Resilience Building
Specialist support for local organisations
Through the Active Essex’s place-based work and alongside the Essex Local Delivery Pilot, the team have identified many organisations in need of specialist support. This related to legal structures, business planning, fundraising strategies and governance, which were halting their ability to develop their organisations to meet the aims of supporting more people to be active.
Over the past 2 years, Active Essex have developed 2 programmes, funded through the Essex Local Delivery Pilot and Tackling Inequalities/Together Fund, to provide specialist and bespoke support on business development, capacity, and resilience building to enable local community organisations who deliver physical activity, to be in a position of growth and sustained success.
Each organisation received a health check to understand their current position and help identify the priority areas of support in which the organisation needed. A bespoke programme of support was then offered and delivered to each organisation.
These health checks allowed a deepened understanding of each organisation, and helped to advice around policy development, staff terms of employment, accounting, human resource development and effective governance. To sustain this work, networking and referrals to like-minded individuals and groups was set up to continue to share and learn best practices.
Working with ‘MG – Training & Consultancy’, who specialise in third sector development, has resulted in 59 organisations having had support. Through these programmes, we have seen significant strengthening and growth of the fantastic work they do in their communities.Hayley Chapman, Strengthening Communities Strategic Lead
Successes of the programme have seen 17 groups and organisations receive direct advice and support on funding bids, culminating in £2.38 million generated in new funds as a result of this programme’s intervention; thus showing the importance of focusing on business support and growth.
Additionally, 16 new Community Interest Companies have been incorporated to support the aims of the organisations’ development, whilst others have been advised on updating their structure for compliance and eligibility purposes.
Key Learnings
It's important to take time to reflect and understand the learnings from work undertaken, in order to focus on ways to improve in the future.
Commitment
Organisations tend to be kept afloat by the dedication of 1 or 2 committed people
Delivery cycles
A real need to break down cycles to support longer term and sustainable planning.
Business support
Most organisations have good connections locally but need access to business support.
Structures
Poor advice previously results in legal structures that aren’t conducive to their aims.
