Author Archives: dawnriser

Tough for Restore

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Housing graphicIn March this year ten of the tenants who live in the houses provided by the charity Restore had their housing benefit reduced. They were no longer able to pay their full rent, threatening the viability of the charity.

There followed a long wrangle with the council on their behalf and of those making subsequent claims. At one point we were on the brink of making twenty six formerly homeless people, homeless again.

The board of directors calculated we needed an immediate in ejection of £20,000 to keep going. In our board meeting we prayed for the money. After circulating a letter to our supporters and appearing in the local media we had exceeded our target by five thousand pounds. It was truly amazing to witness the generosity and goodwill towards the charity, mainly from individuals and churches in the city.

Negotiations with the benefits department of the council were fruitless. We had to go to a benefits tribunal by supporting one of or tenants in a sort of test case. We won and the council eventually agreed to reinstate all the benefits as a result. It had been a long and anxious process for everyone involved. It is sad to think that or expansion plans had to be put on hold and money diverted to pay the legal costs of the tribunal; costs that the council is under no obligation to meet despite them losing the case.

Newspaper article about the tribunal victory

From the York Press

We have just appointed staff to two new posts so that my joint founder, Ed, can take a sabbatical with his young family, in New Zealand. So next year is already presenting new challenges!

Tough at Church

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St Michael le Belfrey in moonlight

St Michael le Belfrey, York

Barrie became a churchwarden at St Michael le Belfrey this year, a year that has seen some difficult changes in the church. A review of staffing brought some pain to the people working in the Parish Centre. There is still some misunderstanding surrounding these changes as two people leave the staff at the end of the year.

A decision to close one of the Sunday congregations has left a number families disenfranchised. Some have reluctantly left the church. Its been a sad and highly contentious time. There have been some heated meetings and its still not clear how things will work out.

These are just two of the things that have presented some tough times for the church wardens, PCC and clergy.

There have been some good times as well. Stories of salvation, healing and growth through the pain are being born out of experience. We have welcomed a new Associate Minister, Greg Downes, and enjoyed the close friendship of people in our two small groups.

So 2015 will be a challenge to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and to focus our mission on reaching out to the communities in which we live and serve.

 

Is this it?

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iPads displaying digistories logoBarrie facilitated two digital storytelling events in 2014. One for the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust on a new housing development in York called Derwenthorpe. New and old residents of the area told stories of about living in and near this new and, at times, controversial development.

The second was at the Riding Lights Summer Theatre School, where participants told stories loosely based around the anniversary of World War One on the theme Peace… Break it or Keep it

Those workshops may be the last from the digistories business I set up in 2005. I’m reluctant to say “That’s it”, but I think it is.

Joan has continued to work at The Yorkshire Museum and The Castle Museum as an Educational Facilitator but she has put down co-ordinating pastoral visiting at the church because of the demands of supporting Warwick through his illness. Having the time to be with him is more important to us at the moment.

Round and Round

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Tinsel decorating a Yellow Bicycle

The Tour de France meets Christmas

In July the Grand Depart came to Yorkshire as the county hosted the start of the Tour de France. We decorated our street with yellow bunting and yellow bikes as the whole region rose to the occasion and celebrated the world’s greatest cycling event.

The Claremont Terrace street party was just one of the many parties and events staged in York. Cycling mania gripped the region. Hundreds of new bikes were sold and thousands dusted off their wheels and pedalled off into the sunset.

Barrie and Joan at the end/start of the Hadrian's Wall Cycleway

Joan and I loaded our cycles onto the train and set out for Cumbria, and the the start of the Hadrian’s Wall Cycleway. Crossing the Pennines we headed for Tynemouth following the northern limits of the ancient Roman Empire. A challenging but enjoyable three day ride to raise funds for Restore.

Away Days

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IMG_0024.JPGTen days in Madeira in May were refreshing except for the daily anxiety of checking up on Warwick. All the same we did lots of walking, eating good food and chilling in the sun.

 

 

 

We spent many happy days in Chelmsford with Alex and Emily. This year they moved into Junior and Infant School respectively.

Alex and Emily with scooters at Fountain Abbey

Alex and Emily at Fountains Abbey

They both came to stay with us again in the summer and we did a round of adventure playgrounds at Fountains Abbey, Lotherton Hall Bird Sanctuary and the National Railway Museum. There may have been ornamental gardens, ornithological rarities and ancient locomotives too, but they all took second place to zip wires, swings and forts!

 

Cold and sheltering in The Valley Gardens

Picnic in the Valley Gardens on a typical August Bank Holiday

It was a typically English Summer when the rain rained and the sun  hid itself away. So out came the winter coats when we visited the Valley Gardens in Harrogate.

 

Back to Claremont News 2014 

Back further to Claremont News 2013