NEW ERA ENTERPRISES
ANNUAL REPORT JAN 2020 – MARCH 2021 NEW ERA ENTERPRISES (E. LANCS) LTD 62-64 Yorkshire Street Burnley Company no. 3286650
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Emotional, Family Health and Engagement Hub Nursery Wellbeing Hub
Hub
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Contents Welcome from our Chairperson Ann Marie ...... 3 New Era - Inspiring, transforming and connecting communities one life at a time ...... 5 Introduction ...... 5 Emotional Health & Wellbeing ...... 7 Case Studies...... 9 Achievements ...... 10 Thank you to the funders/partners that make this work possible! ...... 12 Family Support ...... 14 Case studies ...... 16 Achievements ...... 17 Thank you to the funders/partners that make this work possible! ...... 18 Engagement Activity ...... 20 Case Studies...... 22 Achievements ...... 23 Thank you to the funders/partners that make this work possible! ...... 24 Nursery ...... 26 Case study ...... 28 Achievements ...... 29
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Thank you to the funders/partners that make this work possible… ...... 30 Board ...... 31 Members ...... 32 Case Study/Quote ...... 32 Volunteers ...... 33 Networks and Affiliations ...... 33
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Welcome from our Chairperson Ann Marie
Well, what a year… New Era’s strategy for 2020 was rethought almost overnight as the Covid pandemic hit and the country went into lockdown.
The last 15 months have been challenging, exciting, rewarding and thought provoking for everyone within New Era. As a Cooperative Social Enterprise New Era has always taken pride in finding innovative ways to identify and address individuals and families’ needs within our community. This year we have had to be responsive, extra adaptable, and extremely flexible. At the start of the pandemic, we had to worked alongside our contractors/partners/funders to review and adapt the services we had agreed to provide. We have been delighted with the flexibility they afforded us which allowed us to respond and meet the additional challenges presented by COVID-19.
In March 2020 New Era had just submitted a three-year National Lottery project, however, in April the National Lottery informed us that all imminent funding would be reallocated as COVID-19 response fund. Our second, rapidly written application secured funding which allowed us to provide our response.
So, after the first lockdown we went out and about with our very visible purple gazebo, popping up in our 5 local parks to reconnect with communities in Burnley, listening to and identifying the challenges people had faced during this unprecedented time.
Our staff, board, members, and volunteers have worked throughout the Pandemic to ensure that the support for our community has continued. We had to change and adapt our delivery by:
• Utilising what was emerging (now everyday) technology to provide online virtual coffee mornings for people suffering from isolation and loneliness,
• Increasing our support for families and individuals around emotional health and well-being due to the stress and anxiety that Covid-19 had thrust upon them.
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Our wonderful Nursery has been open for most of the pandemic and the staff have worked tirelessly to support our children and their families. They have done this by:
• Providing doorstep welfare checks in the initial lockdown to check how everyone was coping,
• Relocating and reorganising the nursery environment to ensure the nursery remained Covid secure,
• Adopting procedures and practice when working with the children through what has been an everchanging landscape throughout the pandemic.
In April, the nursery received the exciting news they had secured Children in Need funding for a Chitter Chatter Club project, the aim of which was to inspire and develop children’s language and communication skills. Well done to everyone for all your creative problem-solving ideas and getting the Chitter Chatter club going virtually!
New Era has been tested and challenged over the last 12 months. To ensure we stay accessible to people in the community, we have moved our ICT platforms and now have the added capabilities of supporting the community in a virtual world. We also redesigned our website to make it accessible to all and had an internal restructure to future proof the company.
This last 15 months have flown by, and we have received much feedback from the community about the work we have delivered I would like to thank all staff, members, and volunteers as they continue to rise to the challenge of these unprecedented times inspiring, transforming and connecting communities one life at a time. Keep up the fantastic work.
Anne Marie, New Era Enterprises Chairperson
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New Era - Inspiring, transforming and connecting communities one life at a time
Introduction
This annual report will cover the last 15-months, January 2020 to March 2021 as we have taken the decision to bring our annual report in line with our financial year accounts which run from April to March.
Well, who would have thought when we made this decision that the last 15 months would incorporate a Pandemic! As an organisation we have been tested like never before, having to be innovative, flexible, adaptable, and accessible in ways which we had never previously dreamt of. We have learnt new ways of working virtually in groups and one to one, (purchasing additional software, learning and develop new skills) socially distanced and with many additional risk assessments, health, and safety practices to adhere to. Our new skills have been shared with our staff, board, members, volunteers, and participants.
During the past 15 months we have worked with specialists to develop and future proof the business, which has led to reviewing and revisiting our core values, an internal restructure and re-branding while ensuring New Era’s ethos remains at the centre of its delivery.
Over the last 15 months we have worked tirelessly with our existing contractors and funders to ensure we remain on target and funders receive all the outputs and outcomes they require. We have strengthened our relationships with existing and new organisations. In June 2020 we were extremely privileged to secured three years funding from the Henry Smith Trust, providing core funding to ensure our services are available to the community we serve. During the pandemic New Era secured Covid-19 funding from the National Lottery and Lancashire - COVID 19 Community Support Fund to support our communities with the ongoing impact that the pandemic has/had on individuals and families.
Our nursery and its’ staff have been frontline workers throughout, providing education, learning and support for the children and their families. The nursery was successful in securing three years funding from Children in Need in June 2020 to provide a “Chitter Chatter Club”, to support children’s speech and language. The staff had to be creative and with the support of Children in Need they moved the group temporarily to a virtual platform, providing invaluable support to children who need additional support with their language skills.
As an organisation we have never been as busy supporting families and individuals with the unforeseen issues that have affected everyone during the pandemic. Families who have had to deal with unemployment, debt, isolation, and the uncertainty of what the future may hold. We have seen first-hand, the unprecedented effects of the pandemic on all age groups across the community. The need for emotional health and wellbeing has increased by over 100% for both adults, children, and young people, along with the increased need for support to get into employment, receive debt support, and general training needs.
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New Era has been privileged as a long-standing organisation that its expertise and skills carried us through the pandemic and ensured that we could be responsive, positive and accessible to the individuals and families we support. None of the work we do could be done without the enthusiasm and dedication of the board, staff, member, and our volunteers! Emotional Health and Well-being Hub
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Emotional Health & Wellbeing
New Era has always ensured that participants have access to high quality impartial information, advice, and guidance (IAG) to enable them to make informed decisions, to achieve their full potential and succeed in life.
Over the last 6 years New Era has developed a specialist service to support adults, children and young people’s emotional health and well-being. In the last 15 months the need for this support has been unprecedented for us as an organisation. So, we have proactively sought additional funding to provide support to those most effected.
New Era support adults, children and young people to address issues identified around physical health, mental health, and emotional wellbeing.
New Era has done this by:
• One to one support. • Encouraging more exercise – (walk and talk sessions in local parks.) • Providing information around healthy eating. • Discussing opportunities to take up new interests and hobbies. • Joining a group or a team – starting with our coffee morning. • Chatting, socialising, and relaxing with other people. • Supporting new skills through education, training, or employment.
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Member’s meeting – Pizza & Pimm’s in the garden
One to one support – interview skills
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Social distancing picnic in the park
Case Studies
Emma – Mum of teenager who had been struggling with her mental health and had recently been discharged from hospital. Mum did not know where to go and who to turn to, she felt overwhelmed, upset, despairing and terrified - my house used to be like a warzone. After the advice and support you gave me it is like I live in a different world now, a better one – we even sat down and played cards the other night. That’s unheard of.”
John (age 14 years) – Referred for low mood/anxiety struggling to deal with the Covid-19 virus and the impact this had on his school and social life. Not socialising with family and spending many hours in his bedroom. “After one-to-one session and being able to talk through my worries and make a plan on which ones I can deal with, I feel so much better and able to deal with the virus.”
Issy (age 9 years) – Upset due to a bereavement in close family, mum not sure how to speak with her daughter as upset herself. Through talking therapy and one to one session with mum and the daughter, relationships were rekindled.
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Achievements
Adults 735 accessed our emotional health and wellbeing support, and their thoughts were shared through our evaluation recording systems – (Life Circle, Individual Learning Plans – Pre and post well-being measure), they reported that… 735 felt less isolated reporting elevated mood and more positive well-being, with 30% finding a new hobby or interest. 682 reported that they felt improved satisfaction with their life, with 28 people taking up volunteering opportunities, 320 achieving a qualification and 14
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722 reported improved support networks and Of the 250 people that have more positive accessed our stress relationships, with 81% workshops 94 % developed telling us they had 735 said they felt their own personal coping developed new listened to and mechanisms for anxiety and friendships and felt l ess
supported, stating stress and reported an lonely.
they felt happier and improvement in mood and
healthier, with 47 % of ability to cope. these reporting a new focus on looking after themselves.
Children and Young People
New Era has provided specialist support for 127 children. Our evidence-based measuring tool ‘My Star’ showed that all children evidenced an improvement in one of the following areas: - • Confidence and Self-esteem • Friends • Feeling and behaviours Page | 14
• Relationships • Being Safe • Where you live • Physical health • Education & learning
Feedback from children aged 5 – 16 years.
Children and young people commented through our feedback form “Your View…Your Voice” that…Before the sessions they felt worried, unhappy, sad, scared, nervous, very angry and sad, angry, bored. After the session they felt better, happy, happier, very nice and I was okay, able to cope, big happy, fantastic, great.
Thank you to the funders/partners that make this work possible!
Clinical Commissioning Group
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The National Lottery Covid-19 Response
Lancashire County Council Community Covid-19 Response
Lancashire County Council
Child Action Northwest (CANW)
Population Health Management Community Investment Fund
Henry Smith
European Social Fund (ESF)
Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)
Workers’ Educational Association (WEA)
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Family Hub
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Family Support
New Era have been building stronger families since 1986, and today work with thousands of families through our community-based services. We work with children, young people, parents, carers, and the wider family network to support and stabilise positive family networks in which all family members can thrive.
New Era ensures that all families and prospective families have access to high quality impartial information, advice, and guidance (IAG) to enable them to make informed decisions, to achieve their full potential and succeed in life.
The pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone but especially for families - home schooling, staying at home, not seeing friends or family to name just a few. Families have needed support more than ever before to find solutions to the family issue that face them.
Through our work and through our partners we have received an influx of referrals of families who needed support during these uncertain times. New Era has worked with those families by providing an experienced listening ear service, parenting courses, one to one support & access to resources delivered virtually/face to face. Our tried and tested approach to finding solutions for families over the years has meant that we have had the knowledge and expertise to develop families coping strategies, knowledge, and the confidence to tackle their family issues.
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Staff making up resource packs for ready One of the little boys from our toddler One of the little boys from our Syrian for delivery to local families, they contain group receives his pack as we ask if mum group gets all creative with one of the
snacks, games/books, and craft activities and family need any further support. activities in the pack he received from New Era
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Case studies
David – living in inappropriate housing with his children. Tried for 6 months to resolve it himself before finally sharing this information with school. They supported the family issues but were unable to help him with the housing issue. The school referred David to New Era’s Family hub where he received information advice and guidance to help resolve the housing issue. - “Thanks, you’re a star, don’t know what would have happened to my kids if I had of stayed in that house much longer.”
Sandra – not coping with daughters’ behaviour at home. Met staff at one of our events in the park and disclosed she was not coping. She received one to one support via Zoom. With support and guidance has developed strategies to deal with her daughters’ behaviours. “Thank goodness I went to the park that day, you have made such a difference to my home life! I don’t like saying it, but I now enjoy being with my child whereas before I couldn’t stand being in the same room as her, thank you so much.”
Rachel – Single mum, child started displaying violent behaviours which were impacting the whole family. After seeking help from anywhere she could think of, she found New Era - “you have literally changed my life. I had run out of options but then I did your course, and I honestly can’t thank you enough for the impact you’ve had on my whole family.”
Achievements
New Era’s family hub has worked with over 400 families and of those families we captured the following using their thoughts through our evaluation recording systems - interventions questionnaire, feedback forms and social media platforms: -
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All families with children reported im proved relationships that resulted
in strengthened bonds 96.5% of families with 94 % introducing reported feeling listened ‘quality family time’ and to and supported with 70 % of families introduced 20% overcoming key family rules and rewards.
issues around debt, 12 % 69% of families reported starting a new DWP increased knowledge claim for benefits and around children’s 10% resolving housing behaviour and
issues. development resulting in them feeling more confident in coping with discipline and boundaries!
Thank you to the funders/partners that make this work possible!
Gannow Big Local Page | 21
Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
The National Lottery Covid-19 Response
Lancashire County Council Community Covid-19 Response
Henry Smith
Lancashire County Council
Child Action Northwest (CANW)
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Engagement Hub
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Engagement Activity
opportunities. New Era seeks to engage, connect, and re-connect people of all ages through its range of employment skills support, training/courses, and volunteering
We ensure that all participants and prospective participants have access to high quality impartial information, advice, and guidance (IAG) to enable them to make informed decisions, to achieve their full potential and succeed in life.
New Era has used its engagement opportunities to reduce the feeling of isolation and help re-connect people in the community during the pandemic. We currently have six support activities connecting individuals/families in the local community. Many of these groups during the latter 12 months have intermittently had to move to a virtual platform, which was initially a challenge, but over time allowed New Era to engage with people in the community we may never have met. These groups comprise of our virtual/face to face coffee mornings, toddler group, click and collect resource packs for families, childminder network, members meetings and our Nursery Chitter Chatter Group.
During the pandemic and its numerous lockdowns, our training and support often had to go virtual. Participants have had to be guided and skilled up to use these platforms. Barriers such as lack of knowledge, ICT equipment and confidence have had to be tackled and addressed to allow participants the opportunities to take part in our training/courses.
We have delivered training and support to participants in the following: • ICT, Zoom and Teams • Employability Skills • Mental Health Awareness • Stress Awareness • Paediatric First Aid • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) • Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) • Handling Anger in the Family • Health and Social • Care • Working with Children Page | 24
Participants on our Stress Awareness Course
Preparing for paediatric first aid in a social distancing environment
Coffee Morning by Zoom
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Case Studies
SB (age 16 years) New Era provides alternative provision for young people at risk of disengaging at school. The learning takes place away from the school environment. The programme allowed SB to work in the Nursey one morning a week, something that SB continued after completing the programme in learning. SB has grown in confidence; learnt about the skills and qualities that a person needs to work with young children. SB had the opportunity to work in a nursery and developed additional skills, such as working in a team, supporting young children, working independently, and building new relationships with others. All of these have given SB a better understanding of the opportunities available and what she needs to achieve to make the most of these. ‘I have learnt how to do first aid. I am more confident and now understand that I need to get an education if I want to work in a nursery. I have enjoyed my time in nursery, and I am very pleased that I can continue to volunteer even though I have finished the programme. My confidence has grown, and I know I need to work hard in getting my English and Maths.’ New Era worked in with Unity College to identify the best way forward to encourage SB to get the most out of her remaining time at school.
Frank (age 45 years) Frank came to New Era out of work and very isolated having moved in recent years due to a relationship which had since broken down. Through one-to-one support to build his confidence Frank joined our coffee mornings and made friends with other participants. Frank is currently undertaking training and looking for employment. – “I don’t know where I would have been if I hadn’t found New Era, life is looking much more positive now!”
Facebook user – “You shared a morning routines’ post the other day which my 28-year-old daughter which she said has really helped her. Please could you find a night-time routine too as this will really help her mental health.”
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Achievements
New Era’s engagement activities have worked with 955 people and reported via our capture forms, feedback forms,
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370 individuals accessed accredited and non -accredited training
95% felt listened with 320 successfully to and supported, completing and leading to a achieving an accredited
reduction in qualification!
social isolation 97% feeling and loneliness! more self- confident with a more positive
outlook!
Thank you to the funders/partners that make this work possible!
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Building Better Opportunities – Changing Futures and Invest in Youth (The National Lottery and European Social Fund)
The National Lottery Covid-19 Response
Lancashire County Council Community Covid-19 Response
Henry Smith
Gannow Big Local
European Social Fund (ESF)
Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)
Workers’ Educational Association (WEA)
Prestons’ College
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New Era Nursery
Nursery
New Era nursery is small and friendly and has been part of our organisation since 2007. It is situated in Sion Church in the centre of Burnley. Our term time nursery provides morning session 9am – 12pm, Monday to Friday. We have capacity for up to 30 two, three and four-year-olds. Page | 30
The nursery has 4 permanent well qualified and experienced members of staff with over 60 years’ experience between them. We have a qualified teacher who oversees the learning, planning and curriculum within the setting. Children’s individual development is carefully tracked to ensure all children progress well and where needed, interventions are put into place to ensure this progression takes place. Core staff are supported by several volunteers within the setting. All our staff and volunteers are paediatric first aid trained and have appropriate DBS clearance.
The nursery ethos is to provide a learning environment that reflect the interests of the children, our children think they are playing, which they are, but they are also learning a great deal whilst doing so.
Last year the nursery successfully received Children in Need funding to provide a “Chitter Chatter Group” for children who needed additional support with their speech and language. The group was to be a lunch time club with activities to support speech development. However, due to the Pandemic the nursery had to temporarily rethink this idea and move the support on to a virtual platform, such as Zoom. Staff, parents, and carers have had to learn together the ICT needed to make this happen. Resource packs have been pulled together and provided for families to use with their children at home whilst on the zoom call and after to practice what they have learnt.
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Children participating in Speech and language time via zoom Horse riding on a day trip with Nursery
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Child at nursery making music
Case study
R is a two-year-old who joined us in September. She was using no speech and was, and still is, under Speech and Language therapy for delayed communication development. She was hesitant coming into the setting where she was very quiet and spent much time on her own. She used some noises to communicate and had poor concentration in all activities.
Mother was very worried about her speech and happily joined in the Chitter Chatter language group.
In the first few zoom meetings R watched and listened but did not want to join in the activities while on the meeting. Mum worked with her on the activities in the packs after the meetings and sent photos of her joining in the activities. When these photographs were shown in the setting, she smiled at them and pointed to the pictures.
As the Chitter Chatter meetings continued it has been fantastic to watch her development and emerging language. She now happily greets staff and joins in all the activities available. Mum says she is always excited when it’s time for the meeting and shows great pride in the things that she makes.
Within the setting the biggest change in R is her confidence and pleasure in spending time with others, both staff and her peers. She is volunteering lots of single words and happily joins in and concentrates in group activities.
She loves looking at photos of her joining in the activities and brings things in that she has made, showing others, and saying “mine.” She also enjoys looking at other children’s work and often claps the things she likes.
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Mum has noticed a great improvement in R’s communication skills and says she is now enjoying a range of stories and singing songs with her mum.
Mum says R is much more confident in herself generally and looks forward to seeing all her friends.
Mum has also said that they both look forward to the zoom meetings because she loves watching R joining in and enjoying herself.
Achievements
42 children have attended New Era nursery in the past 15 months
67% children have received speech and
71% families have language received support .
12 children have information , advice, progressed into and guidance on reception class. educating their children .
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Thank you to the funders/partners that make this work possible…
Lancashire County Council
Children in Need
Sion Baptist Church
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Board
Ann Marie Wrigley – Chair Director / Retired Project Development Officer
Sue Rae - Director / Chief Executive Officer
Wendy Woodfine – Director / Chief Operations Officer
Elaine Sharples – Director / Company Secretary / Project Manager
Sarah Simpson – Director / Manager of the Childcare Agency on the BBO Project
Kath Rowley – Director / Retired Human Resource Manager
Dave Woodfine – Director / Safeguarding Manager for the FA
Michelle Grimes – Director / Events & Partnership Manager; Sport & Play Development
Resigned
Karen Pashley
Andrew Beck
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Members
New Era is a Social Enterprise with a Co-operative structure which ensures that we co-develop and deliver services in partnership with local
communities.
Through our membership we ensure that local people remain invested and influence the work we do and support delivery as volunteers. Members have voting rights in electing directors and making decisions on major co-operative issues. Our members are active advocates of our work, helping to raise our local and regional profile and encourage more people to engage with our services.
We currently have 26 members and hold members meetings a minimum of three times a year.
Meeting via zoom Pizza & Pimms’ in the garden
Consultation meeting in the garden Case Study/Quote Ian – I had to become a member of New Era, as I have received the brilliant support, they gave me at a time when I didn’t know if I could ever get my life on track. Without that support I would not be where I am today. I need to give back to the organisation that changed my life and being a member is a great way to do that!
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Volunteers
Our team of essential volunteers play a vital role in developing a sense of community in our service, they have supported our engagement activities, family support, nursery, ICT, and training.
During these very challenging times they have joined New Era in supporting the communities we serve.
The have helped us keep information flowing, produced resources, come up with great ideas, helped set up events, stayed connected with other organisations, and much, much more……
New Era has a dedicated team of 11 volunteers whose experience and expertise add tangible value to the services we offer. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and include safeguarding specialists, young people and local residents.
Many individuals take on the role of ambassadors for our organisation, supporting us to make a difference and inspiring and transforming communities one life at a time.
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Networks and Affiliations
NETWORKS AND AFFILIATIONS New Era is affiliated to the following: - Blackburn with Darwen CVS Burnley Pendle and Rossendale CVS Co-operatives UK Clinical Care Commission National Childminding Association – PACEY Spring North NCVO – National Council for Voluntary Organisations Voluntary Sector Northwest SELNET, the Network for Social Enterprises in Lancashire Matrix
New Era has worked in partnership with the following networks: - Blackburn with Darwen CVS Co-operatives UK East Lancs. Child and Adolescent Service (ELCAS) Children’s Social Care The Lancashire Healthy Young People & Families Service Pendle Women’s Forum East Lancashire Health Trust Lancashire Mind We are With You (Addaction) Action for ASD Children and Families Wellbeing Services – Burnley and Hyndburn Burnley Leisure Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services Lancashire BME Network Inclusion (Burnley Pastoral Cluster)
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Lancashire Women Sion Church Department of Work & Pensions including: • Job Centre Plus • Kickstart Here is a selection of the local Primary Schools, Secondary Schools & Nurseries we have worked with: Wellfield Methodist and Anglican Church School Shuttleworth College Basnett Street Nursery St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School Unity College Conkers Day Nursery Burnley St Peter's Church of England Primary School Blessed Trinity RC College Chez Nanny Lowerhouse Junior School Marsden Heights Community College Briercliffe Nursery Wheatley Lane Methodist Voluntary Aided Primary School Burnley High School Little Stars Breakfast and After School Club St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Primary School Park High School Newtown Nursery Brunshaw Primary School Stoneyholme Nursery School
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New Era Enterprises (E. Lancs.) Ltd The CVS Centre 62/64 Yorkshire Street Lancashire BB11 3BT
info@neweraburnley,co.uk www.neweraburnley.co.uk
Company number 03286650
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