Thanks Tom!

We had the priviledge of having Tom Daggett join us for July as an intern. It was great to have him around and we thank God for him. Below is a piece he wrote about the month he spent with us. You can read more of his intern experiences here.

'In July, I had the chance to work with hope:asha and the Contextual Theology Centre on a community organising internship, in close collaboration with TELCO.

The nature of the Salvation Army in Stepney, with its focus on doing God's work in the community, meant that I had the opportunity to meet and work with people from different faiths, and of no faith, all of whom are particularly passionate about life on the Ocean Estate.

Even after my first week, I felt that I had begun to understand how shared concerns were affecting people's lives, but also of how people may not be aware that others feel the same way. My assumptions about demographic boundaries, of the place of faith institutions in twenty-first century society, and of people's readiness to consider the needs of others, were constantly challenged by the inspiring people I met both within and outside the Salvation Army.

Whilst my month chiefly meant meeting proactive members of the community, I was mindful that others don't think so positively about their situation. As such, it was good to speak also to 'normal' local residents. I think that the Salvation Army is doing brilliant work to reach out to wide-ranging social groups, and I was particularly pleased to discuss such matters with Ocean Youth Connexions, who are well-connected to the young population of the estate.

I helped to organise a youth action meeting which took place in the last week of July, in which local leaders were able to discuss the important issue of youth provisions with young people from the estate. Members of the Salvation Army in Stepney provided an important core of people, proving instrumental to the success of the meeting, and other people who I'd met in my month, such as representatives from St. Dunstan's, came along.

It's great that somebody will have the chance to work with Nick and Kerry for a year, beginning in October, and I feel privileged to have been able to lay some foundations for the work of this intern.'