Signpost
Resource
Centres
Annual Report 2011 / 2012
Section 1
Activity Report
Section 2
Accounts
Chairman's Report / Eugene KraftThe year ending 31st March 2012 was again a busy year for Signpost. Visitors to our centres in Greenstead and Tendring totalled8589, a slight increase on the previous year.
The opportunity to expand Signpost operations was provided by the Lottery grant and funding from the Henry Smith Foundation mentioned in my previous report. The Trustees want to use these grants to establish a firm and sustainable base for Signpost by expanding our funding base. The opening of additional centres is part of this strategy and the Basildon centre has been successful in obtaining funding from the Essex Community Foundation and the Swan Foundation, though this was after the end of the year under review.
The Trustees have also identified a need to address youth unemployment and build on the successful introduction of two youth projects at our Tendring centre. The Tendring centre manager, Diane Boyd, has therefore been given special responsibilities as Youth Development Manager across all Signpost centres.
The trustees have recently appointed our Development Manager, Paul Feasey, as Chief Executive Officer.
We continue to be grateful to our funders, not least of which is Colchester Borough Council that has supported us continuously from the early days of Signpost.
Our thanks must also go to the staff and volunteers who have worked hard during the year to deliver our services to the unemployed.
Eugene Kraft
Chair
Development Manager’s Report / Paul FeaseyIn last year’s report I was able to describe how we were addressing the peaks and troughs in our long term financial health by developing a business plan to increase the diversity of our income and thus our sustainability while serving more communities. In this Report I will briefly recap the Business plan and report on Progress:
The Business Plan
The plan comprises three strands:
Expansion. To meet the needs of people in even more communities and increase our access to funds/contracts. This also increases the number of Centre Managers working on fundraising.
Income Generation. Centre Managers have the responsibility for raising funds for both their centre and Signpost as a whole. Thankfully we have some talented, entrepreneurial people in post, and it is those qualities that will deliver a diverse funding portfolio, increasing our sustainability.
Organisational Systems. The increase in both size and diversity of Signpost, its activity and income streams creates many challenges: Spread across many deprived communities we will need to overcome Geography. Having multiple Centres delivering multiple projects creates: Complexity. There will be others, so our systems and ways of working are evolving to meet these new challenges.
Progress Report
Expansion. As you will see from elsewhere in this report we have opened a new centre in Basildon. This is a significant step in the Business Plan and has been made possible by good quality partnership working and a sophisticated approach by our funders.
Income Generation. We have gained two fundraisers and have secured contracts to work with young people which add to our diversity. At the time of writing, we are secure in the short to medium term. As always the longer term holds challenges but we are better equipped to face them now.
Organisational Systems. The predicted complexity has arisen and we are managing multiple projects across multiple centres. To help us cope with this we are starting to work with Sharepoint; a web based application that lets us communicate across the whole of Signpost. Hopefully, this means we will spend less time shuffling bits of paper and more time working with the people who we are here to help.
In summary, Signpost is making good progress with the Business plan and our development. This will give us strength in depth, inspiring confidence in our funders and clients. This enhances our effectiveness and sustainability and prepares us for the future.
Paul Feasey
Development Manager
Centre Manager’s ReportSignpost Greenstead / Alf Mullins
Visitor Numbers
Visitor numbers remained steady with nearly 6,000 visits in the year 2011-12 although the number of new visitors fell by around 13%.
Centre Activity
Changes to IT have included: new PCs which have improved performance, desk space and general look of the room; upgrade to BT Infinity; implementation of SharePoint to improve communication and standardisation across Signpost.
James Anderton from Colchester Borough Council's Community Team has taken over coordinating the Work Club from Russell Green. The Library’s Homework Club, which uses Signpost’s facilities, has been saved for at least a year. Thanks to a very generous donation from a local GP, Dr Laurel Spooner, which will cover the staff costs for a year, we have been given more time to look for alternative funding.
Projects
The Future Jobs Fund programme finished in September; it gave 18-25 year olds paid work with charities and not-for-profit organisations in Colchester. The scheme was very successful with over 50% of participants going on to gain employment, enter further education or take up apprenticeships.
Funding
We are again grateful for Colchester Borough Council’s continuing support for our Greenstead centre.
Networking
I continue to attend meetings of Colchester Works, and the SAINT community group for St Andrews.
Staff and Volunteers
Qualifications and training completed have included; Teresa, Double Entry Bookkeeping; Jon, Introduction to Counselling Concepts, Practical Fundraising Strategies; Alf, Safeguarding Children Designated Person, Working with Personality Disorder.Katie Fuller was married with staff attending the wedding and reception.David Burne completed his time with us under the Future Jobs Fund, but carried on as a volunteer before gaining full time work.Alan has remained as a regular volunteer, whilst Andy and Sarah have both continued volunteering occasionally.
I would like to express my gratitude to all the staff and volunteers for their hard work and dedication throughout the year and to the Trustees for their continuing help and support.
Alf Mullins
Centre Manager
Centre Manager’s ReportSignpost Tendring / Diane Boyd
Centre Activity
Centre activity has increased by 60% in terms of New Client Referrals and 7% in Visitor Activity in the last year. November 2011 saw the opening of our ‘Youth Drop in’ for 14 – 19 year olds and success in obtaining a Youth East Contract with Hertfordshire College, offering a variety of courses from Novice Fork Lift Truck to an Intense Lifeguard Level 2. In excess of 150 young people have either self referred or been referred through mainstream education/schools or professional agencies to our centre. 72% of the young people that started the Youth East Project have progressed into employment, apprenticeships or FE.
Securing funding and forging a partnership with Pioneer Sailing Trust sealed the foundations for the new M.A.H.S.T. Project (Modern and Heritage Skills Training), offering skills workshops, and activity days and work experience in Brightlingsea. Carpentry/joinery facilities, with a view to boatbuilding and a variety of additional practical skills, are now on offer at Jaywick and we have recently been awarded Centre Recognition status from NOCN to deliver our own accredited qualification.
Outreach Provision
We continue to provide support at Clacton and Harwich Libraries and recently we have been offering a service at the Shelter Project in Pier Avenue Baptist Church supporting unemployed homeless clients.
Funding
Financial support from Tendring District Council, an important partnership for future development, Youth East Contract with Hertfordshire College, grant from the Fairshare Trust and the Pioneer Sailing Trust in Brightlingsea has made a valuable contribution of support to the success of our new MAHST Project. Contracts with local providers and schools have given us the opportunity to provide innovative and quality provision for the young people in the community.
Staff and Volunteers
A huge thank you to the staff of Tendring Signpost, Bob, Cilla and Phil and the volunteers for their loyalty over the years, Roy, Kriss, Alan and Graeme. A special mention must go to Janeen Trundle who has been the ‘linchpin’ to the success of the positive progression attained for the young people in Tendring through local employer engagement.
Last but not least a big thank you to Alf, Centre Manager at Colchester, supporting me with all things that are ‘IT’, your help has been invaluable.
Diane Boyd
Centre Manager
Centre Manager’s ReportSignpost Basildon / Artak Poghosyan
Whilst Signpost Basildon became established outside the period of this report it is included here as a significant development.
Signpost Basildon – History and Progress
Signpost Basildon centre was launched on the 1st May 2012.
Earlier in Sep 2011 a weekly Work Club was launched by a number of partners working in the Craylands, Basildon to run weekly sessions every Thursday, 1-4pm. The pilot project was very successful and attracted many residents who needed help with job search, CV development and internet access. After the evaluation of the pilot project in January 2012 it was confirmed that there was a need for more permanent structure/service to be established. Signpost (Colchester) was approached by the partnership with a proposal to establish everyday services from Swan Consultation building, making the Work Club a full time and professionally run service for all the residents of Basildon and nearby areas.
Signpost Basildon is funded by Fair Share Trust Programme, Swan Foundation, TCHC, Basildon Borough Council, Swan Housing and Friends of Craylands.
The centre has 2 members of staff and 3 volunteers.
Artak Poghosyan
Centre Manager
Accounts in here
Signpost Resource Centres for the Unemployed
Trustees, Staff and Volunteers
Chair / Eugene KraftTrustees
Development Manager / Rev. Bryan Snaith
Alderman Mary Frank
Kenneth Clarke
Chris Profitt
Richard Thomas
Fred Heddell
Paul Feasey
Signpost Greenstead
First Floor, the Library,
Hawthorne Avenue,
Greenstead,
Colchester,
Essex. CO4 3QE / Alf Mullins
Teresa Anthony
Jon Rees
Katie Fuller
Sarah Nevard
Alan Dobson
Andy Allen
T: 01206 861800 / F: 01206 861802 / E:
Signpost Tendring,
Unit 5, Jaywick Enterprise Centre,
Lotus Way,
Jaywick,
Clacton on Sea
Essex. CO15 2LU / Diane Boyd
Bob Martin
Cilla Beirne
Janeen Trundle
Phil Ashdown
Graeme Burrell
Roy Sobanja
Kriss Moore
Alan Ames
T: 01255 688683 / E:
Signpost Basildon,
21 Exeter Close
Craylands
Basildon
SS14 3QT / Artak Poghosyan
Judy Bell
Carol Paul
Debbie Hunt
Judy Lewis
T: 01268 451456 / E: