Pecan - the Peckham Churches Action Network

PECAN believe passionately in their responsibility to act as a voice for the Church and be an  outworking of a commitment to the disadvantaged. Through faithful provision of a range of services PECAN have seen one of the most powerful and effective techniques - enabling those they have helped be a picture of hope for others...

The background

Where can you go if you’ve got a criminal record but want to find a job? Who is there to help if you’ve fled to the UK for safety but can’t speak English? Who will be there for you if someone you love is sent to prison and your life is thrown into turmoil? In South London the answer to these questions is PECAN - the Peckham Churches Action Network.

The charity began back in the late eighties when local church members wanted to do something practical to ease the unrest and violence being demonstrated in the Peckham riots. Even then it was innovative in its approach and today it is recognised as being an example of best practice and is invited to shape government strategy. So how did it go from a small group of Christians keen to show God’s love to their community to such an influential charity?

The need - employment

At the time of the Peckham riots in 1985, many estates in the community were no-go areas. Postmen reputedly threw their letters over the walls, not daring to enter; even the police wouldn’t go in. But the churches of Peckham looked at the heart of the matter – the high level of unemployment in the community which stood at a huge 27% of the population. They wanted to do something practical but their first attempt didn’t meet with much success. They tried to open a laundrette to employ local people but a few months later it was shut down after staff members were threatened with violence. Instead of being put off, they went back to basics and started again with an employment preparation course. There was nothing similar around at the time and a few members of staff and a group of volunteers from the church went round knocking on every single door of the estates, asking if anyone was unemployed and would like some help getting into employment. 

The growth

They then used the skills readily available in their churches and began to help people prepare CVs, showed them where to look for jobs, ran through interview techniques and helped with numeracy and language skills. They even started motivational training for those who had never had a job in their lives. Over the next 10 years PECAN grew from a group of volunteers to a staff of 100 people and contributed to unemployment in the area falling from 27% to 10% - quite a dramatic impact by anyone’s standards. As funding and staff grew, so too did the remit of what PECAN could achieve. They sought out the groups that no one else was looking out for, particularly those that were viewed as too challenging and financially difficult to work with.

Now they run programmes that support ex-offenders, helping them reintegrate into society when they are released from prison, and find work despite their criminal record. A recent programme with over 400 ex-offenders saw a massive 70% go back into employment or onto further education (almost double what other similar programmes have achieved). PECAN also work with the families of offenders – a group sometimes forgotten about and who often have no idea where to turn when someone they love is sent to prison. Volunteers work in court and as soon as a sentence is passed they are able to support the family, explain the system and help them begin to deal with the situation.

Another group they work with are the long-term unemployed, equipping them with life skills and increasing their self-confidence. Young people who are not in education, employment or training are also a target for PECAN’s help, with courses aimed at helping them get qualifications outside of the school system. Refugees and asylum seekers can come to PECAN for help with learning English, help orientating them to life in the UK and support that enables them to find work and become contributing members of the community.

The passion - and the challenge of new needs

As the expertise needed has grown, the staff has changed at PECAN, but the local churches are still very much a part of the work. After a survey of 600 members of the local community in the summer of 2009, one need that became clear was for food for those in emergency situations. The churches set up a Food Bank in response to cover the three days it can take before Social Services can arrange a long term solution.

Another obvious need highlighted through the survey was that people need to find a sustainable way out of poverty. PECAN Director, Ben Stansfield, says “Our intention has always been more than just getting people into jobs. We understand this is just one facet of a person’s life and we need to address the broader needs of individuals. Our passion is for transformation of their whole life – we know that to sustain change, each individual needs to have their physical, spiritual and emotional needs met.”

Offering pictures of hope

When looking to the future, Ben acknowledges there is an enormous level of need, “There are huge challenges to be faced but we passionately believe that as the church we need to get stuck in with our communities no matter what obstacles we face. It is our responsibility to act as a voice for the church and be a visible presence for Christians as we take an active approach to engaging with the disadvantaged in our communities. There aren’t any quick fixes but there is hope. We employ a number of people who started off in need of our services themselves. One of the great things about that is they become a picture of hope to anyone walking through the door. Often when people come to us they are at a very low point in their life, lacking in confidence and bereft of hope. When they talk to someone who has sat where they have sat but who has changed their life, it gives them hope that their life can be turned around too.”

Inspired? Thinking about doing something similar in your community? Here’s some advice from PECAN about things they’ve learned over the years:

• Start small with what you know you can do and don’t expect to achieve everything overnight.
• Take some time to work out what the needs are in your community and what God is calling you to do about them. Get specific, set realistic objectives and keep checking you are in line with God’s plans.
• Make sure your team share the vision and passion of the project. You need people to own and drive it, otherwise it will fall by the wayside.
• Hold on to things lightly and constantly give them back to God. The time and energy you are giving should be first and foremost be given as service and worship to God.
• Don’t walk away! It probably won’t be easy and there will be challenges along the way, but stay committed even when things are tough.
• See the potential in everyone who walks through your door.
• Network – find out who else is doing things in your area, learn from them, partner with them, learn from their mistakes and copy what works without replicating what they are already doing.
• Never forget that you can make a huge impact! There is tremendous potential within the church - if we can overcome some of our human hurdles we really can be a part of transforming our communities.

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Would your church value help from Tearfund to consider how it can become God’s hands and feet in your local community? The Discovery course is a practical process, led by skilled practitioners to help you maximise the strengths and aspirations of your church. Find out more at Discovery.