Southampton Sholing
From Sawiki
| Southampton Sholing |
 |
| Territory: United Kingdom Territory |
| Division: Southern Division |
| Opened: 1897 |
| Corps Number: 1550 |
| Location: Church Road, Sholing, Southampton |
| Current Officers: tbc |
Southampton Sholing Salvation Army Corps recently celebrated its centenary having first established a presence in Sholing back in the year of 1897. The first ever meetings were held in a house in Needles Cut (North East Road). Some meetings also took place in a cottage on the corner of Botany Bay Road and South East Road.
The first hall was built in Church Road, (now St. Monica Road) but in as a little as 30 years the congregation size had manage to outgrow the size of the building! Mr. Tom Cartridge donated land the Sholing Salvation Army Corps so that a new and bigger hall could be built. The new building which consisted of a worship hall and a secondary hall was opened on Saturday 1st September 1928 by the Right Hon. Lord Radstock C,B,E. This hall remained standing in North East Road until 2001 when yet again the population of the congregation needed more space so a highly successful building fund was set up to raise money for a New hall. The building was completed in early 2003 and was opened for its first meeting on Easter Sunday. The new hall which stands in exactly the same place as the previous hall boasts a large number of rooms and facilities catering for all different ages and people.
In addition to the growth of the adult congregation, work with the young people in the surrounding area has also blossomed. Young People's Sergeant Major (Sunday School Superintendant), "Aunt Rooney" is one of the characters remembered from the earlier years. She and her helpers had responsibilties for educating children, not just in a spirtual context, but in general matters as well. There were very many children in her Sunday School. Even today, older folk who live in the area talk about the Sholing Salvation Army Sunday School outings.
There was a line of coaches streched from the hall to the junction of North East Road and South East Road filled with young people. From the early 1970's Y.P.S.M Gloria Lewis would see about 100 children each Sunday packing the Young Peoples Hall (Rear Hall) with a further 60 children attending in the "outpost" Sunday School in Weston which Sholing Corps also operarted. There were about 30 assistants who helped in this mammoth task of teaching so many children.
Successful work with children has also meant that for most of the life of the Corps there has been a Brownie Pack, and in recent years a Guide Company. Leadership for this has been constant and caring. The present Brownie leader, Yvonne Coffin has held the position for the last 20 years and took over from "Brown Owl" Vinnie Spencer who had charge of the Brownies for an amazing 40 years! The present Brownies often bring their mums and grandmas, who were Brownies in the "6th Sholing Salvation Army Brownies", to open nights.
As well as the impact of sound Christian teaching with children and adults, Sholing Salvation Army have always in social outreach in the community that strongly continues to this day. This mean that the varied programme, consisting of spirtual teaching and general education still take place in and out of the community of Sholing Southampton, just as it did over 100 years ago.
