Don’t put off till tomorrow...

 

Don’t put off till tomorrow...

With that in mind, I have decided I need to update the blog or it will be 2013 and my fledgling writing career will be somewhat stillborn!

When I began this secondment, I had a brief on what the role was and an area in which to work. Past that there really have not been that many ground rules, which at first I thought was really emancipating but quickly realised I was more of a creature of habit than I may have proclaimed.

Having a sense of purpose and direction is so very important and that is probably why so many of us crave belonging. For some it will be a sports club, choir, book club etc, but for most of us it is our workplace that provides so much. The sense of community I have been lucky enough to enjoy in several locations and the connections that develop, many of which are sustained for decades help us all complete the picture of who we are. This focus is something we all take for granted and it’s this that I would like to take a little time to consider.

Our education system is focused on trying to ensure that all our young people attain 5 A-C GCSE’s, which for most makes sense and allows them to continue education or enter the workplace with at least a basic grounding which will serve them well in the future. The conundrum comes where we have young people whose learning style is not typically Maths and English. So they may not get the GCSE’s; feel disenfranchised and fall out of the future pool of potential employees.

Ok, you say, but that is the system and so you do your best. Well in part I agree, I was never the best student but my parents and grandparents imbued a sense of purpose in my siblings and I and a strong work ethic that got me through the difficult periods. Now I hope I have passed this on to my children and seek to support others were appropriate. The difficulty comes when there isn’t a role model or a reason to do the homework, maybe no history of employment or possibly there are long term “other” issues within the family.

So what can we do? Well over the past four months I have met some amazing people, who are seeking to support various groups in our communities (and yes some communities are better at helping themselves than others) but can we utilise your skills and capabilities to greater effect? 

Well for those of you that are Lloyds Bank employees you may want to circle May 17^th in your diaries, as that is the “Give and Gain Day” for the Group. If your local team resources allow, you may be able to spread that time across a number of different activities not just one 8 hour slot. If you are planning to take advantage of the time provided, yet don’t have a charity or community organisation to work with then let me know and I will connect groups who will really benefit from your time and expertise. 

Better still let me have the names of three businesses that we can get involved in our wider community. By the way, don’t worry if it is outside Leeds (many of the recipients will be) as there are connectors springing up in more and more places.

Parish Notice!

I wanted to say a few thank you’s to people who are looking to make a real difference.

Firstly, The Turnaround Foundation, supported by Endless have agreed to support a Talent ID programme based at the David Young Community Academy, as well as getting involved mentoring some of the students and staff to help support continued professional development. This is a huge outcome for all at DYCA and the result of many months of discussions and the kind indulgence of Chris Clegg.

Secondly, I won’t name him, but wish to thank the MD of a very well known Yorkshire based business who has agreed to support a project called OIL (Opportunities Inspiring Learning). They will seek to guide the people running the project, help with destinations for those going through the programme and allow students of the project to visits their sites.

Last but by no means least; I have been seeking support with the provision of school shoes. One of our business community has come forward to help and we are now working out how best to do this, so that the appropriate primary schools can be helped and that it is handled in the most delicate manner.

Thank you to you all.

The Big Lottery

The Business Connector programme is supported by a grant of up to £4.8m over the next 5 years and last week, I got the opportunity to talk to a wider audience about the programme and what the connectors are involved in.

There were presentations from a broad range of charities including one that I felt deserved mention. It is called “Pub is the Hub” http://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/ . Their vision is about matching community priorities to new services which can be provided by great licensees in their pubs. It’s about bringing interested groups and organisations together, often for the first time, to meet common goals and help local initiatives take place.

In Kind Direct (IKD)

I mentioned this a little while ago briefly and the dynamo of an MD Robin rang me to ask if I could say a little more and really help you all understand what working with them can mean. 

Well here goes. IKD work with an increasing number of manufacturers and retailers were they enable to redistribution of slow moving or discontinued lines. They only charge an administration fee for providing them. Have a look at this video as they operate nationwide. http://www.inkinddirect.org/IKDvideo_3m57s . 

If you are a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer then why not think about clearing that valuable warehouse space and letting In Kind Direct help lots of people.

Thanks for reading and remember don’t wait to get it done!

Shaun

Half Term already?

Striking the right balance or at least trying to

I often comment about where the time has gone, not having done what I had wanted and regrets yes I have had a few! My time with Business in the Community (BITC) has been hectic and the last 4 weeks has been no different, but most definitely in a positive way. I continue to meet some great people who are working in quite difficult situations with ever decreasing amounts of money, but somehow they don’t appear to be downbeat.

As many of you will know I can be a little single minded at times and yes stubborn, but selfish? Over the past few months I have been lucky enough to be operating in a totally different environment and I have been allowed time to review what I did, how I did it and what I might change if my time machine invention ever comes to fruition!

At a recent event at Lloyds Bank’s offices at Lovell Park in Leeds, along with my BITC colleagues         Jo Crossley and Michael Harvey we were determined to try and increase the participation amongst the Lloyds teams there. We left with approaching 100 people having committed to some form of activity and many more at least having acknowledged that they will think about it.

That said there were a number who suggested a lack of time or their “day job” stopped them.  Most of us are so busy trying to keep up with the job and provide for our families that we don’t see it as selfish and I don’t know the circumstances of the people I met, but my question is how often have I used the same excuse, convinced myself that my current project or meeting is so much more important than what I could be doing? If you can find the time take a quick look at Umair Haque’s blog http://blogs.hbr.org/haque/2012/10/making_the_choice_between_mone.html and let me know what you think.

Another day another great contact

Not sure how many people will be thinking of decorating the spare room or their football club or even your local school needs a lick of paint, but if that is you and you are in Leeds then you may want to look up Seagulls Reuse. This is a great little social enterprise run by two very dynamic ladies called Cat and Kate. They recycle paint from numerous Leeds City Council centres and sort the good stuff and then sell it on. There are numerous benefits, firstly they sell the paint from £1.50 per litre, secondly they have managed to employ a small but hearty band of people (freezing cold building by the way, only just thawed out!) and finally considerably less paint has to be disposed of. If you would like to know more then look them up on www.seagullsreuse.org.uk

If you are not in Leeds but like the idea of Local Paint resources then you can check via www.communityrepaint.org.uk  to see if there is a centre near you.

Imagine, it is 10.30 and you are feeling peckish, what next? 

A) Get a Mars bar from the vending machine (personal favourite!);

B) Start on your lunch early; or

 C) Contact Reds Larder.

The answer is C!

Why? Well Reds Larder (www.redslarder.com) is a new social enterprise I am working with who have been founded through a charity called Foundation. The people you will be helping by buying from Reds Larder are ex-homeless, ex-offenders or sometimes people who seem to have been left behind and are struggling to get back into any kind of job or training. Foundations programmes including Reds Larder are aimed at getting them to take ownership and to help with rebuilding their lives.

From only £3.69 you can enjoy some really healthy little snacks and if it is a sugar rush that is the order of the day after all then jelly babies and dolly mixtures are available! By the way some friends and I busily demolished the free sample provided.

Getting a Social Enterprise off the ground

How to get funding for any business is often the entrepreneur’s biggest challenge. Yes there are loads of great bankers out there only too willing to help, but how do you crystallise the idea, what will things costs and if you don’t have much money to start with, how do you get going?

Last week I attended a really interesting meeting by Unltd Ventures hosted by DLA in Leeds, discussing this very subject and there were also a number of entrepreneur’s that had made it and private equity houses solely dedicated to this marketplace. I have to say I didn’t know there was a market, but there is and it is alive and doing quite nicely.

If you want to know more look at www.unltd.org.uk

What next?

I have teamed up the collective skills and energy of Nic Greenan of LS14 trust and Kate Vaks at Fixers and so I am hoping they will make me a star! Failing this we are looking at getting some of the 16-24 age groups in Seacroft working together and sorting out their own problems. If it works then they may get an opportunity to be showcased on Local ITV news. No pressure Kate!

I am attending the next Leeds Chamber First Thursday meeting and would like to thank John Wells for his support. The PR piece is coming soon John!

And finally…

“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently” Henry Ford

Thanks for reading.

Shaun

The Size of the Prize.

The Size of the Prize!

The Olympics have gone, but left most of us with a huge amount of pride and not just in our athletes. The way people were during the games has been talked and written about a lot, so I won’t cover that ground again but I would ask that you read the following paragraphs and think about how proud you were when so many of our Paralympic and Olympic stars achieved such amazing feats, as well as the tens of thousands of volunteers that helped to make it what it was and what we can do when we come together for a common purpose.

In the previous weeks, I have told you about the journey so far, mainly positive but a few false starts. So the last few weeks have been about how to start drawing the strands together and getting to the people who work in our communities, as well as understanding what the need really is and what it will take to get individuals and businesses involved.

Shortly after returning from holiday, I had the honour of being asked to be a panellist for the School for Social Entrepreneurs event in Leeds www.the-sse.org/ . This is a third sector organisation set up in 1997 with the aim of supporting social entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to utilise their talents for the betterment of others. Lloyds are also sponsors and there are two programmes called “Start up” and “Scale up”, each is structured to support a business into being and then developing. We eventually chose 17 businesses that would go through the training and in due course also potentially receive up to £4,000 in funding. The breadth of those pitching was incredible. An ex social worker who is now teaching yoga in deprived communities, an ex-offender who has now graduated in law and using his experience to try to act as a force for good and in turn reduce re-offending, plus many more inspirational people who often need a mentor or guide as much as the money.

This week I visited a social enterprise printer called “Paperworks”. They are currently only in Harrogate, but will be opening a new office in Killingbeck which will see them offer their services to a broader geographic base. Essentially, Paperworks offer printing and fulfilment services and work in conjunction with many local printers were the print runs are uneconomic for them, or the work has to be completed manually and cost precludes them. Paperworks main aim is to provide work preparation training and support to adults with learning, physical and mental health related difficulties. www.paperworks.org.uk

But don’t think just because the word "Social" is added that making money is not important. In fact it is now more important than ever, particularly in view of the cuts in many of the local, regional and national funding programmes. The difference is that profit or someone’s ability to pay is not the driving force, but it does shape their starting point. To put the resources in to some form of reality, for £2,000 they are able to take on a trainee for 12 months with the aim of training them and then helping them find appropriate work. For someone with so many difficulties to get the training and more importantly the self confidence to be able to take on jobs is really the success and measure of the programme. 

Ever thought you could do better than those people on the TV? That maybe the output doesn’t match your reality; well whilst no guarantees are given ITV Fixers are out there seeking to work with young people’s groups and schools. The subject is up to the young people and Fixers will help them shape it and potentially air it on one of the ITV Local news channels. Originally it all began in Winchester, but through the support of the National Lottery the team of co-ordinators around the country (including Kate and Marian who came to see me) listen, don’t judge but empower the projects. What is really interesting here is that the young people take to this really quickly, whether it’s the media angle or that they are being treated like adults I don’t know but I am going to take them into one of the Academies I am working with and we will see where it goes. Have a look at www.fixers.org.uk

Ok, I mentioned in the last blog about updating you on some of the projects I am starting to get involved in.

Firstly, Opportunities Inspiring Learning (OIL). OIL is a community based organisation that is seeking to provide vocational qualifications for 13 – 18 in the field of motor vehicle. Those attending will spend most of their time out of the class and in the workshop learning. Some young people don’t have strong “Maths and English” learning styles, so traditional academic studies are alien to them and this can lead to disenfranchising them, boredom and in some instances causing trouble. Being able to take them out of the class into an area where they may be able to express themselves more proactively is we hope going to be a huge step forward for them and ultimately lead to employment opportunities in due course. No pressure but if you are in this field and in Leeds and think you could help please let me know.

Secondly, FEAST. In brief many sections of the poorest communities do not get those “three square meals” a day and even the meals on wheels service provided for our elders is considered somewhat expensive for many. Therefore, two groups from community centres in Gipton and Seacroft are working on taking over the kitchens in those centres and with the help of another existing community kitchen, providing this service at a much more affordable price. In time it is hoped that this will offer employment opportunities, as well as increase the entrepreneurial skills of those involved. One professional firm is already looking at how they could provide some mentoring and professional support around market testing and financials. Sadly there is no money to pay for this advice and guidance, but I am hoping that teams will feel more engaged and enriched by helping other communities to help themselves.

Thirdly, is Internships. One very kind MD is considering at this time taking on a couple of young people from one of the cities new academies. This is an opportunity that they would not normally have open to them and again can help them to break out of what is normal and expected of them. Bright, driven young people exist in all our communities and hopefully opportunities like this will make them ambassadors for change within their area and help drive them to achieve.

Finally, one company has agreed to talk to a dozen or so young people about how they got started, what’s worked. The determination to keep going and most importantly that you, yes you can do it.
The opportunities to support change are huge. I know many of you are very heavily involved in local groups, fundraising, mentoring to name just a few things. For those who might be thinking about it, but are unsure where to start please just contact me and I will help in any way possible. You can make a huge difference.

Thank for reading and I will update you all again in a few weeks time.

Shaun

The Ripple Effect

The "Ripple Effect" can take many forms and there are numerous definitions. Understanding our impact is quite often difficult to measure, quantify or gauge.

"In sociology, it can be observed how social interactions can affect situations not directly related to the initial interaction, and in charitable activities where information can be disseminated and passed from community to community to broaden its impact." Wikipedia

Since my initial blog I have met many more people from various organisations, all extremely busy in numerous ways. Raising money and awareness; helping to understand their communities; challenging the status quo as well as building bridges and alliances.

Over the last few weeks, most of us have marvelled at what our Olympians have achieved. Whatever their starting point in life, their dedication and resilience has held us all in awe. So in my post Olympic blues I got to thinking about what we all do and what journeys we are taking; how we are challenging ourselves to be better and stronger, not in the sense of our Olympians but as representatives of our families, employers and most importantly communities.

In the Leeds City Region for instance there is a great piece of work underway called "5,3,1" and no it's not got Ted Rogers or Dusty Bin in it!  The programme is based around the following:-

• Five things you can do;
• Three reasons to do them; and
• One positive outcome

Have a look and encourage businesses you know to think about signing up for the programme.

www.leedscityregion.gov.uk/fivethreeone.htm

On the community funding side of things, I met the charming lady called Sally-Anne Greenfield and she was extremely generous with her time, particularly in explaining the aims of the foundation and the funding it can help community groups access. More to follow on this in coming weeks and months. www.leedscf.org.uk

Nearer to home I met up with Matthew Norton from Lloyds Bank who runs their volunteering programme in the North of England, whilst also running his own charity in Kenya! His next challenge is to engage colleagues in a bigger "Ride the World" cycle race where he is hoping our collective pedal power will raise £240k for Save the Children. Also he told me that around 25% of colleagues volunteered in 2011 and I think this number is continuing to grow. Go on, you can feel proud!

Last but definitely not least. I spent four very enjoyable hours with three of Leeds finest Community Inspectors. I wont embarress them by name, but take it from me Policing has changed!

With their help and community links, I am hoping to be able to update you shortly with some of the projects I will be seeking your help with. You have been warned!

Anyway if you have been away I hope it was a time for relaxation and if you are due to get away shortly, do enjoy the time with your family and friends.

All the best

Shaun

New boy

Well I am just starting the first day of week two, so I thought I would give you a quick update on my first week and how different it is than the world of banking.

First of all lots of people have asked me what is it you will be doing and who is Business in the Community (BITC). This was encapsulated best by my Mother in Law, asking "how do I explain it to Mary and John at the quiz!"

Well for your benefit (as well as Mary and John) BITC is one of the oldest, largest and most influential charities driving responsible business practice. BITC believes that through transforming businesses they can transform communities and by doing so, create a sustainable future for both.

The education, enterprise and employment focus is a large area of our work but certainly not all of it. It is however, the area that business connectors are focusing their work.

It is no flash in the pan either, as they recently celebrated their 30th anniversary.

The Business Connector role, well here is a snapshot:-

• Helping young people into education training or jobs 
• Supporting local community organisations to survive or increase their provision, with support from the local private sector
• Increasing the level of community participation and cohesion
• Facilitating business mentoring, role modelling, skill enhancement activity for: young people; community organisations; social enterprises; etc

Secondly, the location. BITC in Yorkshire is based in Pudsey, which is 20 minutes outside Leeds and about the same from Bradford and is quite provincial. No bespoke sandwich shops here, its good old fashioned food and you are grateful for it!

The team are all really welcoming and want to work with me, most of all to guide me through the breadth and depth of the voluntary sector and the myriad of programmes BITC offer http://www.bitc.org.uk/programmes/index.html.

Last week I started to get to grips with who is already working in the city, some of the programmes already being worked on and frankly the huge amount of goodwill being targeted to make the City Region better.http://www.leedscityregion.gov.uk/home.aspx 

On Tuesday my colleague Jo invited me to a meeting at the Civic Hall, Leeds hosted by The Big Lottery http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/ entitled "Fulfilling lives: supporting young people into work". There are 20 regions in the UK that have been targetted amongst them Manchester, Liverpool and the Leeds City Region. An investment of £100m over 5 years is on offer, though by the time you break it down to local areas it is much lower and value for money will very much be the order of the day.

The rest of the week felt like a reading week ahead of exams. I could hear Bamber Gascoigne or Jeremy Paxman (depending on your age!) saying "Shaun Ellenthorpe, Univeristy BITC Leeds" after each tome I read. Pet subjects now include Leeds City Region, the Deprivation Index (which of course I checked where I lived and my friends, family), Deprivation in South and East Leeds etc etc.

So as this is the first one and with the vain hope that you have managed to read this far, I will leave you with a few early observations.

The charity/voluntary sector feels just like the "corporate" world in that there are some immensely bright, talented and driven individuals. The problems they face are more and more being tackled, as we would, by breaking down what resources they have and don't (money), the scale of the problem and highlighting key milestones to celebrate success.

Enjoy your week, hopefully more Olympic success for Team GB and I will be back in touch in a few weeks time.

Shaun

P.S. I have also joined the world of Twitter @BITCShaun