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Ebbsfleet Rainbow Centre
Below are the Objectives of the Ebbsfleet Rainbow Centre: These are the objectives of the Rainbow Centre and were supplied by the same. These are endorsed by Ray Parker but are solely owned by the Ebbsfleet Rainbow Centre. Ebbsfleet Rainbow Centres is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Number 5481360. Registered Charity, number 1111386. Running a community centre, based in a former two-storey Methodist Church building in Northfleet, Kent. It is an ecumenical community project, offering wide ranging activities, for all ages, which are largely volunteer led. The centre operates primarily in the DA11 postcode area, formerly the Gravesham ward of Northfleet West, redesigned Northfleet North ward in 2003. This is situated in a priority area for Europe, National Government and the Development Agency (SEEDA), and focuses on one of the most deprived areas within Thames Gateway. Taking all sets of indicators, the ward is ranked 38th most deprived ward in Kent, out of 331 wards, showing multiple deprivation, according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2000). Centre Aims: To establish and run community centres providing social, welfare, education and training, and recreation and leisure facilities for the benefit of the inhabitants of the local authority areas of Dartford and Gravesham Borough Councils.To give practical expression to the love and concern of God for the people of Northfleet North, by being aware of the spiritual, social and material gifts of local people and by working in partnership with them and others, to enable these gifts to be shared for the benefit of the neighbourhood. Objectives: To operate Ebbsfleet Rainbow Centres to improve community identity and partnership by developing a healthy lifestyle in body, mind and spirit, with the following groups of people particularly in mind: children and young people, single parents, the elderly and the unemployed. To develop action strategies to combat the multiple discrimination of the local community and overcome barriers to social inclusion through a wide choice of activities, including leisure, education and training. To develop greater community spirit and involvement through voluntary service. Ebbsfleet Rainbow Centres is focussing its attention on four main groups in the local community: 1) children with young parents, 2) young people, 3) the elderly and 4) those seeking to improve vocational opportunities. Target Groups: Children and young parents: The statistics indicate that there are very high levels of need in Northfleet North, with failing schools and signs of poor parenting, which is being perpetuated. Ebbsfleet Rainbow Centres offers a degree of support to parents and children via the Carer and Toddler group, Rainbows and Brownies. With more funding and with our links with partner organisations we will be able to develop the degree of help, which we can offer in the future. Older children and teenagers: The problems of early childhood continue throughout the teenage years. There is therefore a need to keep young people away from the streets and crime, and divert their interests from boredom into worthwhile activities. The development of greater self-esteem and the raising of expectations for a better future, via better qualifications are very important. It is the intention of Ebbsfleet Rainbow Centres to develop our Youth activities further as more becomes available. We currently run a Youth Club for ages 8-11 and 11-14, a Music Workshop, varied school holiday activities and targeted programmes aimed at the prevention of motor related crime and alcohol and substance addiction. The Elderly and disadvantaged: We also offer one low cost meal each week, which is taken up mainly by the Elderly, and to many it is an important social time. Many people are desperately lonely and fairly isolated. The meal is two-course, home-cooked and aimed at promoting healthy eating and there is an element of befriending and support supplied by staff and volunteers. It is our intention to develop more activities to support the elderly in the future IT and training for work and leisure: With higher unemployment, and the future developments of the area surrounding the International Station and projected business park, it is clear that occupational training, training for work and similar support could be of benefit to some people within the local community. We also see the need to help people develop their voice. Our two weekly drop ins, supported by staff and volunteer trainers from our small computer base can cater for most individual needs in a friendly environment, which can lead to accreditation. A digital photography course is also available for those interested. Links with Church in Society, Adult Education and other organisations who can provide for a wide range of training needs means that we will be able to develop a greater amount of support to local people in the future. The Rationale for our work: Ebbsfleet Rainbow Centres seeks to support the Regional Economic Strategy in three specific ways: Promoting social inclusion.Encouraging and enabling local communities, via the voluntary sector.Disseminating best practice as far as it is able.We are attempting to offer low cost, good value services to support the local community, by our use of a strong volunteer force, but are faced with key issues of being under-funded and therefore under staffed. In the past three years we have demonstrated considerable growth in the increasing number of activities, staff, volunteers and clients and that we are capable of handling larger grants to full potential, without wasting resources. We are keen to network with others to offer complimentary activities and to form partnerships in order to achieve this. We realise that we have to develop areas of expertise that we can market to achieve sustainability, but still require additional funding in order to achieve this potential. We want to continue to extend our current activities to build up the community, starting from their needs. This is done periodically by undertaking surveys with our client base, local people and with organisations with whom we network. Responses received indicated that our services are good or excellent, particularly the meals, and are meeting the needs of the community. Suggestions to develop our services included a drop in for teenage parents, more activities for pensioners, more activities for youngsters, a whole food cookery course and improvement of the building, which has largely been undertaken in the past 2 years. Services have developed by assisting with the formation of a local History group, running courses for the unemployed, further computer training, cookery courses, pilates exercise for the over 50’s, money management and budgeting on a lower income. We cannot provide for all the suggestions made, but are trying to working in partnership with other organisations like Sure Start, North West Kent College, Kent Guidance Consortium, Adult and Community Education and Gravesham Borough Council, among others, who can help with the delivery some of these courses. Most of our work is either led or supported by teams of or individual volunteers. There are currently 80 volunteers working for us in about 20 different roles. We are undertaking an accreditation “Investing in Volunteers” at the present time. Volunteering gives people value and self worth, companionship, skills for returning to work, a purposeful activity and a feel good factor. Volunteers are appreciated, valued and supported and the organisation is very grateful to all of them. Looking further ahead, there is scope to replicate this project in other local church centres and into the new development areas, using our work in Ebbsfleet as a model, which may lead into the development of parallel projects. For more information, contact Anne Jenkins on :01474 321221 or e-mail: ebbsfleetrainbowcentre@hotmail.com |
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