Church .... but not as we know it ...

This morning I met with Kate, looking at community voices, community surveys and how the church can best serve the needs of our neighbours. This afternoon I met with Matt & Elin looking at conference planning and thinking about similar issues but in a different context. We met in Holy Trinity Church, Colchester's only surviving Saxon building. The churchyard contains the burial place of William Gilberd, sometimes known as the first "Father of Electricity" and physician to Queen Elizabeth I.

The church is now home to GO4 Enterprises, a community based social enterprise providing employment, training, personal development through continual mentoring and support of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs). It does this by providing opportunities for employment, training and work experience, helping to develop the social skills and disciplines required to move into further education, training, paid employment or self-employment.

This community interest company is a response to the number of young people locally who are now neither in work, training or education and perhaps through a disadvantaged background have little prospect of gaining work. Currently there are over 300 NEETs in Colchester (5.8% of young people aged 16 to 24).

Church, but not as we know it.