Hanging out in a happy hub
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YOUNG people in an Inverness community are being invited to drop in at a new venture which provides a warm space to meet others, play games and enjoy a free hot meal.
The Hangout is now open every Friday afternoon at King’s Inverness, a church based in the Smithton Industrial Estate.
The building – a former fish processing factory – already hosts a range of community projects including a coffee shop and play groups.
It has now secured £6000 from Highland Council’s cost of living crisis fund to start the Friday afternoon drop-in which is aimed at S1 to S6 pupils mainly in the Culloden and Smithton area.
It is run by Sacha Jones (23), the new youth and community development worker at King’s.
She explained the Hangout aims to provide an informal gathering space particularly in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.
“After the pandemic, lots of young people were struggling to re-find their community,” she said .
“I think many were worried they were left being all alone.
“In the aftermath, they were missing the social face-to-face interaction.”
It was felt Friday afternoons would be the best time to run the venture with schools shutting at lunchtime for the weekend.
“We wanted to provide a hot meal and safe warm place where they can hang out and be together and feel invested in and welcomed,” she said.
“We will have a team around to hang out with them if they need company, or a chat one-on-one.
“They’ll have there own space at the back of our buildings to hang out, play video games, listen to music and chat. As well as having access to our café, we will offer discounts to all students.”
Sacha, who went to King’s as a youngster, has gained experience in being involved in other youth projects.
After a gap year in Canada doing a Christian leadership course, she worked as a youth and community development worker with Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) which previously pioneered the worldwide evangelistic Alpha course introducing the basics of the Christian faith.
She also helped with a programme of summer festivals for thousands of teenagers, organised by Soul Survivor, a global Christian movement based in Watford.
She stressed the aim of the new venture at King’s was “not to shove the Bible down people’s throats”.
“It is a drop in and we want people to hang out – it just happens to be in a church,” she said.
“I|f they ask questions and start a conversation that is okay but it is not the point.
“We don’t want to convert them.”
The church’s co-pastor, Sarah Dowling, agreed.
“We are a church in the community for the community,” she said. “We are a community and love one another – it is about meeting a need of the community. It all flows from that place.”
She felt that during the pandemic there had been a general assumption that young people were thriving – that everything would move online during lockdown and they would be all right. But that had not been the case.
“People need a sense of community,” she said.
Co-pastor Chris Dowling welcomed the funding from Highland Council.
“It is a great example of council/community partnership and working together,” he said.
“We see what is happening on the ground and in the community and sometimes need a bit of help to make a project work.”
