (particularly in Hulme!), enthusiastic, willing to
change as a person, to use your initiative, and very importantly want to
learn about new experiences.
Heini came to Hulme
wanting to learn, and has had no problem motivating her to do the work
necessary to be effective. In only seven short weeks, Heini built up her
own network of local people and professionals, and now has a good
understanding of the community of Hulme. In supervision sessions Heini has
asked many questions, which has shown that she has been thinking deeply
about what she has seen. (She has also made me think deeply about my work
and practice.)
Politics, both national
and local are core to how communities operate, and Heini has struggled with
this very well. There has even been a political swing in Heini as great as
the swing to Labour in he recent General Election!
For what was only a 50-day
placement, Heini has made as big an impact as any student who has been
placed with me in Hulme has. It has been a pleasure to have Heini working in
Manchester.
7. FINNISH YOUTH WORK
PROGRAMME
As a continued development
of the Finnish Programme, William Temple Foundation were in negotiations
with Jarvenpaa exploring the possibility of working with youth workers from
the same college, coming to Manchester in January 1997, to four placements,
different ones to those used for the Community work experiences.
I was asked, along with
Malcolm Brown and Jo Kitterick to go to Finland in September (6th-i 5th) to
run the weeklong programme preparing the students for their placements in
Manchester. The weekends either side of the week in Finland will be used to
meet again those who were on placement in Hulme.
The Youth Workers from
Finland, who were in Manchester, were an enthusiastic and dedicated group.
I helped to run the Friday
Programme for the eight weeks the students were in Manchester. The course
was a mixture of input from myself, Malcolm Brown and Alison Peacock, input
from other Youth workers in Manchester and reflection of placements by the
students.
It seems that a return
visit to Finland to teach at Jarvenpaa in January 1998 is likely. It would
again be for ten days.
8. OTHER STUDENTS
Since January 1996, apart
from the Finnish Youth and Diaconal students, there have been three students
on placement with me in Hulme. In September 1996, two Czech Students, Diana
Slechtova & Jana Medkova were placed in Hulme. This placement was more basic
than the one offered to the students from Finland, and to be honest was a
placement, which I didn't enjoy.
Since September 1996, Kay
Alberg has been on placement in Hulme from Luther King House. Her year’s
placement began so well with Kay taking services once a fortnight as well as
getting involved with various community projects. In the second and third
semesters Kay has been quite ill. Even through ill health she has still
managed to take services once a fortnight, but has not been well enough to
become more involved in the community work side of my work. Kay underwent an
operation in May, and will have the summer to recover, so hopefully will be
well enough to enjoy her next placement in another church during the last
year of her training.
9. SPORTS DROP IN
(WITH H.A.R.P. AND HULME SPORTS PROGRAMME)
This has now been running
for about four years, and has kept its popularity. The Y-Club in
Castlefield Central Manchester allows the Sports Drop - In up to 1 2 free
passes each week into its health suite. We regularly have more than 12
people, and are trying to negotiate extra places or extra sessions.
The group was created to
work with those suffering from mental health problems, to provide an
environment where they can mix socially and have some physical exercise. We
work with those who are in hospital and are on day release together with
those who have recently come out of hospital and who have contacted H.A.R.P.
(Hulme Action research Project) for support. Some of those who come along
only attend the Drop In once or twice others attend for years.
This group has been a great
success, and has built up good friendship groups. A spin off of the Sports
Drop - In has been the Monday Fun Days; a series of monthly outings for the
same client group walking, swimming, ten pin bowling. The walks proved to be
by far the most popular, so a series of walks in the Peaks are planned for
this summer.
10. ST. GEORGE'S GOOD
NEIGHBOURS SCHEME
During City Challenge a
grant has been given each year to help with a shopping trip to Stretford
Arndale Centre for Pensioners of St.George's, a small grant to both St.
George's Youth Club and the Friendly Club.
The last grant we received
from City Challenge was a reduced amount, which reduced the amount to the
shopping trips, and left no money for the Friendly Club or the Youth Club.
With City Challenge now
ended, no more grants will be forthcoming. It was always known to be a time
limited project. There is enough money in the bank account to last till
October, then either the project closes, or everyone pays the full amount
for the taxis
11. FOOD COOPERATIVE
This was launched in
January 1996 in the St. George's area. Food orders were taken on a
Wednesday, the orders were collated and an order placed with the wholesalers
who delivered the produce on a Thursday lunchtime. Volunteers then weighed
out the individual orders, which were paid for and collected on a Friday.
It was a very easy system,
and would have worked well except for one problem - the wholesalers. On
many occasions the quality of the produce was poor, and many of food items
were missing when the order arrived at Wesley.
The St. George's part of
the food co-op began with 1 5 people and volunteers to help with the
distribution and weighing out. Because of the poor quality and unreliability
of the orders numbers dropped to nil.
I haven't attempted to
re-launch this scheme in the short term, as there at present seems little
point. Research to assess whether purchasing food from supermarkets such as
Aldi, Safeway etc would give better prices and Tuna and Nina undertook
better quality as part of their work here. The main problem with using
supermarkets is that they don't allow individuals bulk buying produce for
others.
12. NATIONAL YOUTH &
CHILDREN'S WORK COMMITTEE
I was asked to serve on
the National Youth & Children's Committee from the Assembly 1996 - Assembly
1999. The committee consists of 8 people, meets three times a year for two
or three days at a time, and its responsibilities include Pilots, Fury and
the National Youth Resource Centre at Yardley Hastings.
After attending one
weekend meeting, and not being able to attend the following two, I decided
to resign. My workload is one reason for resigning, the other is the field
of youth work I work in is specialist, which has little relevance to the
committees agenda.
13. MODERTORIAL VISIT
John & Molly Readon
visited Hulme on April 1 5th 1996. The programme for the day began at 1O am
with an introduction to the area and a discussion on the philosophy of the
CRCW project in Hulme. A tour of St. George's followed. Lunch was taken at
mid-day when other members of the Management committee joined us. The
afternoon programme was a tour of some of the projects I and the project are
involved in, including the Credit Union, Wesley furniture store, Zion
community health resource centre, Ascension church and Hulme Sports
Programme. On our return, we stopped off at Pauline's (a Church Elder) for a
well-earned cup of tea.
John spoke very warmly of
the day, saying that most of his engagements in his year were to lead
worship, or to address meetings. This day was a refreshing day, where he was
relaxed, was able to share his experiences, but also to learn about
Community Development Work in Hulme.
14. IN CONCLUSION
One of the Students at
Salford Urban Mission, David Moffatt, used for his thesis a case study of my
work at Hulme U.R.C. as a model for one way of working with Churches - in a
Community Development style.
What really struck me
about his thesis was some statistics he used. In the eight years of this
project, I had been involved in 36 separate pieces of work, some short term,
but much long term, which are still going. A staggering number of different
projects.
Some of those projects
have been really hard work, but many we have enjoyed working on. As Heini
Siirola says in her reflection of her placement in Hulme "There are many
sides in Hulme, many difficult and sad issues but also there is a good sense
of humour, joy and friendly people. I have found out that community or
deacon work is not always so serious, it can be a lot of FUN too!!" A good
lesson in surviving burnout.
Lastly, I must give a big
thank you to all those in the Church, Community Project, Local people, and
colleagues working in Hulme for their support they give me in my work as a
Church Related Community Worker.
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