Registered Slum Survivor Event
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Church Name:
Station Hill Baptist Church, Dayspring Church and Sheldon Road Methodist Church, Chippenham Wiltshire!

Church Contact:
Andy Levett

Pre event info
When did the Slum Survivor event happen?
28th - 29th October 2007

What type of Slum Survivor event was it?
We're held a Slum Survivor Weekend

How many people were involved?
About 22!

Post event info:
What happened?
At the end of October, our MATRIX[reloaded] youth group took up the SLUM SURVIVOR challenge and spent just over 24 hours slumming it! Our slum was created in the churchyard of St Andrew's in Chippenham town centre where we were joined by our friends from Dayspring church and Sheldon Road Methodist Church. Up at the other end of the town, in the shadow of another church spire, the youth of St Paul's created Chippenham's second temporary slum.

Saturday morning was drizzly and grey but once a lorry load of pallets turned up (courtesy of the nice people at Jewson!) we got stuck in to constructing the roof over our heads. The weekend's kit list was also a very basic one and all had to have their bag inspected to ensure there were no luxury items present - mobile phones, chocolate bars and cash all banned! Once the shelters were up, polythene sheets fixed tightly over the top of each one; water was boiled and our first rice and lentil meal was prepared, seasoned with a little salt 'borrowed' from the chip shop!

During the afternoon we played football against our fellow slum dwellers from St Paul's (sadly losing 2-0!) and then returned 'home' to cook more rice and lentils and make some renovations to our shelters that were being tested by the persistent rain!

One of the memorable moments for me was crowding into one of the shelters to read the Bible together (from Matthew 5). As we talked about the passage and shared thoughts, I was really struck by the fact that so many people (a billion say the UN) actually live like this. Statistics easily trip off the tongue but living even just a little of it did concentrate the mind.

As darkness descended on our slum and the rain stopped many of the group turned in for bed (even though it was only 8.30pm!) and others of us stood watching as people walked past on their way to the takeaway, restaurant and pub. We suddenly felt quite cut off from the world and unable to do anything about it except watch as others enjoyed a night out.

It was encouraging throughout the weekend to have a good number of folks stop and ask us what we were doing - and to have friends visit us to show their support. We had some really good conversations with passers by, including one with some local guys who are currently homeless as well as others who were very keen to part with a tenner when they realized what we were doing it all for.

We were much blessed by the weather overnight (dry and not too cold!) and we were pleased to report to those who thought we might 'attract some trouble' in the early hours that it was a quiet night.. well, except for the church clock up above us striking every quarter of an hour!

We woke bright and early (early anyway!) and prepared breakfast (rice and lentils) which was not taken up by quite so many of the slum dwellers first thing in the morning! After a short time of reflection and prayer together we dismantled our shelter - transporting one to the Neeld Hall for Sunday morning worship.

As we arrived at church it felt like we had really achieved something - and of course we had! As a guy walking his dog late on Saturday night said "even if you help one person by doing this you've done something really important". and more than that I hope we have not only helped but been changed ourselves and caused others to stop and think about the other people's lives - around the world as well as right here in our community.

As for the money: we raised over £1,600 which was divided between Soul Action and Doorway (our local charity working with homelessness in North Wiltshire - www.doorwayproject.org.uk)

Want to update this page with stories, more info, pictures and other ideas? Then email info@soulaction.org with your requests and we'll get right on it!


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