Shaun's story

Shaun is electrical engineer who lost everything when his drinking spiralled out of control.

Shaun Murphy says the local Salvation Army saved his life and without its help he wouldn’t be here today.

The 59-year-old worked and travelled all over the world in places such as South Africa and Saudi but he couldn’t beat his alcohol addiction.

He said: “I was very young, just 16, when I started drinking. I was an electrician by trade and working away from home. There was a lot of encouragement for me to drink when I was working overseas. There was no permanence for me.

“I was in relationships but they broke down, because of the nature of my work and because of my drinking. It was a vicious circle.”

In his mid-20s Shaun progressed his career and gained an HND in electrical engineering and acquired positions at home and abroad but could not settle.

He said: “I had really good jobs but I couldn’t see them through.”

On a bad day he could down a bottle of whisky or vodka.

He said: “I was absolutely wasted. It had a terrible affect on me mentally, physically and spiritually. I had no hope.”

The turning point came when Shaun lost a flat he had in England and was living rough.

He sought help from a homeless unit who suggested he move to Scotland to get the help he needed. He took their advice and came up to Edinburgh in 2006 but fared no better there. Then the Salvation Army said he should try their rehab unit at Fewster House in Greenock — and at last he found recovery.

He said: “They ran a 12-step programme of complete abstinence. It saved my life.

I would have probably ended up dead if it hadn’t been for Fewster House. I needed the support and I couldn’t get it anywhere else.”

Shaun stayed at Fewster until it closed and then a floating support service helped him secure a flat in High Street.

He’s now enjoying his life of sobriety in his new home town and his mum also moved here in 2013 after his father died.

He said: “I like the friendliness of the people. I like the scenery and the walks along the Esplanade, the Clyde Estuary and the view of the Argyll hills. It’s total peace.” 

Book Launch at the Edinburgh Prison Visitors Centre

The Edinburgh Prison Visitors Centre at HMP Edinburgh, has launched a new series of information books, written by children for children. The books are aimed at helping make visits easier and less distressing. There are three books in the series - 'Visiting Dad', 'Visiting Mum' and 'A Parents Guide'

The Scottish Government minister Aileen Campbell, Minister for Children and Young People, attended the recent launch at the Visitors Centre.

Ms Campbell MSP agreed the booklets were a fantastic idea and said: "I'd like to thank The Salvation Army and Scottish Prison Service for all their work in creating them."

The Edinburgh Prison Visitor Centre was initiated and funded by the Onward Trust and has been in operation from the early 2000’s. Firstly the WRVS managed the facility, but from mid-2004 The Salvation Army took on this contractual role in relation to the management of the centre on behalf of the Onward Trust and has been involved in this way over the last 10 years. Every year around 50,000 people, 8,000 of them children, pass through the Centre.

New Futures

In July a New Futures Project was launched. This is run by Falkirk Corps,  and provides a variety of services, including a soup kitchen, community cafe and furniture shop. The biggest help it is providing is to those who are trying to find work or needing some assistance to improve their chances of finding a job.

The project is currently operating from a unit in The Howgate Centre, Falkirk, opposite the food court, but hopes to move to the first floor of the former Co-op building on the High Street, opposite Callendar Square soon.

Louise McKnight, project manager, who runs the initiative with the help of six staff and several volunteers, said "Our aim is to help people move forward and give them a goal in life, whether it is helping them prepare a CV, advice on interview skills or taking part in a course that will make them more employable. At the moment, we are seeing around 25 people a day come through the door. Hopefully, in our new premises we will have even more space to expand what we offer."

Those using the service have free access to computers, as well as the support of the team running the project.

Courses, open to 10 people at a time, are running two and three times a week, and include elementary food hygiene, health and safety, risk assessment and safe manual handling awareness.

Louise added "If we can give someone help that gives them a better chance of getting a job that's a positive outcome". We also provide support and are working in partnership with other organisations to help with issues such as homelessness and drug and alcohol counselling."

Community MInistry that Transforms Communities

When you think of community work what immediately do you think of? Lunch clubs, the parent and toddler group, food parcels? There's probably a thousand and one examples of great community ministry that makes an impact in people's lives that provide relief from some of the ills of the modern world in Scotland.

 

One of the key aims of Mission Scotland was to raise the bar on Community work to the level of community ministry. To encourage all to see he practical needs of our communities as spiritual issues rather than simply needs to be met. Through working in our local Corps based Community programmes Mission Scotland advocates ensuring that 'Jesus turns up' in all our provision.

 

He are some of the practical things that Mission Scotland has done in this respect...

• emphasising that Community Ministry is a local issue for a local Corps meeting local needs that needs to be resourced in a timely and effective way.
• providing tools so that assesment of local need can be taken and responded to in a professional way.
• providing community welcome packs so that local information can be inserted.
• providing a yearly gathering for those involved in communtiy ministry.
• assessing who is really coming into our buildings and what their real need is.

Most importantly Mission Scotland has focused on the fact that in our community ministry there has to be a clear signpost to other provisions and - most importantly - to spiritual needs based ministry.

People within a community who are transformed individuals see their communities transformed!

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