Monday, September 06, 2010
What’s in a name
St Rollox has undergone a makeover of sorts. The name of the project at the church has changed names – from the not-so-catchy “St Rollox Asylum Seekers Support Project” to “St Rollox Community Outreach”.
The reason for the name change is not that the project is moving away from supporting asylum seekers; in reality, they will probably remain the primary service users. However, the new name is more reflective of our vision and what we’re hoping to do in the community. Our services are open to everybody in Sighthill, not only one section of the community. The name “Asylum Seekers Support” limited how we were perceived.
It also reflects how things change. Some asylum seekers receive a favourable decision on their case, they become residents... after which they start to struggle with issues that are more similar to what indigenous Scottish residents face, rather than new arrivals. While the Community Outreach will continue to support asylum seekers in crisis stages, we also want to maintain support and presence in people’s lives for the long haul.
Another issue with St Rollox is that the circa 1970s architecture is durable, but not particularly welcoming. In other words, they knew Sighthill was a rough area when the church was built, so the number of windows were left to the bare minimum. A lot of people walk by the church, unaware that it’s open. I was asked to help the church design some new banners that will let people know what is happening in the church, how we can serve the community, as well as getting their attention. A photo of one of the new banners is below. Already, we’ve seen them have an impact – a number new people have walked in asking about what the church is doing (one guy saying "I walk by this place everyday, but never realised it was open!").
All of this seems to coincide with St Rollox moving into a transitional phase and we’re excited about how God is leading us.
The reason for the name change is not that the project is moving away from supporting asylum seekers; in reality, they will probably remain the primary service users. However, the new name is more reflective of our vision and what we’re hoping to do in the community. Our services are open to everybody in Sighthill, not only one section of the community. The name “Asylum Seekers Support” limited how we were perceived.
It also reflects how things change. Some asylum seekers receive a favourable decision on their case, they become residents... after which they start to struggle with issues that are more similar to what indigenous Scottish residents face, rather than new arrivals. While the Community Outreach will continue to support asylum seekers in crisis stages, we also want to maintain support and presence in people’s lives for the long haul.
Another issue with St Rollox is that the circa 1970s architecture is durable, but not particularly welcoming. In other words, they knew Sighthill was a rough area when the church was built, so the number of windows were left to the bare minimum. A lot of people walk by the church, unaware that it’s open. I was asked to help the church design some new banners that will let people know what is happening in the church, how we can serve the community, as well as getting their attention. A photo of one of the new banners is below. Already, we’ve seen them have an impact – a number new people have walked in asking about what the church is doing (one guy saying "I walk by this place everyday, but never realised it was open!").
All of this seems to coincide with St Rollox moving into a transitional phase and we’re excited about how God is leading us. 0 comments :
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