Leeds Transition Fund Evaluation 2011/12
The Leeds Transition Fund provided the opportunity for third sector organisations in Leeds who have been adversely affected by recent cuts in public sector funding, to apply for grants of up to £10,000. The aim of the grant was to help organisations who are delivering high quality public services to become more resilient, agile and able to take up opportunities presented by a changing funding environment.
This evaluation report provides information about the activities and outcomes that have been achieved as a result of the fund. It includes project feedback and four case studies.
The criteria for the fund in 2012 are slightly different. We are particularly keen to encourage partnerships and collaboration between organisations to deliver greater efficiency in the sector. This might not necessarily be through merger, but could be by working more closely on specific projects, activities or initiatives or sharing the cost of overheads in order to be more viable in the future. Grants will only be given to organisations that are committed to looking at the kind of services they provide, and the way in which they are delivered, and are prepared to consider making some kind of change
Project Activity
The projects supported ranged both in duration and in nature of activities.
The type of organisations supported:-
Arts based organisations / 4Community (children/young people) / 4
Advice and counselling / 3
Community (support) / 1
Community (people over 55 years) / 1
Media based organisation / 1
There was a wide range of activity which the Fund supported to improve organisational sustainability.
Type of activity delivered to enable sustainability:-
Quality accreditation / 3 / Relocation / 2Review of current services / 6 / Partnership working / 4
Marketing and promotional activity / 6 / System development / 1
Diversifying income streams – through income generation e.g. charity shop / 4 / Improve policies and procedures / 2
Expanding volunteering / 7 / Staff training / 9
Business development / 7
Achievements of the Fund
All organisations have met their outcomes. These included setting up a shop to facilitate income generation, achieving the PQASSO quality mark, relocating to premises with lower rent, development of exit strategy and legal dissolution, increasing the number of active volunteers, creation and launch of a new website, training and skills development for staff and developing partnerships with other delivery organisations.
Value of the Leeds Transition Fund
The information below is extracted from the comments provided on the project evaluation forms regarding the value of the Leeds Transition Fund to the organisations in terms of sustainability.
Future Arts Ltd: ‘The LTF has been great, providing usable broadband, allowing us to achieve a quality standard accreditation. These are things that will allow us to take more opportunities in the future’.
St Luke’s CARES – Charity shop development: ‘We now have created an income stream, which will generate between £10k - £25k each year. This will enormously benefit the charity as it creates an excellent source of meeting costs associated with our mission of supporting children, young people and families’.
RJC Dance: ‘The LTF has enabled the organisation to implement strategies for future development and growth. The development of the business plan and fundraising strategy assists the organisation to focus and offer on-going professional service to our communities and stakeholders. The marketing tool such as print, DVD and merchandise has given us the opportunity to promote and develop the scope of our work’.
The Market Place: ‘The fund enabled The Market Place to sustain involvement in the different areas of work. Without the funds the quality of this work would have been greatly reduced. During this transitional period it has been a very difficult and precarious time and this fund has assisted in helping the organisation to move through the period more productively’.
South Leeds Community Radio: ‘We still exist! And will continue to do so until the end of August on current funds. We have succeeded in attracting further funding, arranged a temporary no-rent deal on our premises, increased capacity and have 9 funding applications in the pipeline for sums of £2,500 - £40k. Our profile is higher and we have plans for the future. None of this would have been possible without the LTF which gave us the space and capacity to research options and make changes’.
Burley Lodge Centre: ‘Without the funding for the club we simply would not have been able to run the club as there was upfront investment required in staff time, marketing, website design and the production of a feasibility study. This week trial afforded the Burley Lodge Centre to run a professional, Ofsted registered holiday club that did generate income. This income has been invested in running the holiday club at Easter with the view to increasing numbers over April and the weeks we are running the scheme in August’.
Leeds Involving People (LIP): ‘The past twelve months has been a time of much risk and change, given the current economic climate. The main challenge was sustaining its current contracts whilst completely re-vamping its modes of involvement. Developing a website, promotional film and marketing and communications strategy provided the vehicle to review all of its areas of work from both a member and income generation prospective. Six months ago it was very difficult for staff and members to describe LIP and what it offers people, this is now not the case. Our new model of improvement is not only better for our members, it is a huge selling factor to our current commissioners and other potential funders. We now have a more sustainable model for involving people, as we have a much clearer package for new and existing members that is not linked to a particular group’.
Stop Hate UK: ‘The project has allowed Stop Hate UK to evaluate the activity of the Caller Care Advocate function that was established following changes to funding between Stop Hate UK and Leeds City Council. Responses obtained from service users and partner agencies confirm the value of the role, which will be enhanced as a result of some of the suggestions and points raised within discussions. The activity has now been commissioned for a further 12 month period by Leeds City Council and the model will be considered in other geographic areas to allow continued growth of the organisations activity’.
Additional comments that were highlighted on the project evaluation form include:
St Luke’s CARES – ‘Thank you for the grant it has made a fantastic difference to St Luke’s CARES and our ability to generate income. The funding has been invaluable to support the new enterprise, the advice and guidance has been essential as we move from being a grant dependant organisation to a charity dependant on a variety of sources of income’.
RJC Dance – ‘Our experience of the Transition Fund has been rewarding and supportive at a time when the organisation experienced change in structure and delivery. We wish to thank the Transition Team for their support’.
Artlink West Yorkshire – ‘The funding from the Transition Fund came at a crucial time in Artlink’s history. We had moved back into the building shortly before and needed to maximise the spaces we were able to offer. The funding enabled this process to begin, resulting in the rental of the attic space and repeat business in the hire of some meeting rooms. We now continue to fundraise for the role of the Projects Manager in order to continue and build upon this success’.
South Leeds Community Radio – ‘The LTF has been invaluable for our organisation. We would not still exist without it. We’re not out of the woods yet, but are on a much clearer and firmer footing. South Leeds Community Radio is very grateful’.
Burley Lodge Centre – ‘We would like to thank the LTF for giving us the opportunity to run a professional holiday club. We have gained tremendous experience and skills in this area and it would not have happened without this support’.
Leeds Involving People (LIP) – ‘LIP is extremely grateful for the support of this project funding; its impact has been invaluable’.
Stop Hate UK – ‘We thank Leeds City Council for funding the project and all the people who gave up their time to assist in data gathering and to attend awareness throughout the life of the project’
Case Studies
The following case-studies provide an insight into the impact made by the Leeds Transition Fund across the different types of activity to aid sustainability.
Pavilion
Pavilion is a charity that uses visual arts and, in particular photography, as a means of engaging the general public and, in particular, young people and people from hard-to-reach communities. They do this through events, exhibitions, mentoring and community projects. They also take part in events such as Light Night.
Grant awarded: £7,365 (100% spend)
Funding towards: communications consultant, volunteer co-ordinator, physical office move, drawing up the lease, clore short course, postage for communications work.
Pavilion has reported they are in a much stronger position with regards sustainability thanks to the Leeds Transition Fund. Moving to 11-14 Blenheim Terrace has reduced the rent from £10,000 to £2,300 pro-rata including utilities.
The office move and staff restructure has significantly reduced their overheads by £18,000. An autumn programme of activity means they now have time to raise funds on a project by project basis without spreading resources too thinly.
The new office position at the University of Leeds means new resources are now open. New partnerships with Leeds Art Gallery and Temple Newsam House will enable them to maintain a strong impact and profile while drawing on the benefits of shared resources.
The Pavilion’s Programme Producer has benefited enormously from the Clore Leadership short course training this funding offered and has been feeding her new skills and knowledge back to the rest of the team. The staff re-structure allows all members of staff to thrive within clearly defined roles.
The small, but committed, staff team is now backed up by a strong team of ten volunteers (unemployed students/graduates/young artists) who are benefiting from ongoing nurturing skills and experience within an arts context.
Pavilion’s programme is well on its way for the autumn and the focus is now on the realisation of this work. A number of potential funding sources have been identified to apply for in relation to the programme.
The project evaluation highlighted ‘This was a well managed and important fund that made a significant difference to Pavilion at a time of financial uncertainty. We can sincerely say that the fund has helped us to identify a clear strategy for progress within an ongoing uncertain climate’.
In terms of sustainability the group commented ‘We are now in a much stronger position with regards sustainability. Our office move and staff restructure has significantly reduced our overheads (by £18,000). Our autumn programme of activity means we now have time to raise funds on a project by project basis without spreading our resources too thinly. The communications plan has meant we have had the opportunity to talk to important stakeholders about our new structure and has inspired confidence that we have the means to sustain ourselves in the light of the current financial climate’.
Behind Closed Doors
Behind Closed Doors supports the victims of Domestic Abuse in Leeds and offers Support Services in Leeds for women in the Leeds and Yorkshire Area.
Grant awarded: £10,000 (96% spent)
Funding towards: business development support, legal and professional fees.
The new business model and the planning to support it are in place. Training needs of both new and established team members have been mapped and have been addressed through a mixture of formal training and working alongside existing staff.
Having identified gaps in the service provision, recruitment and selection has taken place for a Development Worker. The group has been successful in obtaining funding to set up a preventative and outreach service to work with people at low/medium risk of domestic violence. Further funding is being sought.
The shop is the charity’s first community enterprise project to raise finds for their work. The shop is called ‘Birdcage’. The level of volunteer cover has been built up and it is hoped to have enough volunteer cover to open the shop seven days a week by June 2012.
The Birdcage brand image has been created for the shop, including logo and core brand values. The shop was opened just before the Christmas period in Skipton and sells pre-loved fashion, accessories and jewellery, up-cycled and customised pieces, haberdashery and locally made goods. It also hosts skills workshops – sewing, making, crafting, artisan crafts, making new from old trash, alterations, repairs and dress making, life laundry and personal shopping. A number of workshops are planned and they are all fully booked, so this will help boost profit levels.
Customers will not only be able to buy vintage clothes from the shop, they will also be shown how to make their own. Profit from the shop will be used to deliver Behind Closed Doors services and to enable the organisation to be more sustainable.