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Testimonials
“It is clearly one of the great nights in the charity calendar and it is run very professionally. An excellent night; thank-you very much.”
Keith Hickey,
chief executive,
CFDG
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The Leadership Trust
CAN Mezzanine (formally Mezzanine 2)
A home for charities
‘Our main goal was to offer high quality office space for charitable organisations,’ says Community Action Network’s business manager Kirstin Ross. This was the impetus behind the Mezzanine 2 complex at London Bridge, which now houses 65 organisations with 350 staff.
After setting up a similar initiative in Waterloo, the Network was aware of the demand from charities for affordable, serviced offices in London, and market research suggested such a concept could work in Southwark. Southwark council agreed to grant discretionary rate relief and a £250,000 loan was obtained from Charity Bank.
Mezzanine 2 was set up as a separate entity and gained its own charitable status, with the goals of self-sufficiency and sustainability without grant funding. The late success in attracting London Development Authority funding allowed these aims to be achieved sooner than anticipated, as well as equipping the premises to a higher standard.
The building opened in December 2004, and all three floors were filled within two months. A further floor was leased in mid-2005 and also filled within two months. ‘We are now looking to replicate and share the concept with other people in the sector,’ adds Ross.
New Philanthropy Capital is one of the charities reaping the benefits. ‘Joining the Mezzanine has done much more for us than just give us access to cost-effective space and shared resources,’ says chief executive Nigel Harris. ‘We’ve definitely benefited from being part of the wider community, both professionally and socially. It has also helped us develop new partnerships with other voluntary organisations.’
Kirstin Ross |  |
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Extracare Charitable Trust
Activity-based support for older people
One of Extracare’s key activities is the provision of housing schemes and retirement villages for older people, and the Wellbeing programme provides residents with health screening, information and advice. ‘The Wellbeing Programme is there to allow residents to maintain their independence and take part in an active lifestyle,’ says project officer Richard Tuckey.
A survey of residents in 2001 revealed that 75 per cent of residents who were not receiving a care or support package had not accessed any health screening via their GP or the NHS. When the charity undertook a pilot health screening scheme, 122 previously undetected conditions were found among a population of just 136, ranging from continence issues through to dangerously high blood pressure. ‘In particular, we have been able to identify cancer at an early treatable stage,’ adds Tuckey, ‘and have therefore saved lives.’
When the benefits became clear, a five-year plan was drawn up to extend the pilot to all housing schemes. This plan has now been completed, with 15 qualified nurses working full and part-time as Wellbeing Advisers covering all the charity’s housing schemes and villages. Their roles include organising health information events and developing links with restaurant services, fitness instructors and local health specialists such as GPs and opticians.
Pauline Wilkinson, a resident at the Stoke-on-Trent retirement village, emphasises the benefits. ‘The Wellbeing Programme in our village has resulted in us feeling more mobile and independent and, dare I say it, younger and happier individuals.’
Richard Tuckey |  |
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The Place2Be
Supporting parents and carers as well as supporting children
Over the past 12 years, The Place2Be has grown from a small project in one school in London to a national charity which makes therapeutic and emotional support available to 35,000 children in 106 primary schools. Its philosophy is to work with the ‘whole child’, meaning it supports parents and carers as well as the child.
While existing project managers were building relationships with parents through the children, they were finding their time was too limited to help parents who sought further support or advice. Furthermore, parents were unwilling to be referred to other agencies for fear of being stigmatised or having their child removed from them. As a result, ‘A Place for Parents’ was launched, which provides non-judgmental, confidential one-to-one sessions for parents and carers in schools.
117 parents have taken part in 50-minute one-on-one support sessions over periods of eight to 24 weeks; 75 more have attended one-off consultations. First piloted in London, regional services are now established in County Durham, Medway, Nottingham and Edinburgh.
‘The high take-up and attendance at A Place for Parents is a reflection of the trusting relationship The Place2Be has with the children and their parents within our school communities,’ says chief executive Benita Refson. ‘The measured outcomes are very positive and the personal feedback from parents is heart-warming and emphasises their appreciation of this non-stigmatising, easily-accessible support.’
Catherine Roche |
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