The Unit celebrates 1st birthday
It’s a year since Hope Hamilton Church opened the doors for young people at ‘The Unit’ a converted retail premises in Hamilton. So we decided to look back and celebrate what’s happened.
During last autumn we opened for ‘drop-in’ style clubs, 3 times a week. The sessions were lively, and quite unstructured. 10-15 young people attended each session. Tom Cufflin, our church youth worker took the lead, with support from Phil White and Hope Hamilton Church members.
Published: 14/10/2009
The Friday-night clubs were particularly challenging.
In Spring 2009 we modified our weekly programme, replacing Friday night with a deliberately quieter Monday session.
We aimed to increase the ownership of the clubs by listening to young people’s ideas and requiring them to ‘sign in’ to our attendance register. Each club session aimed to look at a general theme, but, on the most part activities centred around table tennis, pool and computer games.
In this manner we made links with 80 or so young people.
Continuing on our learning curve into the summer, we benefited from Ruth Peake’s experience and energy in coordinating a programme of creative and adventure activities. There are examples of crafts and photos of the action around the room today.
This has led to a new style of clubs from September 2009 in which young people attend, knowing what to expect from the session. At present we’re running two 6-week clubs on Mondays and Tuesdays on cooking and famous people. Tom Cufflin and Mike Mcallister lead these - with support from Becka Leedham and Hope Hamilton Church volunteers. Numbers of young people have sometimes been fewer, but a sense of purposefulness has emerged. I won’t forget seeing 7 lads tucking with enthusiasm into vegetable soup they’d just made, complete with a slight crunch from the not-completely-washed leeks!
On Friday evenings we are working in partnership with Leicester City Council Youth workers (Gafar and his team). There have been some events in the unit, and some detached work in the Hamilton neighbourhood. We particularly look forward to lots of ongoing support from our local police beat officers on Fridays.
We have set up a Youthwork Oversight Team and continue to pursue our youth work strategy, which is:
1) Understand. U’ our local young people better, their hopes, dreams and needs.
2) Provide. P’ activities, openings, chances for young people to thrive and develop skills – for example in achieving goals, or getting involved serving the community.
3) Be. We aim to Be role models for the young people we rub shoulders with here at the Unit and on our estate.
4) Offer. We are a Christian church. We aim to offer young people opportunities to explore faith alternatives for their lives.
When Hope Hamilton Church opened the Unit last October, we dreamed it would be both a space for young people and a hub for community in Hamilton.
Has the Unit become a hub for community?
Yes, it is becoming so, though it has taken longer than we expected. The Joint Action Group and the New Hamilton Residents’ Association committee have met here.
We have hosted several charity events, raising support for Samaritan’s Purse, and Macmillan Cancer Support. The Big Lunch in July took place here. Hope Hamilton Church’s monthly litter picks and graffiti removal have used the Unit as a base.
A cross-section of the community has hired the Unit for family and children’s parties.
Regular classes have been held – a screen-printing course in March, and currently the community weight loss challenge on Monday evenings. The Garden Club meets here monthly on a Saturday morning.
And the future?
Tesco is planning to redevelop the Hamilton site, and have promised a new Unit as part of that development, fitted out by Tescos. Nick Gellatly, from Tesco, was with us at the birthday party. He told us at the party that plans have been stalled due to internal difficulties, and he was unable to give us a timescale for the new development. However Tesco is committed to working with us in the future and to providing a new space for the Unit.
Farewell to Phil and Anne White.
Approx 2 1/2 yrs ago Phil suggested the idea of using this vacant unit for youth work. Various communications bounced back and forth between Bishop Tim and Sir Terry Leahey. A year later we gained permission to start work, and, with the help of many set up the Unit.
Nick thanked Phil for his leadership along this journey.
Over the past 6 years Phil has led Hope Hamilton Church. With the initial core of church members, he saw the importance of building links in and around the local community – with local builders, the police, local church leaders, Tescos and many more agencies and individuals. He is an obligate networker… he lifts the energy of those he meets with his infectious enthusiasm. I guess there is no-one in this room who has not had an inspiring encounter with Phil. And he does not miss the chance to seek out resources too.
Phil and Anne have worked as volunteers and occasional session leaders of youth club meetings, and have played a big part in supporting youth workers serving in and through the Unit.
We presented Phil and Anne with flowers and a card.
It was great to welcome our funders, local councillors, members of the Resident’s Association, local police and school representatives, friends from other Leicester churches, youth workers and young people to our party on 7th October.
As we look towards the future, we seek commitment from all our partners to working together for young people in Hamilton.
Please stay linked up with us. For more information: unit.hope@googlemail.com
Nick and Ros Henwood, Oct 09