Ten years since Message 2000: Local communities transformed
Looking back on ten years since Message 2000…
Message 2000 was a kick-start for several new churches and community organisations, including G-Force, a charity working with children, young people and families on the Broomwood estate in South Trafford.
The four-day focus on social action activities during Message 2000, served to highlight the needs in Broomwood and identified Paul and Tina Huxley, leaders of a local Christian youth group, as community action entrepreneurs.
Tina explains: ‘For Message 2000, we had 100 volunteers come into the area to do projects focussing on cleaning up the woods, shifting rubbish, planting flower beds and cleaning round the youth centre, with a big fun day to close. I think it highlighted the big issues on the estate which we knew were there but this really brought them into the light.’
It seemed natural for the couple to set up a community association, involving parents and local residents. This led to God opening doors up for them supporting needy individuals and families; special courses in local schools; adult education classes and groups for the elderly; an arts and crafts drop-in in Altrincham town centre, and a community cafe in the heart of the Broomwood.
Most recently, the group has been involved in a consultation and fundraising with local young people to redevelop local park land.
In just ten years, G-Force has won several prestigious awards for its pioneering work, and has become a magnet for funding from local authorities and businesses. What started as a small youth group surviving on revenues from the tuck-shop on a Saturday night now supports five full time staff and a host of part-time people in face-to-face contact with over 900 children and young people a year.
‘You realise there are certain milestones in the development of G-Force and one of those was Message 2000 and all those guys coming in,’ reflects Paul.
‘The impression they made and the impact within the hearts of the people in the community was huge – they didn’t just change the environment but there was a sea-change in the way local people looked upon Broomwood as the place where they lived. They saw how it could change and the assets that were there but were being overlooked – like the woods.
‘It was inspirational for the community and inspirational for other agencies working here too, one of whom gave us a grant to put a beautiful fence up around the woods, saying “Broomwood Community Woods”. They suddenly realised, hey, we can do stuff here. It all came from Message 2000.’