From the Waterloo Hub...

I am officially over half way through my threesixty year and am still enjoying it!
However, this term especially has been the most challenging and demanding year of my life. I have had to sacrifice my time, energy and social life to the local community and projects.

Table Tennis
Originally this was not a project on my timetable but from by chance helping at one of session it became one of my favourite projects. The “Waterloo Table Tennis Club” runs every Tuesday, three sessions for ages 5-to the oldest member being 75! I have always enjoyed leading this because the club is relaxed and welcomes people from all backgrounds and abilities. I am enjoying seeing where this club will progress to.

Hullabaloo
This is a pre-school playgroup which I work at every week on Wednesday morning. In this project I have had concerns of my place and purpose. To elaborate, I have taken the role of serving the hot drinks to the mothers and careers, making sure all the children are accommodated for. Due to this constant rushing around I felt that I was not actually working on the emotional and spiritual side and purpose of the project.
To overcome this I sat down and reflected on way I could feel more useful, and I decided to alter little things for example instead of going out and waiting for the hot drinks I would dash back and play with the children or talk to the mothers. From changing this tiny action I was able to form deeper relationships and feel more fulfilled at the end. Now I know nearly all of the mothers and careers and I am more involved in their lives.

Studio
This is a place where young people come to record or do radio shows. If you had asked me my least fulfilling project I would have honestly definitely said the studio. The reason being because all I seem to do was sign youths in and sit on reception occasionally exchanging a few words with another youth but on the whole not. But, now due to the realisation that the youths aren’t going to approach you I decided to make the consistent effort to engage in their world. As a result I now have stronger and better relationships from finding out about their schools, music, interests.

KEEP BLOGGING!
xxx

Hi Am Rachel one of the threesixtys from Waterloo am going to share with you two projects that I have found the most challenging so far.

Prayer walk has been my most eye opening experience so far. Last term we mainly walked around the local area talking to homeless people who were so grateful that we took the time to stop and talk to them and listen to their story. This term we have been doing home visits to some of the young people we work with. We went to one young person’s house to say how well he is doing at Table Tennis and how well behaved he is. The mother was shocked as apparently he always gets into trouble at school and she was very grateful that he had found something he liked (but still had to keep asking us “are you sure he is well behaved?”)


At Southside we run a radio station and have recording studios for young people to use. Last term was hard as I didn’t know how to approach the young people as they are so different to me, I was way out of my comfort zone, but as the term went on the young people began to say hi to me and slowly I managed to build a few relationships with some of the young people who come every week. I am looking forward to this term which should be easier now I have begun to get to know the young people.

Blogging out till next time……. xx