Diocesan News
Putting Young People back on Track in Greenisland
Greenisland Railway Station, once a magnet for anti-social behaviour, is now home to a project aiming to put young people back on the right track.
The Realway Drop-In Centre is an initiative of Greenisland Parish Church as part of GRASP – the Greenisland Railway Adopt a Station Project.
Every Wednesday and Saturday night, youth workers Rachel Kirker and Alan Wright, best known as Arf, welcome young people into a Portacabin beside the ticket office.
The Rev Paul Lyons, rector of Greenisland, said: “We chose to locate the project at the station because that’s where young people have gathered for drinking, drugs and other anti-social behaviour.”
The project received funding totalling £94,000 from Children in Need.
Greencastle Railway Station attracts up to 30 young people on a Saturday night. Many will call into the Portacabin. Rachel said: “They are quite responsive to us being there. They are not allowed to drink in the Portacabin but they come in because we have a Wii, laptops and food for them. It is somewhere they can come, listen to music and have a chat.”
Arf and Rachel also organise projects to get the young people more involvedl.
The drop-in centre has the support of Northern Ireland Railways and the PSNI, and has met a positive response from the station neighbours.
“It has been a big change for many of the teenagers,” said Paul. “We see a lot of family breakdown and children with very little parental guidance. Many of the kids who come to the station are wondering what they can do with their life, how they can get a job. An initial stage of the project is getting to know the kids, getting them to think about work and sharing the good news about Christ.”
The project was the idea of Greenisland parishioners Sam and Isy Steel who had a vision to bring God’s word to young people.
For further information please contact:
Connor Diocesan Communications Officer
Contact Details
Karen Bushby
028 4066 0798
07766103880
[email protected]