Callum McKenna

Interview with Callum McKenna

by Martin Whybrow

Martin Whybrow talks to our Hythe Salvation Army Church & Community Centre Corps Officer and Church Leader, Callum McKenna, as seven years of wonderful service to our community nears an end

Did you and Berri know Hythe before you joined our community and what were your first impressions? The Salvation Army has a somewhat strange system. Its leaders are, essentially, ministers of religion and are appointed where The Salvation Army thinks they’ll be of most use. In February 2014, then, we opened an envelope telling us we were moving to Hythe and, initially, thought we were moving to Southampton! Berri is originally from Kent and I’m from Merseyside so we were thrilled when we realised we’d get the best of both worlds - the Kent Countryside and the sea.

When we arrived in Hythe, the then Town Mayor, the late Alan Smith, said that he was thrilled at our arrival because we’d lowered the average age of the town… I guess Hythe is an ancient Cinque Port after-all! It’s true that Hythe is a town steeped in traditions, but lots of those traditions are vibrant and living. We were quick to learn that Hythe is a community which takes looking out for one another, people and places, seriously. Our first impressions are the same as our lasting impressions: Hythe is warm, reliable and welcoming.

What have been your main projects and what are you most proud of? Our lives are an incredibly eclectic mix of activities. One minute we’ll be doing the ‘Vicary’ type stuff of being a Salvation Army Officer: leading Church Services, life events such as funerals and weddings, providing pastoral support to members of the congregation. The next minute we’ll have our sleeves rolled up putting together food parcels or disinfecting toys ready for the toddler groups. One of the best things about being a Salvation Army Officer is being available to respond to whatever is going on the community and finding new and innovative ways of serving others. This probably has led to some of the things I’m most proud of from our time in Hythe - especially the Community Sponsorship Project with a Syrian Refugee Family.

Can you tell us a bit about this project? Some Hythe Life readers might remember the newspaper front pages in September 2015 which showed the horrific image of the lifeless body of Alan Kurdi - the toddler who drowned in the Mediterranean as his family fled the Syrian civil war. It brought into sharp focus the plight of many refugees and I think came particularly pertinent for Hythe Residents because of our proximity to the migrant camps of Northern France. Our phone lit up with members of the community wanting to do something to help those fleeing the conflict and we were inundated with kind offers of blankets and clothing and food. We were involved in delivering some of this to charities working in Calais but I remember thinking that it was all just a drop in the ocean and that we’d love to do something much more permanent.

Not long after that, the then Home Secretary, Teresa May, announced a government pledge to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK by 2020 and launched a scheme to allow community groups to take a lead on this and to welcome a refugee family to their local area. This was like a spark to touchpaper for local folk in Hythe. A group of local residents, churches and other organisations came together to make the plans to make it happen in our area.

Hythe residents were so generous! We found and furnished a house, raised the necessary funds and put in place a resettlement plan consisting of all the health, education and befriending support that a family would need to rebuild their lives in the UK. In 2019, Hythe then became the first group in Kent to welcome a family consisting of a mother, father and three young children. The journey with the family, and with the resettlement team, over the last two years has been incredible. The family have done really well: their lives have been transformed but they have also set about transforming our local community too and have made a really positive difference, either through mentoring young asylum seekers or getting involved with Bake Sales organised by their school’s PTA.

And what about the last 18 months and the challenges of COVID? COVID has, like for everyone, meant significant changes, especially as most of our work involves gathering lots of people to chat inside! Some of what we do has been adapted for 'Online' including church services and sing-alongs and story times for toddlers on Zoom. People make an effort to check up on older people and more vulnerable members of the community.

Some things, however, simply can't take place in a virtual world and, most notably, this has been the foodbank. The work of the foodbank has skyrocketed in the last twelve months as people from the community have found themselves in precarious financial situations due to COVID and its economic effects and have thus found themselves needing some support, which we're thrilled to be able to offer. Prior to the first national lockdown, our foodbank supported an average of four households per week. This past twelve months have seen that move closer to twenty households and some weeks it can touch thirty: many of whom never imagined they'd need to use a foodbank

That said, COVID has also seen Hythe at its typical best as people have pulled together and responded effectively and generously. The work of organisations, volunteers, charities and the council under the ‘Community Support Hub’ spearheaded by Age UK Hythe and Lyminge is testament to that and we’ve been thrilled to play a small part. Hythe residents often tell us that ‘It’s not Christmas until they’ve heard The Salvation Army band on the High Street’. Last Christmas was a Christmas like no other, for all of us, but it’ll probably be one of my favourite Hythe Christmases. Working with others, including Age UK, St. Leonards Church, the Rotary Club, the Town Council, Romney Marsh Day Centre and local schools, amongst others, over 350 local children in need received Christmas presents and 200 residents a hot Christmas dinner. These are the sorts of things that happen when a community pulls together, and we place on record our thanks to the Hythe Life Readers who have supported these initiatives.

What is next for the McKenna family and can you introduce us to your successor, Susan? We arrived in Hythe a couple, and leave as a four! We’re swapping the countryside for the city as we prepare to take up teaching posts at The Salvation Army’s Training College in Camberwell, South London and we’ll be playing a role in training new Salvation Army officers. We’re thrilled that following us to Hythe is Sue Shorland-Compton with her husband, David. Sue comes to Hythe with a wealth of experience as a Royal Airforce Veteran, a professional musician and a registrar. We know she’ll love living, working, and contributing to the community as much as we have.

Any final words of farewell? I don’t want to get all preachy (our congregation have enough of my sermonising!) but I wonder if your readers would indulge me for my final words!? There’s a bit in the Bible where the Apostle Paul writes a letter to a group of people and he starts it with the line, ‘Every time I think of you, I thank my God’. I think this sums up, so much, our words of farewell to Hythe. Every time we think of Hythe in the future - the people, faces, places, generosity, kindness and welcome - we’ll do so with an enormous sense of gratitude and thankfulness at all that we’ve experienced and learned in our time here.

The Rotary Million Steps Challenge

We are coming out of lockdown by giving ourselves a challenge. We know that all charities have had a drain on their funds during this pandemic. Our challenge is to raise funds by asking ten Rotarians to walk a total of one million steps over ten days, starting on 21 June 2021.

Our first challenge is to raise funds for the Hythe and Saltwood Branch of the Royal British Legion, which is celebrating its Centennial this year.

Whatever we raise in this challenge will go to the Royal British Legion Poppy appeal. None of us can wait for later in the year, the money is wanted now to help those in need.

Full details of when, where and who will be participating in this challenge will be shown on our website at www.hythe-rotary.com, and on our Facebook page. Please watch them for the details about how to contribute through our “Just Giving” app. Posters will also appear in the town and High Street.

Please give generously. Many families and individuals are going through difficulties no one expected. They need your help, so please support this Challenge.

Rotary understands the long term impact a virus can have, for decades we have worked internationally to eradicate Polio. We are now close to that achievement and have just contributed £2,000 to the fund to make the final push.

We know, though, that all aspects of life need support and so we continue to support as many charities as we can. We have contributed £500 each to the McMillan Nurses, and Marie Curie cancer charities and £200 to the Scouts for their Scavenger hunt.

During Lockdown we have been working on several projects which we will launch over the coming months.

They include exploring how we can welcome newcomers to Hythe, working closely with Brockhill Park Performing Arts College and the students through our THYNK project. This will include helping students gain work experience in this changing world.

We also plan to work with the HUB on vaccine rollout and running a free family “Thank You” day for all volunteers, when we are free to do so.

Plans are also being made to run some competitions which we hope will increase footfall into the High Street.

Please follow us on our Facebook page, and you will find all details of all activities on our website at www.hythe-rotary.com. You do not have to be a member to join us in any activity you find of interest. Just contact us.

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