The impact of our work has helped strengthen and promote local voluntary and community organisations and the communities they work with.
See here our full impact report for Quarter 1 to 3 of 2019-20
Please find below a few case studies collected between April and December 2019.
Case Study 1: Service user K is 73 and has Alzheimer’s. He lives with his wife and was showing a lack of interest in any activities. Open Age and Resonate Arts sent their listing of activities and events targeting people living with Dementia. K has since attended a number of activities and now joins regular singing and music groups. K and his wife N have expressed immense gratitude about being informed of these activities, and N has noted the huge difference that attending activities and projects has made to K’s quality of life. K said: "We could be in any concert hall in the world but I would rather be here with this group of people".
Case study 2: Service user M is 90m, lives alone, and due to various health conditions is becoming more socially isolated and showing signs of possible memory issues. He used to enjoy walking and shopping and is interested in art. He attended an arts class and was invited on a trip to Kew Gardens which he really enjoyed. "I'll tell you what, it feels great getting out and being part of a group ... I was pushing myself into myself and now I feel like I've come out of my shell." He also attended other activities when his health permitted and both he and his daughter said that he has really benefitted from the 'Link-Up' support, and the transport service, to help him get out of the house more and socialise. He really enjoys the lunch groups and getting to chat to lots of different people.
Case Study 1: KCSC provided significant start-up support to two local residents wanting to create a social enterprise to help young people enter the construction and rail industries. We supported the organisation to identify their social aims, understand and make decisions about their CIC structure, complete the set-up forms and adopt necessary policies. The founders noted that “You’ve made a really complicated process straight forward. Thanks so much for your help.” KCSC will continue to provide support, helping the organisation to plan its first project, source funding and measure its impact.
Case study 2: KCSC supported a local group to set up as an Unincorporated Association earlier this year. They had no experience with grant fundraising and we invited them to attend our 'grant fundraising for beginners' training in July to learn about how they can apply for their first grant. We showed them through answering the main questions that come up in an application form. They informed us in August that they had been successful with their first grant, an Innovation Fund application for a wellbeing project that starts in September.
Case study 3: A local BME organisation was finding it difficult to identify and look for women’s only sessions with a female lifeguard. KCSC put them in touch with London Sport, who were able to help them. The organisation said "Thank you on behalf of the group for your effort to resolve the issue with the availability of female life guards. It will be appreciated by the local women as they are going to enjoy the swimming sessions."
Case study 1: Joe Batty, KCSC's lead on Community Development, attended a meeting about the council's Employment Partnership offer at RBKC Town Hall. The focus of the meeting was how to engage men who were isolated, distant from the work place and not accessing services. The meeting involved councillors and council officers from across the spectrum of briefs, the Department of Work and Pensions, employment agencies and health professionals. At the meeting Joe suggested that a 'Men’s Shed' for the area would be very useful. Initially, people at the meeting were unsure about the idea, but eventually Joe was tasked with assessing the level of interest in a 'Shed'. By late 2018 he had established a coterie of local people, charities and statutory agencies interested in the idea, including potential funders. In early 2019 the NHS agreed to fund the project (later, Public Health funding was also secured by KCSC). Joe researched potential providers and venues, and in early April 2019 KCSC started a tendering process. By June the successful organisation (ACAVA) was appointed and the project launched in August 2019. The project is testament to joint strategic thinking, determined cross disciplinary co-operation and visionary funding from a statutory agency. The 'Maxilla Men's Shed' is now becoming established in the area and continues to grow and develop.