Words by Jodie Powell
The Redcliffe Uniting Church’s gift to the Peninsula community officially opens at the end of this month.
Senior Minister the Reverend Paul Clark says the Redcliffe Uniting Community Hub will bring more support services to the region and create a sense of community.
“It’s an integrated service centre, a place where community service providers can locate on the Peninsula,” he says.
The Hub will offer a range of services including counselling, NDIS support, foster parent support and an onsite training café, Fils Your Cup.
“It’s going to have a fenced playground right next to the café so you can watch and supervise your kids and have a coffee.”
Gift of support
Paul says the Hub brings to life the vision of the congregation, with most of the $5 million cost of the new centre coming from church funds.
“We see it as a bit of a gift to the community.
|“Kudos to the congregation because they could have used their resources to look after themselves.|
“They’ve followed the vision of Jesus, who was all about caring for people.”
Among the groups that will call the Hub home are a playgroup, seniors’ group, meditation group and men’s breakfast group, adding to a sense of connection.
Paul says most integrated centres are run by councils or government and while they provide a range of important services, what they lack is a sense of community.
Creating connections
“It’s a place where people can come and find support, but also community,” he explains.
“Sometimes people need a nice healthy community around them.
“We can see there’s lots of isolated people, lonely people and there’s a lot of mental health issues.
“Being part of a community where people know you can make a difference.”
Paul says the Hub has caught the attention of the Uniting Church as a whole and Uniting Care is exploring to rolling the model out across Queensland.
“It’s very cutting edge – the Uniting Church is looking at us and seeing this as a new model for doing church.”
Join the celebrations
An official worship service will be held on July 24 from 9am to bless the new Hub and a community open day will be held on July 30 from 9am-2pm.
Paul says there’s loads of attractions planned for the community day.
“We’ll have a jumping castle, animal farm, face painting, entertainment from schools and dance groups, food trucks and a treasure hunt with showbag prizes for the kids.
“There’s lots of things to come and enjoy, but you can also find out what services are available.”
The Redcliffe Uniting Community Hub is at 1 Richens St, Redcliffe.
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