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Spectrum Housing Group Investing in Communities Community Investment Casebook Introduction Contents Maria Wilkinson Growing Spaces ............................................................. 4 Community Investment Manager Art, Bread, Skills & Enterprise......................................... 5 Investing in our communities is fundamental Healthy, Easy, Cheap ...................................................... 6 to supporting the Spectrum Corporate Values of ‘Residents at the Heart’ and ‘Working Communities’. GOALs ............................................................................... 7 Spectrum has actively engaged in community Natural Wight’s Green Army ........................................... 8 investment activity for many years. The focus for our activity is provided by the Group’s Communities and Neighbourhoods Strategy Big Tree Plant .................................................................. 9 which has 4 key strands: • Sustainable neighbourhoods Use Your Loaf - The best thing since sliced bread ......... 10 • Mobility and homelessness • Social inclusion Spring Fun Day .............................................................. 12 (including worklessness, financial inclusion, health and wellbeing) Bus2Go Christmas Panto Trip......................................... 13 • Social enterprise This document profiles some of our activities Teddy20 Big Bash .......................................................... 14 undertaken during the past couple of years. It highlights the range and spread of our community investment work, from small community based Digital Inclusion ............................................................ 15 activities to large scale projects, and gives an insight into some of the outcomes achieved. In Natural Wight, Pan Country Park - all our research and evaluation we have had People, Places, Wildlife ................................................ 16 100% of participants enjoying their activities with us. Lordshill Community Day .............................................. 17 We are very proud of the work we have developed and delivered with the support of Pathway Programme .................................................... 18 external partners and the commitment from our internal teams, all of whom have rolled up their sleeves and got involved. This publication just gives a flavour of what has Building communities “ been achieved. I hope you will find it interesting. where people want to live, “and can enjoy their lives Maria and feel safe and secure. 2 Spectrum has delivered a highly successful and varied Community Forum Grants - to fund wider community programme of initiatives. We provide a range of budgets projects granted by Spectrum Community Forums. focused around our community investment activities, these are: Community Investment Projects - to fund major community investment projects, often with match funding. Estate Improvement Fund - to fund major estate regeneration strategies and estate improvements. Neighbourhood Officer Projects - used to fund small neighbourhood projects identified by front line workers. Resident Led Grants - to fund scheme improvement ideas from local residents bids. Our work in the community doesn’t stop there. An important part of our support to residents involves giving These resources are increased by working alongside detailed advice and help to ensure that they maximise other parts of the organisation and other partners. Before their benefit entitlement. Four Welfare Benefit Officers the individual stories here are some of the headlines from provide support to residents identified by our own front last year: line staff or who come to us directly for support. • £132,000 was spent supporting a range of estate • In 2013-14 referrals to our Welfare Benefits Officers strategies delivered across our geographical footprint. resulted in some 669 successful claims putting a staggering £2,971,816 per annum into our • £38,000 was spent supporting 27 successful bids by residents’ pockets. residents with ideas to improve their neighbourhood. • 143 external partners worked with us in delivering our • Spectrum resident led Community Forums awarded community development activities a total of £64,985 to 48 community groups and projects. These awards attracted £67,000 of • 8,458 members of our communities took part in these match funding from other sources. projects and activities. • £337,000 was spent supporting 61 major community investment projects/activities. IN TOTAL £658,854 was invested covering 229 projects/ • £12,000 was spent on 41 neighbourhood officer activities including £127,305 from external match projects, where over 2250 people got involved. funding and “in kind” support. 3 Growing Spaces Across the group by Suzie Mundell Growing Spaces has been a hugely successful, long- running project based on the Isle of Wight funded by the Lottery Local Food fund. Delivered in partnership with Growing Ideas Ltd, the project encourages residents to grow vegetables, often for the first time, by installing a raised bed in their garden and providing compost, seeds and plants. Participants are supported throughout the growing season with drop-in sessions where they can exchange ideas and top tips and learn gardening and cooking skills. Our drop- Growing Spaces has really made a difference to in sessions have covered sowing and planting, composting, people, improving the quality of lives and cementing harvesting produce, healthy cooking, the relationships within local “ communities. It has also noticeably pickling and preserving, fruit tree There is a real buzz in Oakfield improved the way that residents giveaways and even a free two day thanks to this project. Lots of people in our neighbourhoods view and gardening course run by local charity, who wouldn’t chat before are sharing engage with Spectrum Housing. This The Footprint Trust. tips on growing veg and showing off “ is one of those simple ideas which their veg gardens. The end of the growing season makes a big impact and leaves an is celebrated with a community enduring legacy. Garden Show in each participating community with competitions and prizes. Over 530 households have taken The success of the Growing Spaces project was endorsed part in this project. On completing evaluation forms, in July 2010, when it won the coveted National Housing 100% responded that they enjoyed taking part in the Federation SE Region What We Are Proud Of Award. project, 94% found they were spending more time in the garden and 92% said the project had taught them more Following its success on the Isle of Wight, the Growing about growing veg. 88% agreed that it had saved them Spaces project has been extended to North Dorset, money on buying vegetables for their family. Christchurch and Bournemouth. 4 Follow the fun! /SpectrumHousing Art, Bread, Skills & Enterprise Isle of Wight by Lisa Toyne Fifteen young people have attended the NCFE Demonstrating Enterprise Award Level 1 funded by the Isle of Wight Council Adult Community Learning. Two art focused courses, one based at The Foyer, Ryde and the other at Downside Community Centre, Newport, examined creative art-based local businesses and entrepreneurs, what they do and how they have succeeded. These courses were led by artist Ian Whitmore. Learners have visited local businesses Quay Arts, Jubilee Stores, Eccleston George and The New Carnival Company to interview entrepreneurs. The group set up their own mini “ They have visited local bakeries enterprise which included making Skills and qualifications gained and catering establishments and and selling books and cards at from these courses support young have learnt to make bread. This a charity event in Cowes and people in their search for work. course is led by Michelle Newton developing a wilderness walk “ from The Cookery Academy and and face painting activity at a community event at Pan learners will have the opportunity to gain the CIEH Level Country Park. 2 Food Safety in Catering course. At a separate course based at The Foyer young people are Those attending have enjoyed the course and two of them learning how to make bread to sell to local businesses. volunteered to help the tutor on further courses. Building better futures Keep up - to - date /SpectrumHousingSHG 5 Healthy, Easy, Cheap Isle of Wight by Suzie Mundell The Healthy Easy Cheap project was funded by the Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust’s Healthy Weight Prospectus, and was delivered by the Community Investment team on the Island in partnership with chef Rachel Brown from the Dairy Cottage Kitchen during 2012-2013. The aim of the project was to provide healthy cookery demonstrations targeted at young people and young families in our neighbourhoods. Each session included the demonstration and tasting of a healthy soup recipe, plus a healthy I have had some great feedback“ cake or pudding. Goodie bags were from residents and staff alike. The The project delivered 11 sessions handed out to participants at the residents are raving about the chilli during the year to: Homestart end of each session including recipe and are coming up with ideas for sessions for families with young cards, the soup ingredients and a “ children, Fellowship House cheap and healthy soups! hand-held blender. Salvation Army hostel for young men, the Women’s Refuge and The sessions have taught participants how they can community fun days during the school holidays. Overall, provide healthy home-made meal options for their the project reached 113 households in Spectrum families, even on a tight
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