DCM’s Interface helps Third Sector and Business Sector Work together

The Billingham Environmental Link Programme is a multi faceted Community Programme part of which is targeting 100 hard to reach people in the area with the objective of assisting them in one or more areas of Life Style Development, Healthy Living, Training and/or Employment.

The programme has been partly funded by community grants such as The Communities Fund and Drugs Action Team funding.  The main aspect of the programme surrounds engagement with the individual with the initial outcome being Life Style Development for the individual, the other potential outcome are optional outcomes within the programme dependant on the individuals need.

In order to develop the individual it was necessary to consider how we could inspire the individual to create their own personalised action plan rather than front load them with options.  To this end I turned to the business sector through DCM to identify people whom I considered could assist in this field.

This is the difficult interface between the Business Sector and the Third Sector where I think there is a breakdown of purpose between the financial driven profit making orientation of the Business Sector and the not for profit, in many cases, voluntary commitment of the Third Sector (Voluntary and Community Groups).  What I needed to find was business people with the necessary skills who were willing to give up on a voluntary basis some of their time to develop the necessary programme I required.

In this particular case through DCM I managed to identify two business people Suhan Mihcioglu of Inscape Learning and Christine York of Ambition Academy.

After a number of meetings (at no cost to the funding) Suhan produced a ‘Self Actualisation’s programme which was successfully delivered over 10 weeks for which Suhan was paid from the funding on a weekly basis.

Within the client group one person was identified as in need of personal one to one life style development and through DCM Suhan and I identified Christine York as having the ideal skills for this particular person.  Suhan engaged with Christine and she, on a voluntary basis, identified the need of the client and then undertook the required work funded by the programme.

I can only describe the programme and the interface with DCM members as a success.

A full report on the programme has been submitted to the appropriate funding body which has been well received.

Further funding has been made available to take the programme forward in 2010.

I have no doubt that during the interface with others within the client group other specific individual needs will be identified and once again this is where I consider a well identified, data base of business sector provision can help the third sector in order to meet the needs of the individual and give business to those people who are willing in the early stages give up some of their time voluntary to develop a specific plan that they can implement when funded to assist the individual programme clients to achieve their ‘Self Actualisation Action Plan.

The person mentioned in this article after 14 years of unemployment, went for an interview for a part time job with another member of DCM who having heard about the work being done within this project at  the last DCM evening meal rang me the next day and offered the person concerned an opportunity to take up part time employment.

This is the Third Sector and Business Sector through the DCM interface making a real difference to people’s lives.

Kevin Pitt – The Billingham Partnership and Forcesnoticesboards - kevin@forcesnoticeboards.com

I met Kevin at one of our DCM evening meals and found out about The Billingham Environmental Link Programme a multi faceted Community Programme. After a number of meetings Kevin identified an individual currently taking part in the programme who he thought may benefit from some lifestyle coaching. This would add value to the programme they we’re currently attending delivered by Suhan of inscape a fellow DCM member. Both organisations work in a similar field of people development but offer very different things and this seemed a very good fit. I think its important to recognise that all people deserve the right support no matter the challenge and cost shouldn’t be a barrier, unfortunately this is sometimes the case. Through the partnership we we’re able to develop a bespoke programme covering the areas that the individual wanted to work on and we set out and achieved the objective. Working in partnership for me is essential and so much more can be achieved by this. It was an absolute pleasure working not only with the Billingham Partnership team but also the individual.

Christine York,  Ambition Academy -  ambition.academy1@ntlworld.com

Inscape Learning & Development Ltd was commissioned by the Billingham Environmental Link Project (BELP),  in conjunction with the BELP team, to create a Life Style Development Programme for their client group from within the BELP-Engagement Programme.

The purpose of the BELP – Life Style Development Programme was to change the participants’ thinking and behaviour in regard to a number of areas such as self-esteem and engagement with the community, leading them into training, education or employment in due course and as appropriate.

Using DCM’s dynamic platform and through true collaboration and professional interaction of DCM members Kevin Pitt of the BELP team and Christine York of Ambition Academy, we conducted the programme on behalf of the Billingham Partnership.

Overall,  the Life Style Development Programme has been highly successful and the evaluation from the clients on the whole programme was exceptional.

It has been our pleasure to conduct this work on behalf of the Billingham Partnership and we are very pleased that such an opportunity has been created and that three DCM member organisations participated in this project within their first year of DCM membership.

Suhan Mihcioglu – Inscape Learning Ltd- suhan@inscapelearning.com