OPEN DOOR REOPENS

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33612, 14 August 1974, Page 16

OPEN DOOR REOPENS

Regular patrons of, the Open Door who have been without a “home”: for the last eight weeks: trooped into its new premises at 266 Cashel Street last evening for a reunion around tele-! vision and over the pool, table and hot tea. The Open Door opened to! customers again on Monday after a concentrated eight weeks of rebuilding, renovating. and painting the interior of the former motorcycle showroom and workshop. Word is circulating among' the regulars that "the place”! ■is open again, and since: Monday they have been appearing in ones and twos to 'look the new property over,! 'bringing with them a few; I articles to decorate the: 'walls. “What they do not bring to cover the walls now they I • will decorate with oil-paint-' ed motifs later,” Captain P. J. Lloyd, supervisor at the Open Door said yesterday. Last evening the first hot meal was served in the new I premises — from an

', enlarged and improved kitchen. It became the occasion , |for an unofficial house- | warming — television, table j tennis, pool, music, and ■ noisy camaraderie. ‘MORE HOMELY’ I "We are happy with the, I place,” Mr Lloyd said. Low-: :ered ceilings, a carpeted 'floor, and warm colours •made the split-level building more homely than the last, 1 he said. It was also easier to keep clean. Firms and service groups; gave about $BOO worth of materials, among them an electric fire, two electric ovens, $5O of carpet, plaster and chipboard, hardware, and paint and carpet pieces. “Our only disappointment is the activities room,” Mr Lloyd said. "It is a bit small.” • Band equipment formerly; :used in the bandroom at the I old Open Door is being stor-; ed. There is no room for it! in the new premises. With the new premises will! come a new emphasis — on' drawing patronage from a wider range of groups. “We have a reputation for; looking after the roughs,” Mr Lloyd said. “We don’t! want to lose this, but we 1

can get too clubby. The tone of- the place needs changing. “It is good for the guys to mix with a wider circle. Some of these fellows come alive when they get a chance to carry a baby round.” As a beginning for the ; new trend, mothercraft classes will begin at the Open Door on Friday. It is hoped to encourage along solo mothers, and anyone wanting food, company, and something to do. TWO SHIFTS The new building will no longer be the centre stage for operations. The eight hours staff formerly spent at the Open Door will be split into two shifts — one fourhour shift at the centre; the other four in the Square, at court, visiting contacts in their flats, at reformatories, and in prisons. This kind of work was always done in the past, but the restructured time-table had given staff more time to spend on it than before, Mr Lloyd said.

However the Open Dccr 'will always be staffed, I although it will not now open at 10 a.m. on week'days, but at noon.

■ “In the Open Door — i because we have to be rej sponsible for the property’ | — we have to be authoriitarian, and this is the only basis on which the kids iknow us,” said a social worker, Mr P. Askin. "If we are really going to know the kids it has to be on their own ground where we have not the advantage over 'them.” VISITATION A new service will begin — visitation of regular customers if they are admitted to hospitals or become inmates of prisons, and a new development will be followed up. While the centre was closed regular customers began attending city churches. Staff will work to continue the association. Mr Lloyd said. Attempts are being made to provide more training classes for voluntary workers, and the content of present courses in social work is being revised.

More courses on social work may be introduced into the curricula offered at the Christchurch Technical Institute,