Community Investment Manager
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Story Lab announced by LOCOG as official project in the Cultural Olympiad’s Children… London 2012 Festival, at library event attended by Nick Sharratt. AUGUST 2012 Contents Introduction 4 Cohesive Neighbourhoods 5 Trafford Hall 5 Croydon 6 Cheetwood 8 Education 9 Extended Schools 9 The Prince’s Teaching Institute 9 Business Class 11 Careers Academies 12 The Reading Agency 13 Springboard 14 Atlantic College 14 Young Readers’ Programme 15 Talk to Your Baby 15 Learning Through Landscapes 16 Kidscape 16 Hertfordshire Groundwork 17 Long Term Unemployment and Youth Exclusion 19 Prince’s Trust Building Better Lives 19 Hounslow 20 Depaul UK 21 Welfare Past and Present Employees 21 John Laing Charity Fundraising Endeavours 21 Make a Difference 21 Welfare Previous Employees 21 Health and Wellbeing 22 Independent Sexual Violence Adviser 22 Always Heard 24 BTCV Green Impacts 25 Homeless Link 28 Emmaus 29 Team Programme Young Enterprise London 31 FareShare 33 2 Maintenance of Community Investment Programme 35 Trust Deficit Budget 35 Projects in Development, Key Partners 35 Appendix A John Laing Charitable Trust Funded Projects 2011-12 36 3 Introduction John Laing’s Community Investment Programme has five targeted areas of activity: Cohesive Neighbourhoods Education Long Term Unemployment and Youth Exclusion Welfare of Past and Present Employees Health and Wellbeing This report follows these key identified areas, highlights significant achievements in the quarter ending March 2012 and targets future priorities for the quarter ending June 2012. In 2009 John Laing was successful in achieving the national standard of community investment excellence, the Community Mark. We continue to build on the success of our community programme year on year by working together with our Community Partners. This year we have been awarded with a Platinum Award, following on from Gold Award in both 2010 and 2011and Silver Award in 2009 for the Business in the Community (BITC) CR Index. 4 Cohesive Neighbourhoods Trafford Hall Trafford Hall is a recognised centre of excellence providing national training for community activists who want to make a real difference to their local neighbourhoods. John Laing is funding a variety of DIY programmes for community activists whilst simultaneous assisting Trafford Hall’s ambitions to become a carbon neutral centre. Impacts and Future Plans Trafford Hall estimates that since work started on the energy efficiency upgrade of the hall their consumption of oil and electricity has reduced by 10%, and gas use is down by about 1%. The centre moves closer towards their goal of becoming carbon neutral with solar panels being installed, to the south, west and east elevations of the hall together with secondary glazed windows throughout the hall and annexes. DIY Community Action Training and Grant Programme The overall aims and objectives of this Trafford Hall programme are to train community volunteers from the UK in subjects focusing around the themes of sustainability, health, local social enterprises, supporting families and diversity in communities. Courses are run over two or three days, “Thank you very much for an on a residential basis, at Trafford Hall in Cheshire. enjoyable and helpful training in a great environment! ...Beautiful Trafford Hall is the home of the National Communities grounds and gardens which provide Resource Centre, a registered charity. It is the only the right space for rest, retreat and national training centre offering free residential training reflection/learning” and support to volunteers living and working in low- income communities in the UK. All the courses at Trafford Hall focus on enabling people to build skills, knowledge and confidence to help them improve their communities. The residential nature of the training enables strong networking to take place, providing community links and establishing support between volunteers across the UK. 5 Croydon John Laing’s Stuart Yeatman leads our project in Croydon. He has been supporting the development of Croydon Commitment from its early development and is now a member of Croydon Commitment’s board. John Laing, as a Founding Patron of Croydon Commitment, made a total donation of £75,000. All the money raised for Croydon Commitment’s Grass Roots Trust has been matched pound for pound by the Government, providing a total legacy for the Grassroots Fund of £440,000. Croydon Town Centre Croydon Council Urban Regeneration Vehicle (CCURV) is a long-term, 28 year, partnership between Croydon Borough Council and John Laing to regenerate the centre of Croydon, which started in November 2008. This 50:50 joint venture with Croydon Council provides John Laing with the opportunity to make a real difference by supporting Croydon’s communities and local businesses. Throughout the years, CCURV will be delivering a £450m regeneration of significant sites across Croydon town centre, which will provide sustainable facilities to benefit the entire community. To date, over £7 million has been spent with local businesses. Strategies that deliver social and economic benefits locally are part of CCURV’s strategy for each development. The CCURV Skills & Employment Coordination Group brings together the Public, Private and Third Sectors to shape and review both the development and implementation of these strategies. This group was established because both Croydon Council and John Laing recognised that more could be achieved by supporting positive collaboration especially with initiatives that are already supporting communities and businesses in the borough, such as Croydon Commitment. Through its involvement with CCURV, Sir Robert McAlpine and its supply chain partners worked with Jobcentre Plus to deliver training and employment opportunities for long-term unemployed residents in Croydon. 80% of the trainees completing intensive work placements which have led to full time employment (left). 6 Outcomes John Laing’s partnership approach has enabled us to deliver opportunities for local people facing significant challenges facing the labour market Together with Sir Robert McAlpine (the lead contractor building Croydon’s Public Services Delivery Hub), our strategic approach has already resulted in significant local benefits during the early stages of the construction process, such as: Over £200k of contracts awarded to local businesses Over 20% local employment achieved on-site; Training, Learning & Visitors Suite opened which provides a much-needed facility for the use of local community groups Engaging schools and local colleges to deliver lessons linked to the construction industry and to expand upon careers in construction-related industries Apprenticeships, Education & Training and Career & Professional Development. o The Changing Paths programme for 24 Ex-offenders launched in May. To-date 5 ex- offenders that successfully completed all aspects of the programme have secured sustainable, full time employment through this initiative. o REDs10 is developing apprenticeship, work and training opportunities for ex-service people in Croydon. REDs10 are looking to offer opportunities for 50 ex-service people from July 2012 and are currently working with CCURV, its supply chain, Croydon College and other local partners to develop the programme. Case Study Through CCURV STEP, Martin Todoroy, a profoundly deaf student at Croydon College, has taken up an apprenticeship with Commercial Insulation. With support from REDS10, Imtech Meica and Sir Robert McAlpine, Martine has progressed extremely well and has received a glowing report from his boss, Richard Brake: "Martin has become a valued member of the team; he is a motivated team player with a great attitude and willingness to learn, and his performance and time-keeping, to date, are exemplary. With further training and in time, we see no reason as to why Martin cannot progress to more skilled specs including aluminium cladding. Martin's communication skills are excellent, communicating through lip reading, writing and text.” Olympic Legacy Children from St Peter’s Primary School visited the Olympic Torch procession as it passed the Bernard Weatherill House site on 23rd July, 2012. Commemorative designs they had produced for the site hoardings were displayed along the street and 400 cakes decorated with the Union Jack, were supplied by Stuffins, a local caterer. “Jamie Kerr, CCURV Board member, said: “The Olympic Torch procession is a fantastic occasion for the people of Croydon, and to be able to celebrate this with our colleagues and the local community is a great opportunity. Croydon is going through a period of positive transformation, of which CCURV and Sir Robert McAlpine are proud to be a part, and this was showcased during yesterday’s historic event.” 7 Cheetwood (Manchester) The Cheetwood Millennium Centre is an Urban Village Hall one of nine centres across the United Kingdom developed by Fields in Trust, with grant funding from the Millennium Commission and the assistance of John Laing. The centres in deprived urban environments provide multi use space that can be accessed, at affordable prices, by the local community. The Cheetwood Centre re-opened in April 2009, having been closed for 3 years. The Manchester Centre was the only one of the nine projects across the UK that had failed to thrive and John Laing offered to help Fields in Trust to find a solution, given the companies long association with Fields in Trust. Since reopening the local community have become increasing involved with the running of the centre