Alistair Burt MP

11.30am - Arrived, and met up with the team at the centre on Fairfield Road.

Sam, Lizzie, Neil, Sarah, Nicki and Greta and another 25 volunteers.

My aim for the week is to learn from the experiences of a team who have been working at grass roots level in a specific geographical area for several years. I feel strongly that unless human and spiritual revival is encouraged hand in hand with physical regeneration, then long term change does not happen in an area. But is there the capacity to scale up small successes? Can you reproduce what Eden does? What successes or failures have there been? How do public agencies see those of faith today? All this I hope to explore.

1pm – I had lunch with Lizzie, the community project manager for the past four years, with her husband Tom who are expecting a baby in September.

2pm – I visited the children’s centre with Sara who is the female youth leader. She is being funded for Five years by ‘Rank’ and taking a course in informal education to help her work with detached youth and women.

3pm – I was shown around the estate by Neil who is the male youth leader. He does not have a high opinion of politicians as he thinks they will turn up for a short time make big promises and then disappear again. He is also unhappy with the regeneration tactic which just moves people around and gradually excludes them.

We talked about school exclusions. Neil explained how they developed a partnership with teachers and schools. Sometimes this does not always work as teachers resent their ‘interference’. He says that teachers are driven by results, exclusions sometimes fits the bill.

7pm – I joined in with the football coaching led by Jim Cook at a brand new facility on the estate. There were 10 youngsters with lots of attitude but by the end of two hours they had worked hard, learned something and obviously enjoyed the experience. I realised how invaluable these male role models are: tough, uncompromising and doing a great job.

Tuesday 5 June 2007

8.15am – I was picked up to go to the Message centre in Sharston for a team meeting. Managing trust Director Andy Hawthorne led the meeting and offered a message of encouragement to the team who had been out on outreach work last week.

Julie Mason, who runs the Eden Bus collars me afterwards and shows me the bus (David Cameron has been on it) and explains its use and purpose. It’s part funded by the police and does excellent work amongst young teenagers in very tough areas. The bus is a regular presence and uses volunteers from local churches to make sure the service is sustainable and reliable.

11.00 am – I attended a meeting with the East Manchester ‘youth workers group’.

I asked Neil afterwards what he thought all the youth work has achieved. He answered that it is managing and reducing the problems of the estate but complete change in an area like Openshaw is a generation, perhaps two, away. He says the current work ‘is like sticking a plaster over an open wound.’

1 pm – I had lunch with Andy Hawthorne, who started the Eden project. We talked about the impact of the Eden project, the reasons and importance for the work that it does on the estate, volunteering and funding for the projects across the UK and the role of schools in turning problem communities around

4 pm – I attended the Dance Fusion project, a popular session with youngsters who are working towards putting on a show. It is so encouraging to see Boys and girls with such talent and enthusiasm in an area where those qualities seem to be really lacking.

7 pm - I attended a small evening bible study with some of the Christian volunteers.

Wednesday 6 June 2007

9.30 am - Team meeting.

11.30 am – I had an enthralling conversation with Gary Bishop. We discussed a broad range of topics.

I asked what made faith based groups successful, to which his answer was commitment and quality of work and being good at the basics. He also talked about the vital importance of consistency; non-transience of team, friendships, ability to ‘be there’ and to just take time.

Gary explained that it is these qualities that explain why one Eden Project is used more than the SureStart by the most chaotic and needy in the community. Despite this, fundraising is being pulled from the projects and going to new state-run children’s centres.

1pm – I had Lunch with Sam Ward who is a church leader in Openshaw who has been involved in the project for seven years now. He talked of how his expectations are more realistic now than when they started, ”I soon realised this was not a ‘three year job’ but a lifetime commitment.” Sam said. Sam also explained how the area has changed. There are more economic migrants and asylum seekers. Their problems are not the same as white, poor working class and they have, very different attitudes towards children, family breakdown and benefit dependency.

I asked what he thought the biggest problem was and his answer was striking. It is not addiction but ‘weary hopelesness’, a low expectation from life for them and their children. Sam explained how he would like to break into the educational dead-end cycle and do addiction work and language classes. Their curriculum programme of family support and youth mentoring was working well with potential for even more growth. This mixture of human and physical regeneration is what is required.

3pm – I was taken on to the estate to visit the home of J and C with Lizzi. J is an agrophobic, and has not left the house for twenty years. He puts it down to an upbringing of abuse in a children’s home, and neglect from an alcoholic father. But he is articulate probably through watching so much tv. He jumps about in conversation but has valuable insights into life around him. He feels bullied and picked on by local youths and blaming parents for letting children be out of control and would like pubs in the area compulsorily closed! He also believes that all children should be born to married committed couples. He has two children of his own and a wife who works as mental care nurse.

4 – 5.30 pm – Went to the Kids Club. And joined ten children, aged 4 to 9, for an afternoon of games, learning a few basic bible facts, and painting. Everything was well thought out and planned in advance by Sara. Children concentrate pretty well and there was no misbehaviour.

6pm – Go on a visit to The Fernando family who are Sri Lankan asylum seekers. They are still going through an appeal process despite paying an agent a huge sum to come to the UK. They left Sir Lanka after converting to Christianity form Buddhism and they explained how they faced serious persecution as a result.

We talked about their situation. They appreciate why our authorities have a strong policy against agents ‘trafficking’ asylum seekers but believe they have a case. They have delightful young children June and Judith who are both about to do A levels. They taught themselves English from scratch, are model pupils and very civic spirited.

Thursday 7 June 2007

After a tidy up at Lizzie’s we headed off for my last morning here, helping at playgroup.

The weather forced us from the park into the hall. The kids were mostly accompanied by their mums, but one or two dads were there as well. They all really appreciated the project, and the efforts made by the team to win listening to their life stories and help people along with their problems, from alcoholism to lack of confidence.

Lunchtime: Time to go. I have seen a group talking about regenerating a community through practical action and then doing it.

Photo: Coradia1000