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Five Year Report 1989 - 1994

Review

Report by Simon Loveitt

REVIEW
 

Every Church Related Community Work Project undergoes a review during the fifth year of its five-year term. Hulme was no exception and indeed much time and effort was spent on this issue. Many thanks must go to Bob Day, Alistair Cox and Niall Cooper, who were the three asked by District Council to carry out this review. Thanks must also go to the local people, workers, and church and management committee who spent many hours ploughing through the many questions asked of them. The district report was very thorough, extracts of which are reproduced below.
 

It is clear that Simon enjoys good relationships with both local and city council workers, e.g. Pierre West (Hulme Sports Programme) helps run the young people's activities. The Church has benefited from this networking as it has enabled its understanding to grow. The involvement at the drop in of an Advice Worker once a week is an example of this linking up and extending of services to local people.

 
We found as visitors a clear partnership between the church and community. Over the first period of this post the Church has become steadily more involved in community issues. The improvement of local homes through the Estate Action Protect is what matters to local people. The butter provided the opportunity to make new contacts! It was also evident that St. George's felt that they were often forgotten and that Simon's work has helped to give them a voice, both by their own contributions and by the wider work Simon was able to do and the contacts he has made. Thus people felt that they had more control over the decisions made about their own community

 
We wondered why the work had gone so well?  The following observations were made. Simon has snowed a down to earth realism and idealism. In calm serenity he is able to live with the pain and not become frustrated by the difficulties. His listening and responding method has been helpful. This has enabled him to get the feel of the place and its important issues. His worshipping and living close by to the area with his family has had a good psychological impact. A well thought out balance between the 'micro' on the ground grass roots contact which gives credibility and the 'macro' the wider issue based work and networks. The approach of the worker, sitting with people in their groups, has been to encourage patient, steady growth. This has been appreciated and caused people to identify with Simon's work. People found it hard to separate the project from the person. Generous support from his family, the Church, the Community other workers and his support person have also made a significant contribution to the good feel of this work.

It was with this report that District Council recommended that the CRCW post here at Hulme be extended for a further five years.

THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

Following the advice of the District review, which have now been incorporated in the new Job Description, priorities have been set for the next few years, which will guide the way forward for this project's work. These are:
 

Short Term - 18 months

• To continue to develop the Credit Union.

• To work on Advocacy of the Church Related Community Programme and to help to tell the story of Hulme.

Medium Term - Up to 3 years

• To work with the Church on the development of the Church building for the benefit of the local community.

• To tackle the complicated issue of Church Youth work.

• To develop the problem with the lack of shops within St. George's.

Long Term - Each year over the next 5 years

• To continue networking with other organisations.

• To work with local tenants and the Park office (housing department) to ensure that local people's voices are heard and acted upon.

• To continue to develop the relationship between Church and community which has built up during the first five years of the post.

• To work on Youth work issues, including regular club nights, residentials, work with the unemployed, together with the need to identify and train local people to become involved in this work.

• To put time aside for supervision of students from Finland, Salford Urban Mission and Luther King House when appropriate.

• To enable the training of local people to take place where appropriate so that the work, which has begun, will as much as possible continue after the CRCW leaves.

CONCLUSIONS

July 18th 1989 is a date that will be with me for many years. It was the date when I moved up to Manchester to begin work as a Church Related Community Worker, apprehensive of not knowing what would be waiting for me, or what I was supposed to do as a Church Related Community Worker. I am still not sure!
 

There have been difficult times, especially at the beginning of my time at Hulme, as has been outlined in this report, but I and the project have come through them. It has been really encouraging to have a congregation who are so willing to become involved in new initiatives, such as the drop in, prayers at one, housing issues and the shopping trips to name but a few. Without this willingness to get stuck in and willingness for the church to change this would have been a struggling project.
 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Brian Harris the minister, June Priestnall the Church Secretary, the elders, members and David Peel as chair of the management committee and my support person, Brian 0 Neill for their encouragement, support, friendship and time they have put into this Church Related Community Work Project.

 There is now a much stronger relationship between the church and community. It is clear that God is at work in Hulme and we have much in which to thank God.

COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF HULME UNITED REFORMED CHURCH & CRCW MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
 

Reading through Simon's report, we all agree that his work has been very encouraging to both the local community and the local church.

We hope that he carries on for the next 5 years, with the same enthusiasm and dedication as he has done in the past. We will continue to support him in all his work.
 

June Priestnall               Church Secretary

Louie Stoba                   Church Elder

Sylvia Gordon                Management committee

Pauline Haughton           Management committee