Hackney Methodist Circuit

Shaun's Visit to Hackney in Adelaide, Australia

Geoff and Myra are helping out in the Goodies Shop, which provides quality, low cost goods to the people of Hackney in east Adelaide, South Australia. The Goodies Shop is part of the work of Clayton Wesley Uniting Church.

The church is supported in its work by UnitingCare Adelaide East which is one of a number of missions of the Uniting Church (Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian). These provide much needed care and support to people throughout Australia. I recently visited missions in Adelaide and Melbourne as part of a sabbatical to study how the Church engages in community and social work ministry in Australia. Their work includes aged care, mental health programmes, counselling services, helplines, work with vulnerable young people, emergency assistance, housing associations, the support of children, building relationships with Aboriginal communities, gambling awareness, political advocacy, micro credit and much else besides.

The missions vary in size and types of programmes. For example, Wesley Mission Melbourne provides 43 services with 700 staff and 2,500 volunteers. However, St. Kilda Uniting Church's main mission work is a Drop In Centre in south Melbourne for people who experience severe mental illness. It works with just a few staff and volunteers plus a deacon who shares his time between the Drop In and the local congregation. On the right, breakfast is prepared and enjoyed at the St. Kilda Drop In. Services also include a TV, pool table, computer, internet, games and guitars.

UnitingCare Adelaide East is one of the smaller missions, with only one paid member of staff and about 25 volunteers. Kym, the Executive Officer, and Vyv, a volunteer emergency relief counsellor, are pictured below right.

I was particularly pleased to visit the UnitingCare Adelaide East mission as it is located in a suburb of Adelaide called Hackney. (Indeed, its former name is the Hackney Mission, a name by which Methodism in Hackney, London has also been known.) It engages in small scale community ministry in partnership with local churches (such as Clayton Wesley which runs the Goodies Shop). This is an appropriate model for the kind of work we are doing in Hackney, London. The mission has two main types of programmes; emergency relief and counselling services. It responds to about 3,000 calls for help each year. Its services are based around six locations in the local community. Five of these are in partnership with local churches and the sixth is based with a local health service.

The volunteers come to serve for different reasons; a religious belief, a particular life experience, companionship or just wanting to help out. Cate for instance, (pictured left) is a student deacon on placement. The mission often just about survives. However, with prayerful, financial and other support from churches, businesses, grant making bodies and government sources, UnitingCare Adelaide East in Hackney has built up an exciting vision and considerable expertise. With this, it has helped to create a more inclusive local community where the skills, abilities and creativities of all the community are acknowledged and valued.

Thank you to the many people who gave me such warm hospitalitiy at the various missions and churches in Australia. Many are linked below. There are too many people to mention individually but I give a special thank you to Neville and Marilyn Stewart who welcomed me to their home in Adelaide, and to Mark, Kay, Lloyd and Jody who did the same in Brisbane.

Rev Shaun Sanders is the minister of Clapton Park and Hackney churches.