The Well Multi-Cultural Resource Centre

We’re just about to turn 25!!

Our hope is to the make the next year a year of mini events that will celebrate our Silver Anniversary starting with a Chai & Chat celebration with local women from all backgrounds on the 26th March.

This will be the launch of our Chai & Chat at home events.  No matter where in the country you are, you could have a Chai & Chat at home to both celebrate the 25 years and make our work more widely known.  (Would be amazing if we could have 25 Chai & Chats for 25 years . . . . watch this space as to how you can be involved)

Last week I accompanied a young woman to an appointment. We were early and so decided to have an ice-cream. She was so happy, and told me that she’d not had an ice-cream ‘outside’ in five years. She’d been little more than a servant in her marital home, but things have changed and now she is able to enjoy being outside!

On Tuesday of this week Jan spent ages trying to help a young man access his wages – which were now on a card, but he couldn’t pass the security to validate the card with his most recent salary amount, which he didn’t have. Finally on Wednesday he was able to get the information he needed, passed security and was a very happy young man. He said to Dougie “I’ll buy you a coffee!”

Yesterday Jaan was helping a young family who were in deep distress – I happened to be in the same office. Jaan did an amazing job of helping the young woman work through her anxiety. Later I said to the woman “Our Injil (gospel) says that we are not to worry about tomorrow, as each day has enough trouble of its own.” We discussed how at times we worry about things but actually we have no idea how they are going to turn out! I then asked her “so what is your worry for today?” She was silent for a few seconds, looked at me, smiled and said “honestly since I’ve been in here I feel my worries have gone and I just feel hope and peace!” I laughed, hugged her and said “I think your worry for today is “what am I going to give those kids for their dinner?” She burst out laughing and said “that’s exactly what I was thinking!”

There you go it’s just another week in The Well . . . if there’s such a thing! But we’ve got a real and urgent problem! These stories can only happen because of our dedicated team of wonderful volunteers, but we don’t have enough volunteers to cover all the shifts at the minute. Recently three of our volunteers moved away, or have family commitments and are no longer available, so we’ve lost cover for SIX shifts! Whilst the rest of the team has been willing to fill in the gaps as they can, that is not sustainable and for the first time in over 24 years we are looking at having to temporarily reduce the number of advice sessions, at the same time as the needs are growing.
Please pray about this and ask God to send us the right volunteers to fill in the gaps.

But it’s not just in the advice part that we’re struggling:-( Bubbles – our mother and toddler group – currently has no volunteers to work with Penny in the new session. No volunteers, means no Bubbles! The priority for Bubbles is the relationships that are built with the women and we know from the comments they make, that this is a vital service and part of our work – so another urgent prayer request for you!

Please get in touch if you want more information, or feel this might be for you!

For the past year we have benefited from Sarah’s help with our funding applications.

Sarah fitted in quickly and easily to the team, and we certainly benefitted from her youthful enthusiasm, confidence and marketing experience.

So we were disappointed when Sarah got a new job, which meant she would no longer have the time to commit to The Well.  We are thrilled for her, knowing that she was looking for a new challenge in her professional life, but we do feel her lose very keenly!

It does mean that we are once again having to look at how we manage the fundraising side of the work.  Penny is able to commit one day a week, but we do need more than that, and just now we are considering a team approach – perhaps a group of volunteers who would be able to help out a couple of hours per week or month?

Recently we were given funding from St Margaret’s Scottish Episcopal Church in Newlands to run a parenting class for some of our Mums.

Since April we have been meeting every Wednesday morning in Govanhill Free Church, with a group of mums primarily from a Pakistani background, but also one Romanian mum was referred to us from The Space, a local agency that we share a common ethos with.

We have covered such subjects as “looking after yourself” “the importance of words” “boundaries” “listening” “play” and much more.

It was lovely every week to have Gail and Ailsa look after the children, and Shaida doing both the hospitality and translation as required.

I’m pretty sure that the children’s favourite thing was the messy play every week!

The mums thoroughly enjoyed our sessions and we had a special time today, encouraging them to build good memories with their children.

For the past 15 months we have been blessed to have had Ellen Cooke seconded from Interserve Scotland and Ireland, to help with our admin work in The Well.

As Ellen’s role in Interserve will come to an end with Interserve Scotland and Ireland merge their England and Wales counterparts to form Insterserve GBI, Ellen’s job will come to an end, and with her own family commitments she will no longer be able to work with us.

So! From the 1st May we are looking to recruit a part time admin worker.  Our admin post is a unique role!(The Well is a unique place!) It doesn’t easily fit into the traditional admin type of work – that is included of course, but there’s more to it than that, it has been described as a “very bitsy role” from ensuring the rota is covered for every shift, to making posters, from writing thank you letters to giving a listening ear to volunteers. (That just happens!)  The person will be an important member of the team of paid and volunteer staff, based in The Well.

Any interested person can request further information from Rhoda at The Well and should contact rho.yar@thewell.org.uk to request the job description and further information.  Application will be by  CV and a task to be submitted by 5:00 on Monday 3rd April.