http://www2.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_614uk.nsf
Who we are
Bradford Holme Wood Salvation Army, is based within the large Holme Wood estate in Bradford Metropolitan District (high on deprived indices report).
Living and working in Holme Wood, the team comprises an Officer responsible for the church and leading the team, two Children and Young People’s workers and a Community worker/ Administrator (Our Community Worker has lived on the estate all her life so understands the culture, structure and issues within the community).
What is our vision/our aims?
- Providing a positive, sociable and creative space for children and young people to meet, to share and learn to look out for each other
- Supporting the schools in the community
- Playing a part in meeting the social, physical and spiritual needs of families and older people living in Holme Wood
- Giving the community an opportunity to learn about the Christian faith
What we do
Our project covers a wide range of activities with children’s work, youth work and adult programmes. This includes our Star Club and Launch Pad children’s activities followed by Explorers (a mid-week Sunday School). Boys and Girls groups (run in partnership with Step 2) and a youth club for young people during the week. Clubs and activities are run during the holidays so children and young people have somewhere to go and something purposeful to do. Adult work includes a parent & toddler group, a drop in café and lunch and friendship clubs for those aged 50+. Other social events are run during the year and the centre itself has a computer room for the community to use.
The Salvation Army works closely with St Christopher’s, the Anglican church on the estate, to provide a programmes that meet the needs of the community and gives residents a wider choice of activities in which they can take part.
In this last year Holme Wood 614 has:
- Helped to set up Activate – aimed at getting young people to take part in applying for funding and allocating money to projects that benefit young people. Run by young people Activate encouraged applications and presentations from young people representing local centres, schools and clubs. Young people had to present to the panel who scored each project and awarded funds accordingly.
- Started to work with Streets Ahead* to provide an after school club in two of the local primary schools providing a social, stimulating and safe place for children directly after school and for those families who work.
What impact does it have?
The team are known and respected because they live and work in the community.
The range of activities they provide meets the needs across the different ages.
Where do we go next?
Holme Wood has struggled with a range of issues over the years including unemployment, health, environment and low educational achievement.
The Salvation Army as Holme Wood 614, working in partnership with other churches and local organisations (eg Holme Wood Community Council and Streets Ahead*) are committed to supporting children, young people and families to achieve more, to have greater confidence in themselves, to be proud of their community and be given the training and the resources and spiritual support to make it happen.
The young people’s Activate programme is just a start. Plans are to seek further funding so more young people can play a part in what they access and how they can positive affect their community.
We want to see the work continue with Streets Ahead, particularly as this reaches into a part of the estate which has limited or no access to other children’s activities.
Exploring opportunities for social enterprise is another avenue that is being considered where young people (and families) could acquire some key business skills and provide a venture from which Holme Wood can directly benefit.
Team Leader: Caroline Heward
Contact details:
| Tel: 01274 684230 |
| Postal: The Salvation Army, St Margarets Ave, Holmewood, Bradford, BD4 9AG |
| email: caroline.heward@salvationarmy.org.uk angelo.meneghello@salvationarmy.org.uk |
| leanne.fawthrop@salvationarmy.org.uk wendy.verheij@salvationarmy.org.uk |