Session 5. Case Studies of Effective Approaches (3)

Sustainability

- Andrew Church, Cambridge Housing Society

Creating the freedom for everyone to flourishwww.cambridgehs.org.uk

andrew.church@cambridgehs.org.uk

Sustainability

• ‘Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it.’‘Winnie the Pooh’ by A. A Milne 1926

Sustainability

• ‘‘Sustainability is about responding to what different markets want, planning ahead, building infrastructure, increasing efficiency, as well as moving away from a reliance on a ‘begging bowl’ to a more entrepreneurial, trading approach”. – National Council of Voluntary Organisations

(NCVO), Sustainable Funding Project • http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/index.asp?id=2090• Planning, earning and fundraising

Our challenges• 2000 households

• 35% are families with children

• 36% are adults aged under 60 and with no children

• 48% households include at least one person who has a long term illness or disability

• Almost half on incomes below £200 p.w.

• Almost half in receipt of Housing Benefit

• Rural area – 4000 m2

• Low skills, low aspirations

• Difficulty of engaging some customers

Tackling worklessness – where does it fit in?

• We should be improving peoples life chances

• Community Investment Strategy aims to provide people with a secure home life and opportunities for personal development – Providing people with opportunities to

realise their potential– Build people’s financial security to

support daily living and the ability to plan for the future

Personal empowerment

Stimulate demand

Discuss aspirations and previous experiences

Identify destination and

options for getting there

Get there – with appropriate support

always on hand

Customise package and refer to appropriate provider(s)

Our approach

• Ear to the ground: understanding needs and aspirations of customers

• Different roles depending on the issue and the solution:– direct service provider– advocate/broker– partner and capacity builder

As a direct deliverer of services Digital inclusion

o 100+ laptop computers, outreach tutors Skills Coaching

o Information, advice, guidance; mentoring Financial capability

o Income maximisation, debt advice, hand holding

o Money mentorso Personal Finance Coach for Young People

As a advocate we’ve brokered new servicesSkills for Life

1:1 home tuition provided by fe college

We recruit customers, skills and risk assessment

Access to low cost loans Base rate + 0.95% through local

building society

As partner and capacity builderVehicle for capacity building

within VCS sector Guidance, Employment, Training

(GET) GroupVehicle for winning larger

contractsCambridgeshire Voluntary and

Community Sector Learning Consoritum

Outcomes

• More confident about achieving their aspirations

• More likely to want to:

• own a pc and use the internet

• study or work from home

• More in control of their finances

Contact details

40%

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33%

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the course hasimproved

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it increasedconfidence

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Contact detailsWhat are you doing now?

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Contact details57%

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Sustainable Funding

Organisational commitment via subsidy for community investment business stream: £75k p.a. External funding: Learning and Skills Council, ESF, Local and Regional Government, Trusts and Foundations, Private sponsorship, Department for Work and Pensions: £150k p.a.

Planning, fundraising, earningPlanning

Management Information System Contributions to Local Area Agreement Capacity building within team

Fundraising Building relationships with key

stakeholdersInvestigate private sector sponsorship

Earning Cross-subsidies from ‘Train to Gain’Charging for some markets

What we’ve learned Being clear about what we’re setting out to do –

where we are going Providing a consistent offer to customers Importance of smoothing peaks and troughs of external funding by subsidising the business stream Developing attractive products and services to engage customers The most effective and popular services are often developed by listening to front-line employees Building relationships with like-minded organisations for referrals, customer progression routes and funding Promoting services in a variety of waysBeing strategy led, rather than project led

Contact details

• Cambridge Housing Society• Endurance House• Chivers Way• Histon• Cambridge• CB24 9ZR

• Tel: 01223 713 747• Fax: 01223 713 799• www.cambridgehs.org.uk

• andrew.church@cambridgehs.org.uk