Community Projects in Barnet

On 19th July Community Projects in Barnet was registered as a Community Interest Company. When charitable registration is complete then Barnet Community Projects will be the asset locked organisation nominated to benefit through CPB's work.

This will give the team flexibility to generate mixed income streams, and develop activities that support local residents to grow their own projects to the benefit of their communities.

Great news.

Two new assignments confirmed

June and July 2010 have been particularly.

Flourishing undertook its first piece of interim management work - covering a Trustee development post at a CVS for a couple of months whilst a permanent appointee was sought. A rapid learning stage with immediate need to deliver workshops, informative communications and an end of year lottery report.

We also took on two more assignments.

One to design and deliver consultation work with disabled children and their families in a west London borough. This will underpin the development of the special needs strategy. The design work is underway now - with delivery through September. A variety of engagement approaches are needed to make this accessible for pupils with different communication needs, and parents with different levels of availability.

The second is to support the development of safeguarding materials for professionals engaging with faith communities, BME and refugee communities. This will run through until the end of 2011.

We are now a team of three - with associates working with us according to the needs of each project. So our capacity has increased, as well as the breadth of what we can offer.

If you are interested in what we can do - get in touch.

Busy June

It's been another busy month for Flourishing - but a satisfying one too.

We said goodbye to one long standing client, as the assignment came to a close. But a big hallo to a new local authority client. The work here is to consult with disabled young people and their families in order to shape the local SEN strategy. Lots of scope for creative and accessible engagement.

Repeat business with another client - to develop a team event for a group of trustees, where newcomers are fully integrated with longer serving team members to build something new and fit for the future.

July sees two new assignments kicking off, and two coming to a close.

We have a new member of the team now - Victoria joins us to take on some research activities and to help Flourishing to move to the next stage as a registered company (as opposed to being a group of associates). Premises may well be in the offing too.

Alex continues to mastermind the back office, and has done a fantastic job on some international research for a university department - pulling together a worldwide mapping of degree courses to support promotion of a masters programme to overseas students.

This has been a good month for networking too. Raoul and Jane (former colleagues at the Pru - and now on totally different paths), and Julie from Paradigm to discuss personalisation and the challenges for the voluntary sector.

The next big step

Sorry it's been so long since the last blog.

Lot's of work underway - and a mad couple of months in prospect.

Wrapping up some marketing work for a play/disability organisation

Setting up a new community organisation, and applying for funding to develop the youth work

More funding for a client providing advice and advocacy for parents of disabled children

Developing creative learning opportunities for trustees and management committees for a CVS as interim management of a lottery funded project

Taking the mapping of nutrition degree courses worldwide to the next level, and developing a marketing plan for the results

Part of a pan-London safeguarding project team

Participating in a strategy day for a disability charity

And that's just this week - hence the feeling that maybe Flourishing has reached the stage where it needs more resources - premises, associates and staff. In discussions on all three fronts - so watch this space...

Cognitive Surplus

If the work you are engaged in does not stretch you - or develop your skills then you may be in a cognitive surplus situation. Essentially, you have more to offer. Frustration results and alternative outlets are sought.

This is not a new phenomenon - but there is an increasing awareness of the consequences.

The truth about what really motivates us...

Check this link - worth 10 minutes of your time to think about how you manage your staff, and the kind of organisation you are building.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

No win - no fee

A small local advocacy group is struggling to finance its work. The manager is funding the activities herself. This is an organisation meeting the needs of vulnerable people, and filling a niche - but struggling to attract funds.

Flourishing are offering a no win, no fee funding service to help them get things off the ground - and to move to the next stage of development. 5 funding applications - with a flat fee for each successful one.

This is a new arrangement - and it will be interesting to see how it evolves. Initial feedback from the first potential funder seems encouraging.