One Year On: Building a Community, Not Just a Centre

As I sit and write this it is hard to believe that is has been twelve months since we moved to Stonehouse Creek community centre. I remember the day we moved in and if I am honest there was a bit of me that started to question a number of things. Would people come, would they like the new building, would the lay out work and have I built a white elephant were just a few of the anxious thoughts I was having. When I reflect on this, I need to acknowledge that after spending so many years at Bath St, that all of us become anxious around change, and I am clearly no different.

In my heart I knew it was the right move and my mantra of “people deserve better” was always at the forefront of my thinking throughout the renovation. The countless conversations during the previous twelve months with staff, volunteers, partners and most importantly people that use our services reinforced for me that we needed to move away from making do and give people what they want. When we opened Stonehouse Creek the most consistent piece of feedback was that the building provides a warm, welcoming safe space for people and does not feel like a homeless drop-in centre. This has been music to our ears, and we were clear that what we wanted to create was a community centre that provided a range of services for a range of people, all of whom are members of the community. I also know that buildings alone do not make welcoming spaces and the need for skilled staff with a smile on their face is key to that. With the introduction of our meeters and greeters, I think we have achieved that and again I receive constant feedback from people about the warm welcome they had received.

From a service viewpoint, the move has enabled us to co locate a wide range of support services in the centre. These include, GP’s and other medical staff, Opticians, Drug and Alcohol workers and Housing workers to name but a few. This alone would have been impossible at Bath St and has certainly given people who use Shekinah better access to services if they want it.

So, what are my thoughts twelve months on, for once I will leave this to the words of someone who had been sleeping on the streets for several months. When asked by the builders what he thought of the centre he said the following. “When I walk in the new building, I walk in as a person and not a homeless person” ……. I rest my case.

John Hamblin
Chief Executive