New Team SCIO is a Christian youth work charity.
New Team SCIO aims to support spiritual, emotional and social development, meeting young people where they hang out through street youth work (detached work) and build more youth work opportunities from those relationships.
The areas of Govan New Team targets are in the most “deprived” five per cent in Scotland. Young people who hang out on the streets at night are mostly those facing the biggest challenges. They also have many gifts and strengths, which they do not always recognise.
New Team aims to support young people to more fully become who God made them to be. Young people know the team are Christians and ask questions about what they believe. They are looking to start a seekers group for those who want to know more.
“Many young people who hang out on the streets of Govan in the evenings face challenges at home including parental alcohol/drug abuse, mental/physical health problems or kinship care. Young people themselves begin using alcohol, drugs or underage sex between the ages of 11 and 14. They are also at high risk of being targeted by adults involved in crime.
We are alongside young people who have had many experiences of being let down, so it takes time to build trust, allowing us the privilege of speaking into their lives. We are able to share our faith in conversations on the street as questions and issues come up. Research shows that a positive relationship with an adult increases a young person’s resilience. We aim to increase the number of positive adult relationships in a young person’s life through youth work.
Prayer for young people and their families is at the core of New Team.” — Louise McMorris, project leader
