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Christ The Rock Christian Fellowship & Cranleigh Court Chapel, Yate, BristolSue Hamer has been working on Cranleigh Court estate in Yate as a community worker for Christ the Rock Christian Fellowship for some 5 years now. The work has changed and evolved over the years as opportunities have come and challenges been faced. Over the last year there have been some major changes. For example, the coffee morning, formerly led by Sue with a team of church helpers, is now being run solely by Cranleigh Court Chapel on whose premises it is based. Partly as a result, Sue’s work has gravitated towards working more closely with the local schools and parents of the children with whom she has been involved.
Sue continues to work in the local infant and junior schools and Frome Opportunity Group with small groups or individual children, supporting them with social skills. At the request of the headteacher, Sue has agreed to become a governor in the infant school and, due to other changes, she is able to spend extra time there, helping with the curriculum in the reception classes.
At present, (H)our Club for children in year 3 to year 6 continues one evening a week, although Sue is considering ways to improve relationships with children by dealing with them more individually and less in groups.
An area of significant progress is that Sue is developing links with a group of local people giving support to those affected by drug use. This has brought her into contact with many more parents than previously. Christ the Rock is highly regarded by members of this group for the work that we do in the community. Due to Sue’s relationship building work, the church was also able to show God’s love to a local family who suffered a stillbirth last year, with church members attending the funeral and collecting gifts to make up a Christmas hamper. The family members were touched by the support they received. Sue, together with another member of Christ the Rock, has recently completed the ‘How To Drug Proof Your Kids’ course. They plan to present it to parents, from both the church and the community, starting in the autumn term. This presents the church with an opportunity to impact the local community at a known point of need, as well as expanding the breadth of activity and deepening relationships built through Sue’s work.
Keith Hagon
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