Placement Information

Hope Church is a Christian based community group based in Clifton, on Farnborough Road. It relies on mainly volunteers to enable them to offer these activities to the community. Hope Church offer not just a wide range of activities but also support missions around the world to help other communities, such as helping a Pastor in India in his work, of building a Church in Calcutta. I think that this placement is a good choice for someone to make if their interested in working alongside children and a community. Through the availability of different aspects it enables a deeper understanding of how crucial places, such as Hope Church, are to a community.

Their aim for their children, family and young people's work is to improve the quality of life for the children and community in socially deprived areas of Nottingham. They are currently focused on Clifton and Aspley. They are engaged with the local community and offer range of activities to build the children's self esteem, provide good role models and steer the children away from gang culture. The children and youth clubs run from 1-2 hours and cater for 20 to 40+ children. They allow free time and organised activities such as sport, craft, drama, cooking and musical activities. They can socialise with adults and their peers.

Hope Church offer a wide variety of activities, which range from all ages, such as the following:

Children's and Youth Work:

• Lunch time club in an Aspley school- On Wednesday and Friday from 12:00-1:30pm and 3:00-4:30pm. 
  
• Lunch time club in Dovecote Primary school- On Thursday and Friday at 12:00-1:00pm.
• Excite, after school club for children aged 5-10 years old. On Thursday from 3:30-5:00pm. The afternoon club then continues from 5:00-6:30pm for children aged 10-15 years old, with the option of staying on for the Young Hope Christian Group (YHCG) which runs from 6:30-7:15pm. 
• Enthusiasm club- Works with young people in danger of exclusion from school during school hours- For children 10-15 years old- On Thursdays from 6:30-8:30pm and Friday night youth club from 7:00-9:00pm.  
• Sunday School- 10:00-12:00pm. 

Parent's and Toddler's:

• Bubbles- On Fridays from 11:00-3:00 pm.

Older People:

• Rise- a daily Lunch and Social Club for the over 60's - On Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:00-3:00 pm. 

Food Bank NG11:

• Providing Emergency Food Aid for anyone in the community - On Tuesdays and Saturdays from 09:00-11:00am.

Charity Shops:

• Providing cheap pre-used items in four shops on Clifton and Nottingham.

Accomodation

There are a wide range of hotels available to book in Nottingham, if you are not currently in accommodation in Nottingham. I would recommend accommodation in the City centre, such as a Premier Inn, due to them being in direct contact with bus routes which will connect you to the Clifton area.

There is also a Premier Inn close to the setting :

Premier Inn Nottingham South

Loughborough Road,

Ruddington,

Nottingham NG11 6LS

0871 527 8854

This hotel is about a 10 minute drive from the church and rooms are around £25 a night.

Transport

To get to Clifton there are a assortment of NCT bus routes which will take you to Farnborough Road and within walking distance of Hope Church. The NCT Navy line is the best one to get you close to the community centre. I would recommend the NCT Navy 4 bus as this runs the most frequently at every 7-10 minutes. From the City Centre this bus stop is in the main market square and will take you directly in to Clifton.

If you have a car and are planning to drive to the placement, I would suggest taking a drive to Clifton in advance, so that you know where you will be going. If you have Satnav then simply enter NG11 8JX and follow the directions given. There is a small car park at the front of the church hall that you are welcome to park in, however, it is quite small. I preferred to park on a residential street just behind the church as I found this easier.

There is currently construction work taking place in Clifton to provide an extension to the tram lines. This work should be complete by early 2015 and there will be a tram stop right next to Hope Church.

Social life

There are lots of things to do in Nottingham city centre. There is a large array of bars and restaurants and there is also a cinema and places to do ice-skating and bowling.

If you want to do something closer to the placement then there is Clifton Leisure Centre nearby which has a swimming pool an offers activities for all levels of fitness. Also close by is Clifton Playing Fields which has two grass cricket pitches, 11 football pitches, two bowling greens, an all-weather floodlit pitch and a Multi Use Games Area.

Things to do, things not to do

Things to do:

• Ensure you are punctual.
• Wear appropriate clothing and foot wear.
• If you are not able to attend then ensure you let the coordinator know.
• If you are volunteering on a Thursday and are going to be staying all day, it is probably easiest if you take some lunch with you. If not, there is a shop across the road and also a fish and chip shop that you can go and get some food from. There is tea and coffee making facilities at the church.
• Plan your route in advance- there are currently road works which will affect bus times.
• Ask before taking any photographs.
• Ensure all children follow the rules for example, respect the building and the leaders
• Respect the building and leaders

Things not to do:

• Do not Discriminate against anyone including staff and children
• Do not leave the entrance door open 

Useful Contacts

Hope Church Office- Telephone- 0115 914 4412

                                 Email- admin@hopechurchnottingham.org

Jon Ruben, Children's and Youth Coordinator- 07788 452 271

Anne Noble, St Francis Church- 0115 921 1188

Wendy White, Food bank Coordinator- email: info@cliftonng11.foodbank.org.uk

Martin Blyth, Rise Coordinator- email: martinblyth@regenerate-rise.co.uk

Before you go

I advise that you contact Jon Ruben before you go to the placement and discuss with him what sessions you would like to attend and your availability. He is very relaxed and will try and accommodate you the best he can. If you would like to help out at the Food bank, then email Wendy White and let her know that you are coming and if you need any information before hand.

Also make sure that Jon has a copy of your CRB/DBS before you go. You might need to take a copy with you to the schools if you are helping out at the lunch time clubs, if you have not got an up to date CRB/DBS then Jon will be able to get you one, using the relevant documentations.