NS - 2014-15 Spectrum Community Investment Casebook

Community Investment Casebook 2014/15

Investing in Communities

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We generated

£3.16 millionof social value

We invested £939,000in our Community Investment and Engagement programme

We attracted £460,000of external funding and support

We worked directly with

13,647 residents through 216 different projects

We work with150different partner organisations

We helped 660 households with their benefit claims and raised

£2,979,972 of extra income for our residents through this support

50 families were supported through the Dorset Families Matter project

Our Residents contributed 2649 hoursof volunteer time through involvement in the governance structures of Spectrum

2142 people benefitted from our NHOs who delivered 39 projects and spent £12.7k

132 residents joined the Growing Spaces project

42 young people got involved in conservation activities through our Green Army initiative

99 residents are regularly involved in Residents’ Associations, Community Forums and Spectrum Residents’ Groups

residents were supported to get online and improve their digital skills

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Pathways & Employment TrainingDuncan Breckell

Pathway ProgrammeEmployment, training and skills

Our Pathway Programme involves an eight week unpaid work placement for unemployed residents, followed by the opportunity for a six month paid placement within the business and a number of other companies. 2014/15 was the second year of the programme.

25 people finished the programme in 2014/15, and 13 progressed into employment. We also helped two residents into work through short term work experience and job application help. Our work on the programme delivered a net benefit of £207,606 of social value.

Building on our success with Jewson last year, the policy of offering employment and training opportunities to unemployed residents was incorporated into the procurement process and now forms part of the tender scoring for suppliers.

We also received £50,000 of funding from the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership in 2014/15 to expand the programme into external companies in Dorset. That funding has been rolled over into 2015/16 and placements will be delivered with Siemens and Care South.

In 2015/16 we have 26 placements across Spectrum group locations. Employment and Skills Plans are now used on Spectrum developments and we will be working more closely with our development team to link construction opportunities to local residents.

We have part funded a secondment for a Jobcentre Plus Advisor to work with us this year. The role will be to help identify Spectrum residents that are in receipt of unemployment benefit and work together to help them into work. We hope this will make it easier to link our own residents to the employment opportunities that we create.

It’s made a massive difference. I’ve got a job! I don’t need to worry about money any more. If you’re thinking about it go for it, you don’t know where it might take you.”Laura

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2014-15 has been another successful year for Community Investment at Spectrum Housing Group. Our team of Community Investment Officers coupled with increasing support from residents, partners and colleagues in Spectrum, have enabled us to deliver a wide range of initiatives and demonstrate very positive outcomes.

This is the first year we have used the Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust (HACT) Wellbeing Valuation model for calculating Social Value. We are thrilled to report that our activities over the year have delivered 216 projects creating £3.16 million of social value within our communities.

This casbook gives some examples of the work we do, and projects and activities in each of our Community Forum areas.

Maria

Introduction

Maria WilkinsonCommunity Investment Manager

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HampshireCommunity Forum area

• Native bird cherries were planted in three plain grass triangles with spring bulbs such as snowdrops planted at their bases.

• Honeysuckle was planted as ground cover outside apartment blocks and against plain walls for scent and wildlife amenity.

• A single white hawthorn has been planted to create a feature at the centre of Tangmere.

• In the shaded garden new paving and plants were installed to replace the existing defensive planting. New plants include periwinkle, variegated ivy, wood anemone, celandines, native roses, rosemary, thyme and marjoram.

• Years of bramble have been cleared from around two thirds of the woodland bank area, and hazel bundles, wild native roses and woodland ground plants have been planted with the help of the children on the Wildplay days. The remaining third of the bank was left untouched at the request of a resident who is bird-watching here.

A series of three Wildplay days which were attended by over 30 people, gave local families the opportunity to take part in a number of different nature related activities, including bug-hunting, hurdle-making, bee-bomb making, flower-pot casting, wildflower sowing, tree ID and nature photography.

The days were an opportunity to encourage the children to get to know their local area by being invited to choose the locations on the estate for the bird-box installations, and to explore the neighbouring woodland (designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, SSSI, and an important site for rare butterflies) via a bug hunt and a nature photo expedition. This was the first time that many of the children had visited the woods.

Green Space Improvements and Wildplay Days in LordshillCreating better places to live

Spectrum Housing Group delivers a large proportion of our community investment activity through our Action for Neighbourhood projects. This approach brings Housing, Asset and Community Investment teams together to focus resources in target neighbourhoods. In doing this we aim to achieve maximum impact, improve the quality of our homes and the environment, and address challenges faced by the community.

Lordshill in Southampton is one of Spectrum’s largest estates with 157 properties. 2014 was the third year of improvements in the neighbourhood. The first two years focused mostly on consulting with residents and making physical improvements to the buildings. In year three we were able to carry out a number of targeted green space improvements which involved a mixture of formal gardens and woodland understory restoration, as well as a series of fun Wildplay days to build interest and support.

The improvements include:

• Raised beds built to replace redundant play equipment and amenity grass and filled with floral carpet roses and lavender.

• A scented bee-garden of rosemary, lavender and heathers has been created outside one block of flats.

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The families who took part in the Wildplay days were offered the chance to come and join Arc Consulting and Spectrum’s Natural Wight project at Under the Pier – a fantastic rock-pooling event held under Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight last summer.


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Some of the positive outcomes from our work in Lordshill are:

• Ten year old Lauren checks the bird box she chose and installed on her way to school every day and reports blue tits nesting. Her ambition is to find a harvest spider.

• One local resident keeps lists of birds nesting in the woodland bank, which include bullfinches and goldfinches.

• A resident member of Spectrum’s Hampshire Community Forum is feeding back news on the woodland understory restoration to the forum meetings.

• One resident has tidied up her garden in response to the improvements opposite her.

• Residents are requesting bird boxes and further 4Bs planting, talking to one another in the communal spaces and helping to ensure that any anti-social behaviour is prevented.

• Nuthatches have been spotted in the middle of the estate.

A satisfaction survey shows that levels of satisfaction in the area have risen since the work began. Overall, the Action for Neighbourhood has generated over £120,000 of social value, with residents feeling that the place they live is a ‘good neighbourhood’ and that they feel a sense of belonging to it.

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salad leaves which can be harvested and used in cooking. Having captured the imagination of the children, Keeble Junior Gardening Club was formed, meeting monthly in a group to weed and maintain the planters, and returning in between times to water and check on their plants.

In addition to the gardening and bug spotting, they learned more about nature and growing food plants through their activities. They planted their own sweet pepper and chilli plants to grow on their windowsills, decorated and filled ‘bug houses’ to create a friendly home for insects in their gardens, and took part in a wildlife themed scavenger hunt.

“This has been a lovely idea, it has given the children something to do, and turned the planters from an eyesore into something useful. We’ve been having minted new potatoes for dinner a lot in the warmer weather using the mint from the planters.”Keeble Road Resident

Growing Spaces has been a long-standing success story for Spectrum in all the Community Forum areas. In 2014 a total of 132 residents were given the chance to grow fruit and vegetables in their own gardens and communities.

Many participants have never grown their own before, so have been taught a whole new set of skills, as well as being introduced to new foods, and encouraged to eat more healthily and spend more time outside in the garden.

Keeble Gardening ClubHealth and wellbeing

The Community Investment team, together with the families living in the Keeble Road area of Kinson in Bournemouth, have rejuvenated three large raised planters situated in the park on the estate.

In October a family Halloween event was held where residents took part in some seasonal craft activities like painting pumpkins and making pipe cleaner spiders. They also replanted the two raised beds: two with insect friendly plants, and the remaining one was turned into a ‘Growing Space’ filled with herbs, strawberries, and

On Your Bike projectHod View, StourpaineThree Counties Community Forum area

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Shelley GardensCreating better places to live

As the subject of an Action for Neighbourhoods project, Shelley Gardens had already benefited from some major improvements in the form of new windows, and landscaping of the communal garden for the flats including a new shed and drying area. Following this estate work, Spectrum staff and residents came together on a very rainy Monday in February to work together to spring clean the estate.

The community day was an opportunity for some of the other communal areas to have a make-over, and a skip was provided for residents to have a bit of a spring clean and get rid of some larger items.

Keen young gardeners, fuelled by hot chocolate and crepes from a van provided, came out to help Spectrum staff to plant over 100 bird and bug friendly plants, and residents already involved in the Growing Spaces scheme picked up some bulbs and seed potatoes to plant in their own gardens.

Following the event the young people have continued to show an interest in their neighbourhood and there are plans to involve them in a programme of summer activities including further planting, a litter pick and road safety.

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South WessexCommunity Forum area

On Your BikeHealth and wellbeing

This is an exciting pilot project in Stourpaine, a village just north of Blandford Forum, launched to tackle some of the transport issues inherent in rural living.

Stourpaine sits on the fantastic North Dorset Trailway, a disused railway line that has been transformed to a multi-use, motor-free trail allowing access between several villages and the market towns of Blandford Forum and Sturminster Newton. It is a fantastic resource and we wanted to make the most of it for our isolated residents in Hod View, an area we have been working in for some time.

Public transport for Stourpaine is limited and expensive. With the Trailway on its doorstep we saw an opportunity not only to provide an alternative transport but also promote recreation and a healthy lifestyle.

We partnered with local bike shop Off Camber, to purchase and supply bikes to a group of residents. The shop even gave us a discount, which was really great.

Four families responded to our advert for the project and we provided them with six adult and three children’s bikes. The difference these bikes have made is already really positive, with two families regularly riding together along the Trailway. Riding is a fun and healthy family

activity and it is wonderful that this project has given these families the chance to get involved.

One resident, who is at risk of eviction, was able to travel to an important appointment with his housing officer in order to maintain his tenancy.

Another resident, Sam, who is 17, was accepted on the Princes Trust programme and has been riding his bike into Blandford Forum every day to attend courses and activities. This is saving him £25 per week on bus fare. He also uses the bike to visit friends in neighbouring villages. Taking part in this project has had a really positive impact on Sam’s life, giving him greater freedom to get around the area using the Trailway.

“Having a bike has made a big difference. I’m obviously saving lots of money. It’s easy to get places and to do it quickly. I’m never late! I don’t have to rely on a bus schedule and it takes about the same time to ride to town as to take the bus. It gives me a lot of freedom. I just get on the bike and go. I’m really enjoying it.” Sam

Sam with his new bike


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Digital InclusionDigital strategy

Spectrum is committed to improving digital access and skills for our residents by enabling them to access online services through physical connections where communal facilities allow and by providing IT training to specific groups.

Year two of Spectrum’s Digital Inclusion programme was very busy. Working closely with the IT Team, we installed broadband, a computer and printer at 13 schemes across the group, providing communal access to 222 households.

Additionally, we were able to install complete WiFi networks at 10 independent living schemes that provide

homes for people over 55. These WiFi networks allow residents to access the internet in the comfort of their own homes and all the communal areas; a benefit that is positive and greatly appreciated.

Residents regularly state how grateful they are - being able to stay in touch with family members across the world, save money on shopping and access other online services has been valuable to them in so many ways.

Training at Independent Living Schemes in North Dorset continued though our training partner, Age Concern. Residents learned how to confidently access the internet using tablet devices and laptops. Our oldest learner is 94 years young!

Across the group, residents and other members of the community have taken part in our training offer. During the past year, 197 residents and 101 other members of the community have received training: a total of 298. Fantastic! That’s 298 people better equipped to access online services and make real savings through shopping, getting the best deal on energy, insurance and other essentials and reducing social isolation.

To date, broadband with WiFi is available at 32 schemes across the group and, along with our training offer, is set to increase throughout 2015/16.

£184,213

of social value has been generated from our digital inclusion programme.

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Cycle Safe – Scoot SmartSafer, stronger communities

We hosted the Cycle Safe - Scoot Smart event at Chancel Park. Young residents had fun learning how to cycle safely at their scheme and learnt about the dangers of using the car parking area to play in and how to cycle responsibly around the local area.

In partnership with Ride On, a community project from Exeter, this lunchtime event with a serious message was created with fun at heart. Posters around the estate invited everyone to come with their bikes and scooters for a day of competitions, obstacle courses and a chance to learn new tricks and win prizes.

“We think Spectrum are doing a great job teaching children how they can have fun, be healthy and stay safe. We loved attending today and seeing all the youngsters so enthusiastic about being on bikes and scooters and getting outdoors but also learning how to be responsible around cars and play safely in the area.”Adam Golding from Ride On

The busy day was attended by local parents and children from the estate, all eager to see the central car park and regular play area transformed into a challenging scooter obstacle course.

Build a Go-KartSafer, stronger communities

Wantage Gardens in Plymouth has been the focus for one of our Action for Neighbourhood projects for the past two years. A specific problem was identified through discussions with the residents at the scheme about how both the young people and adults felt there was a divide between those living in the converted listed building at one end and the newer homes at the other.

Through contact with WhizKids, an organisation who’d successfully applied for funding from the Devon+ Community Forum grant the previous year, a project was put together to hold an event in the middle of the scheme with the young people working together to build a go-kart, chat about how best to use it, how to share and what to do if it broke.

This broke down lots of barriers and misconceptions the young people had about each other and very soon they were all working together to get the Go-Kart built so they could have fun riding it. They put aside any of their previous differences and were very mature when it came to drawing up the ‘fair usage agreement’ which they all signed up to.

Adults came out to see what the kids were up to and all ended up chatting and congratulating the children on their achievement. There was even an impromptu race between the kids on the go-kart and two powered wheelchair bound residents. The young people were convinced that resident Chris has souped-up his electric wheel chair as he seemed to zoom off at 10mph!

On Your Bike projectHod View, StourpaineDevon PlusCommunity Forum area

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“My son Osaretin loves being on his bike and is constantly out and about playing on the estate, so it’s nice to have Spectrum help me get the message about staying safe across to him. It’s also nice to see them putting on stuff for kids in the area to do in the school holidays. Osaretin had so much fun and the Spectrum staff and the team from Ride On were lovely.”Spectrum resident Trish Osabuohien

Spectrum’s Resident Involvement Officer, Lisa Elford, who organised the event said, “It’s really encouraging seeing children on the estate playing outside in the summer but as a concerned landlord we’re really keen to make sure everyone is always safe. Cycle Safe - Scoot Smart, was a fun way of getting the children involved and excited about being responsible and thinking twice about playing in areas around cars.”

The day also gave us the opportunity to share information about a forthcoming GOALs training session for adult residents and this led to parents booking onto the course.

“Coming out today to speak informally with neighbourhood staff about other activities and opportunities offered by Spectrum was great and I’ll be signing up to become more involved”Resident Marie Cousins

GOALs Employment, training and skills

GOALs (Gaining Opportunities and Living Skills) is a wellbeing programme that provides participants with tools to enable them to feel more positive. It boosts self-esteem and self-worth and helps participants to feel more in control of their lives.

In October, a two-day GOALs course was held in Devon and a mixture of residents, pathway trainees and support workers attended. Opening up the course to support staff at our schemes was a positive step because elements of the course would be utilised in the way staff and residents could work together in the future, and often residents in supported accommodation look to local on-hand staff for guidance.

A resident from an event held earlier in the year, Cycle Safe - Scoot Smart, came along to the workshop and said, “I’ve been given the tools to talk more positively to myself, given skills to pro-actively look for work in a different way and to set some new goals. It was a great empowering course that was delivered without a ‘touchy-feely’ approach. I’ve updated my CV straightaway!’

Marie Cousins followed through with her goal of becoming more pro-active and successfully applied to become a member of a residents’ Forum that is part of Spectrum’s co-regulation and governance structure and this provides her with volunteering experience and access to other training courses.

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residents and staff attended a 2 day GOALs course


In the last year alone, our volunteers have supported a huge array of projects, working with organisations, companies and local authorities such as the Wildlife Trust, the Isle of Wight Council, the Tree Council, Arc Consulting, Landscape Therapy, Ventnor Botanics and Wight in Bloom. We’ve cleared shrub and brash for butterflies on Arreton Down and helped restore chalk grassland on Knighton Down, cleared ponds of willow in West Wight and learnt how to manage hedgerow in Pan Country Park. Next up is heading to the coast to support an experimental project to restore the ‘Lost Duver’ in Sandown.

We’ve also started to bring Green Army closer to home – literally to our doorsteps – through our related 4Bs (Birds, Bees, Bats, Bugs) project. Green Army volunteers have helped to start a restoration project at a Spectrum-owned riparian woodland on the edge of our Oakfield Estate in Ryde, supported Spectrum residents in getting their own wildlife gardens started, and perhaps most interesting of all, our volunteers joined us at one of our new housing developments where we created a new space for people and wildlife to meet one another, restoring a tiny woodland copse, planting nectar and fruiting-rich plant species and creating reptile habitats from coppiced materials.

Lastly, Spectrum recently teamed up with Challenge & Adventure, and so Green Army funding now not only helps sustain an excellent local charity for some of our most vulnerable young people, but also provides them with a new learning tool to help support their work.

Natural Wight’s Green ArmyEmployment, training and skills

Spectrum’s award-winning Green Army is formed of young adults, aged 16-25 (many classed as vulnerable or young adults not in education, employment or training: NEETs) who take part in conservation and outdoor volunteering opportunities all over the Isle of Wight. Green Army began as part of our Natural Wight project, and was originally funded by Natural England and the Big Lottery Fund; its success has led to further support from Southern Housing Group over the past year and is set to continue as part of a huge Heritage Lottery funded East Wight Landscape Partnership project, Down to the Coast.

Green Army shows that conservation volunteering is simply a brilliant way to engage and encourage vulnerable young adults. With Green Army and importantly, with access to nature, as part of their ‘menu’ of support, many of our volunteers have gone into work or further education – or simply feel better about themselves and the world! The key ingredient is nature… it’s well-researched and proven already but Green Army backs it up…virtually all our Green Army volunteers have received that definite boost to wellbeing that comes from being outdoors!

MedinaCommunity Forum area

To date, over 300 young people have taken part in dozens and dozens of conservation days and related activities and the group has won two awards, most recently the fantastic Merlin Trophy awarded to us by the CPRE.


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Bread EnterpriseEmployment, training and skills

Thanks to the support of Foyer Manager, Matthew Bell, many of the Foyer residents have worked closely with Michele Newton from the Four Seasons Cookery Academy. By taking part and completing this course, the residents have gained both an NCFE Enterprise qualification and also been awarded their CIEH Level 2 qualification in Food Safety. Their experience and qualifications gained during the Bread Enterprise has enabled them to expand into an in-house catering team for the Foyer. They have catered for a number of events including a three course dinner for Island Rotarians. They also provided the catering for the Spectrum Group Board and CEO Richard Hill, during their recent tour of the Isle of Wight.

Following completion of the Enterprise course two of the young people used the skills they had learnt to gain employment, which is a fabulous achievement, and will help them to move on from the Foyer, having given them both cooking skills for life, and a job.

A second course in Slade Road, Ryde, funded by the Isle of Wight Council’s Adult and Community Learning team, has proved just as productive with residents now embarking on the Level 2 NCFE course. With the Level 1 NCFE Enterprise course and Food Safety under their belt, the team provided supper for Barnardo’s Cool Time Club bat event, cakes for the local Food Bank as well as supporting the Cats Protection League and RNLI through cake sales. Following the level 1 course the group continued to meet to develop their cooking skills. They also cooked for a weekly lunch ‘drop in’ for local residents and provided lunch for the February Family Get Active week.

Use Your LoafHealth and wellbeing

The Use Your Loaf project continues to go from strength to strength on the Island and across the Group. 22 sessions have taken place on the Isle of Wight throughout the year in nine different venues in our neighbourhoods. Each half-day session teaches participants how to make a basic loaf, demonstrates other simple bread recipes and provides a sociable healthy lunch. Each participant makes a loaf of bread to take home with them. We have had 165 people take part in a session, with many of them returning to participate in the advanced bread-making session at a later date.

“I was very impressed with the workshop. A lot of care, time and skills were put into producing a very enjoyable class. I am extremely impressed with the financial investment Spectrum have put into making the neighbourhood a richer cultural environment.”Sarah, Southern Housing Group

Some of the participants have been inspired to continue pursuing their new-found bread-making skills by enrolling onto the Bread Enterprise course, which is also funded by Spectrum. The Use Your Loaf project has also led to Spectrum helping to fund the Pan Cookery Course, which is delivered by local community group, Pan Together. This cookery course delivers eight sessions of practical simple recipes and cookery, and also takes participants through their level 2 Food Safety course. This course increases residents’ confidence in being able to cook for themselves and their families using cheap simple ingredients, and the Food Safety certificate also gives them a qualification to add to their CV when job hunting.

293 residents attended a Use Your Loaf session in 2014-15 across the Spectrum Group


Dorset Families MatterYouth/family intervention

ACSOs Age Concern Dorset Age UK IWAldiApex Church, Cowes ARC ConsultingBarnardo’sBicton CollegeBikeability - Ride OnBlandford Children’s CentreBlandford PoliceBlandford St Mary Parish CouncilBournemouth Borough CouncilBournemouth White LiningBryanston Court Residents’ Social GroupBTCABCAHMSCampaign to Protect Rural England - IWChallenge & AdventureChildren’s ServicesCommunity Action IWCowes Brownies and GuidesCowes Children’s centreCowes LionsCowes Primary SchoolCowes RotaryCowes Sea CadetsCowes Town Council Crime Stoppers David R White Building ServicesDevon Wildlife TrustDorset Skills and LearningDorset Wildlife Trust East Boro East Cowes Churches Together East Cowes PavilionEWLPFirst Dorset Credit Union Footprint TrustForest First Community ForumFour Seasons Cookery AcademyFriendly Food CompanyFrontlineGOALs InternationalGPsGrasshoppers Netball ClubGroundsellsGuinness HousingGunville Residents’ AssociationGurnard Primary School

Hampshire ConstabularyHampshire Fire & RescueFoodbank HIWCF HIWWTHope2BakeHSBCHythe and Dibden Parish CouncilIDVAsIndependent ArtsIRISIsland Line IW Adult & Community LearningIW Autistic SocietyIW Bat HospitalIW Chamber of HealthIW CouncilIW Green GymIW NHSIW Playing Fields AssociationIW Sports UnitJohn LewisJumperoo bouncy castle hire Kardan TravelLand ProductsLandscape GroupLandscape TherapyLanesend PrimaryLocal CouncillorsLudwell Community Primary SchoolMC EnhancementMedina Marching Band Mudeford Phoenix Girls & Ladies FCNational Energy AdviceNaturezonesNDDCNew Carnival CompanyNew LeafNFDCNHSNorth Dorset ConsortiumNorthwood Primary School Northwood ScoutsOff Camber Bike ShopOkeford Fitzpaine Primary SchoolPan TogetherPanel ShopPeople MatterPicket Twenty Community AssociationPlanet IcePlymouth Food Bank

Police Poole CVSRadian CareRadian Housing Redhill Rangers Football ClubRNLI RotaryRoutes to RootsRyde Town Council S Moss CarpentrySafety in the Home Sainsburys SCC SELFShaftesbury HospitalShanklin TheatreShaw TrustSimply CounsellingSings ExpressSouthampton City CouncilSouthern Housing GroupSovereignSPCSpectrum Community ForumsSpectrum Residents’ AssociationsSt Josephs RC Primary SchoolSt Marks TrustStewarts LandscapingStoneham HousingStonehouse TimebankNHS Smile ServiceStreet Pastors Synergy HousingTescoTest Valley Community DevelopmentTrading StandardsThe Children’s Centres The Co-opThe Dance FactoryThe Hampton TrustThe Store RoomTree CouncilTVBCUKSAVentnor Botanic GardensWest Moors Pre-schoolWestward HousingWhizKidzYoung Enterprise

Partner organisationsFinally, a big thank you to all our funders, project partners and supporters who have helped to ensure the successful delivery of our projects.


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Spectrum Housing Group recognises that our residents are the best people to tell us what aspects of our services work well and where we can do better. We work with residents to improve services and make our neighbourhoods better places to live.

Our resident involvement approach ensures that we have the right structures and opportunities in place to support residents in getting involved. We support and empower residents to improve services and create strong accountability within a framework of co-regulation and localism.

In the year 2014-15, 99 residents were regularly involved in working with us through Residents’ Associations, Community Forums and the Spectrum Residents’ (scrutiny) Group. Our Residents contributed 2649 hours of voluntary time through involvement in the co-regulation structures of Spectrum.

Our five Spectrum Community Forums made 51 grants totalling £83k and benefiting 7797 people. These grants generated a measurable social value of £415,742: a ratio of £5.00 value for every £1.00 invested through grants. Many different organisations have benefited from our Community Forum Grants.

Resident InvolvementSocial interaction/resident involvement

Dorset Families Matter is a major partnership project that has been set up to deliver the government’s Troubled Families agenda. The project aims to support families who experience multiple and complex challenges in order to help them improve their wellbeing.

The project works with families in Dorset who are experiencing difficulties with a range of issues such as: children not attending school; children or family members being involved in crime, and/or anti-social behaviour; those experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse; where there are vulnerable children; someone in the family is in receipt of out of work benefits or a family member has a physical or mental health condition.

Anna Thorn is the Project Officer working for Spectrum in the Blandford Office. Anna covers the North Dorset area and has worked with over 50 individuals during the first phase of the project. Phase 2 of the project is now underway with more outcomes being delivered to improve the wellbeing of families in the area.

Anna has been brilliant helping us with lots. She came to us because of my oldest son’s attendance at school and we were unemployed through my husband’s illness. She has helped us to get the right benefits and getting my youngest the right help with his learning needs. She is always friendly, approachable and efficient.”

For more information please visit:www.dorsetforyou.com/dorsetfamiliesmatter

Our Community Forums made 51 grants totalling £83,000 and benefiting 7797 people.

Contact us:

Phone: 0300 777 7837Email: [email protected]: 01425 283555

Customer calls will be accepted 24 hours a day.Our offices are open from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Friday.

Head Office:

Spectrum Housing GroupSpectrum HouseGrange RoadChristchurchDorsetBH23 4GE

spectrumhousing.co.uk

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NS - 2014-15 Spectrum Community Investment Casebook

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