Ali Middleton reflects on the ReSource weekend in Oldham…
The weekend was really good and inspiring. We were warmly welcomed at the Village Inn, once we found it. Friday evening we met up at the Eden centre and were reminded of the forgotten 5% of UK. This was brought home by a map showing the pattern of poverty by Jenga blocks and glass beads. Andrew spoke about his life in Leeds and the importance of noticing where God is already working and pointing it out to people.
On Saturday we met Shaun and Neil who were ex drug addicts and told of their lives on Drugs and the effect it had on them. It was very moving and fantastic to see how they lives had changed through people they had met. We also met Wendy who is on the Eden team. In the afternoon we walked around the Fitton Hill estate and chatted to some of the locals. We then met in Chris’ garden for tea and indepth discussion of the things which had touched us and the questions we had.
Sunday, over pastries, in Chris’ lounge we listened to Laura as she told us about the Health Centres that she and the company she had set up in Fitton Hill and other estates. How focus care has had an amazing effect on the community. We went to a service at Openshawe, another Eden Project, and were warmly wecolmed.
Overall it was an inspiring weekend.