All Saints Caring Association [ASCA] appointed two new full–time members to their team: Claire Hinchliff as youth and family worker, and Norman McCorkell as project coordinator. ASCA’s new 4000 sq. ft. community building is currently being constructed.
Norman is a native of the Waterside who recently returned home after finishing theological studies in Dublin, in which he gained first class honours in a BA honours in Applied Theology. He is married to Emily and has a beautiful daughter, Elsie, just 16 months old. Norman has leadership experience in projects of a similar nature, locally and nationally, including Street Pastors in Londonderry, and the Saint Patrick Foundation in Dublin. Norman has a passion to see lasting transformation in his home city through community transformation, education, and radical generosity. Norman commented, “I am very excited about my new appointment and I’m really looking forward to listening to the people of the Waterside regarding their ideas to make this community project successful and beneficial to them.”
Claire Hinchliff has been appointed as the Youth and Family worker for ASCA. Claire will be leading ASCA programmes aimed at positively impacting teenagers and families. Although Claire has a degree in Environmental Sciences her passion is for working with young people. As a result, Claire retrained and is now a fully qualified youth worker. She has an array of youth work experience including experience from working with young people in Cork, Portadown and now in the Waterside. Claire says, “I’m very excited for the work that is already going on with the young people but I can’t wait to see how they will all get involved with the new ideas and grow in life. I see this project as a way of equipping the young people in a variety of ways, preparing them for making decisions throughout their lives.”
ASCA originates from All Saints Clooney Church in the Waterside of Londonderry. According to Revd Malcolm R.K. Ferry, ASCA was born out of social conscience, as a vehicle for bringing this idea into reality. ASCA builds upon the many existing cross–community activities within All Saints Clooney Church such as Scouts and Guides. Revd Malcolm says ASCA “is a shop front for the Church. It was born because there is a lot of need out there.”
ASCA’s “Community Empowerment Project” [CEP] is their flagship project that hopes to positively shape and change the culture of the Waterside its environs. ASCA is promoting general charitable purposes for the benefit of the community of Waterside and its environs without distinction of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic identity, political or religious opinion.
It aims to do this through promoting and enabling community, assisting education, and advocating for social welfare issues through a range of community services and training available from ASCA’s new 4000 sq. ft. community building, currently being constructed on the site of the Stewart Memorial Hall. The International Fund For Ireland and the Rural Development Council enabled this new build, and project ASCA’s exciting new facility will include easy access and a welcoming exterior and tea and coffee facilities to allow passers by to drop in and feel ‘at home.’
Although ASCA’s new facility is not due for completion until 2012, ASCA’s “Community Empowerment Project” is currently up–and –running, and already delivering positive change in the Waterside. One element of this current activity is their free welfare advice service available every Wednesday at their current offices at 6 Melrose Terrace, Waterside.
Also, as ASCA prepares for their new facility, they are actively seeking to engage with community leaders in the Waterside to listen to their ideas about how the CEP can help compliment the great work that is already happening in the various communities. ASCA seeks to help empower community leaders to up–skill and train their leaders for the betterment of their communities, and the city. Moreover, ASCA plans to help equip and up–skill young people, families, and volunteers through various services in their new facility. ASCA has plans to partner in cross–border community relations with, and for the betterment of, a rural community in Colgan, Donegal.
For any further information please contact the ASCA office at 6 Melrose Terrace, Londonderry, BT47 6DR, telephone: 028 7134 9348, or email: allsaintscaring@btinternet.com.