Continuing Octavia s legacy in London

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1 Continuing Octavia s legacy in London How we make a difference to individuals and communities Octavia Foundation Impact Report 0/

2 What we did in We ve had an incredible year... We ve had an incredible year... Our work across London Our work with older and vulnerable people Our work with young people and children Help with jobs and training Our work to help with money and debt Involving the community Fundraising and support What we raised and how we spent it Looking to the future Thanks Peter S Chapman Chair, Octavia Foundation Welcome to the Octavia Foundation s Impact Report for 0-0. London was always going to be an exciting place to be in 0-. Events like the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee mean that the last months will be remembered as a good year for many years to come. Here at the Octavia Foundation, we ve also had a very special year. We ve delivered some fantastic projects and initiatives which have impacted over 90 individuals throughout the local community that s more than ever before. Our work hasn t just increased in scale; in June 0 when we commissioned research from the University of Manchester, they concluded that our work is empowering, its impact is life-changing and is wholly motivated by the needs and aspirations of local individuals and communities. Significantly, 0 also marks the 00th anniversary of the death of our namesake, Octavia Hill. More than 0 years after Octavia started her work with the poor of London, we think that her ideas are still relevant and they influence all of our work in the community. It is a great honour to commemorate the centenary of her death by working to continue her legacy. This Impact Report can include only a snapshot of all that has been achieved in the last months, but I hope that it gives you a good insight into the range of diverse services and projects that we have delivered. This progress, and the impact that we have to local individuals and communities is possible only with your support. The kindness and generosity of our volunteers, supporters, funders and friends allows our work to be possible. We are very grateful to you all, thank you! Whatever your relationship with the Octavia Foundation today, whether you are a current or potential supporter, someone who benefits from our work, or someone who d like to get involved, I hope that you find our achievements over the last months to be inspiring and encouraging Impact Report 0/ 0

3 Key Operated from a single location Borough wide Hounslow Ealing Richmond Our shops by borough Turn to the back cover for further information about our shops. 6 Camden Finchley Road Hampstead Ealing Ealing Hammersmith and Fulham Askew Road Fulham Road Wandsworth Bridge Road Hounslow Turnham Green Brent Barnet Hammersmith and Fulham Wandsworth Kensington and Chelsea Brompton Road Bute Street Olympia Kensington Church Street Kings Road Richmond Barnes Richmond East Sheen West Sheen Wandsworth Putney Tooting Westminster Queensway Camden Kensington and Chelsea 8 Westminster Our activities Young people and children BASE (creative and cultural club) Pimlico Saturday football club Vale Farm Sports Centre, North Wembley Summer sports programme Campden Hill Lawn Tennis Club Culture Club Kensington and Chelsea Media and film projects Brent, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark, Westminster Employment and training Westminster Works Westminster Retail Training Programme Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Richmond Future Foundations Brent, Fulham, Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea Westminster Our work Southwark across London in 0- We ve had a very busy months. In 0- our work directly benefitted 9 people - that s almost 00 more than in the previous year! Involving the community Money and debt advice Older and vulnerable people Acorns Project Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster Volunteering Camden, Ealing, Fulham, Hammersmith, Hounslow, Richmond, Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth, Westminster Your Credit Union, Kensington & Chelsea* Welfare and education grants* Barnet, Brent, Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark, Wandsworth, Westminster Welfare, benefits and debt advice* Barnet, Brent, Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark, Wandsworth, Westminster Lunch Clubs Kensington Day Centre and the Quest Day Centre Older people s Christmas party Outreach and befriending Westminster Handyman service* Barnet, Brent, Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark, Wandsworth, Westminster Garden Guardians* Barnet, Brent, Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark, Wandsworth, Westminster Note: Although most of our services and activities are open to people in all of our core boroughs, those with an asterix are only open to Octavia tenants or residents of a particular borough.

4 Our work with older and vulnerable people Our work with older and vulnerable people is highly practical and also addresses social and emotional needs. Whether we help someone to change a light bulb or by arranging weekly visits from a new friend, we know that our work has a big impact and helps people to remain independent and involved in their local community. Christmas party We also organise annual events, like our Christmas party for older residents in Kensington and Chelsea. This year we welcomed 80 older people for an afternoon of entertainment and celebrations, including music, carols and bingo. For some of our guests, our party is the only opportunity they have to celebrate Christmas and everyone receives a hamper of goodies. Garden Guardians Garden Guardians We provided a free gardening service for 7 older or vulnerable tenants, partnering with Age UK s Garden Guardians. Some needed help to trim a hedge; others had entire gardens cleared. In each instance, our support made a big difference and allowed residents to enjoy their gardens more! Handyman service We also fund a handyman service for older tenants; 90 residents benefitted from the service this year. Like the Garden Guardians service, the level of support varies enormously. For some residents we changed a light bulb that was just out of reach, for others we helped to move heavy furniture. Lunch clubs and day centres We help to fund Octavia Housing s lunch clubs for older people in Kensington and Chelsea. In 0- we gave 60,000 which funded the service to deliver around 6,7 hot lunches to vulnerable local residents. Afternoon tea at the Cadogan Hotel for local older people, March 0 Guests at our Christmas party, December 0 Outreach & befriending We were awarded a contract from Westminster Council to provide outreach and befriending services in August 0. Our befriending service offers emotional support to older people in the borough. So far, we ve exceeded all targets set for the service and matched 80 local people with volunteer befrienders who visit them every week. We ve received excellent feedback and it s clear that the programme has impacted our volunteers just as significantly as the beneficiaries. Before the current contract, we delivered a befriending programme in Westminster funded by the NHS. At the project s close in June 0, we had helped 9 people, exceeding our target of. Efi & Shawgi Efi has been visiting Shawgi for months. The party was lovely, I enjoyed the raffle most because I won! I enjoyed the bingo which was exciting and the game, the food and the atmosphere! Mrs Mullock I feel I m not volunteering anymore, it s more than that we have a real friendship and my visits are part of my life. I find it rewarding for many reasons, mainly the friendship, I m very lucky because Shawgi is great. I feel I m helping people and it makes me feel better about myself. I feel that they really care about me as well, as though I m part of their family. Efi Efi s given me lots of help and support, she takes me out in my wheelchair and is great company, and has broken my feeling of isolation. I enjoy her company and our discussions - we both share interests in politics and current affairs. Her visits inspire me and made me feel much happier! Shawgi 06 Impact Report 0/ 07

5 Our work with young people and children This year we were able to extend our youth work and opened a permanent centre to provide activities throughout the year, in addition to specific projects. We worked with over 0 young people in 0/. BASE Activities take place three times a week at BASE in Pimlico, our new centre for young people. On Mondays and Thursdays, our youth workers and volunteers work with young people aged + and on Tuesdays, we welcome children aged 6 -. Sessions are free and include a healthy, hot meal and travel expenses are reimbursed. Activities to date have included art and music workshops, debates and homework clubs, but our emphasis is on meeting our young people s interests; we encourage them to develop and suggest ideas for BASE throughout the year. Over 80% of our attendees live within ten minutes of the venue in the Churchill Ward, an area that suffers from high levels of unemployment, crime and deprivation. We encourage our attendees to immerse themselves in creative activities and to channel their energy into positive, fulfilling projects. A trip to the imax at the Science Museum, July 0 Summer tennis programme, August 0 Summer sports programme We funded a week s tennis coaching (delivered by Solidarity Sports) at Campden Hill Tennis Club for 0 kids aged seven -. The programme was free and included a healthy lunch for each child. The tennis club was a huge success, introducing local children, (many from disadvantaged backgrounds), to a new sport. Throughout the week the children s confidence, balance and coordination also improved. Weekly football club We also fund a Saturday morning five-a-side football club in Wembley for up to young people, delivered by Solidarity Sports. Margins to Mainstream: the story of Black Theatre in Britain We partnered with Nu Century Arts to produce a documentary film about the story of Black Theatre in Britain. 6 of our young people took part in the project (between April 0 and March 0) and were involved at every stage of production, developing their skills in media, research and film-making. The film premiered in May 0 and was screened across London and Birmingham, to high acclaim. The project also helped to develop our young film-makers confidence and presentation skills; many were interviewed as part of the promotions for the film. To watch the film s trailer, visit youtube.com/octaviafoundation Kim, 0 Our young film-makers at the Royal Court I really enjoyed the project because I learnt lots of new things! I furthered my knowledge with the camera and knowing what it is you need to create interesting footage to keep the audience engaged. Culture club Kensington Palace, July 0 Our Culture Club allowed more than 70 young people to access and to engage with a range of local arts activities between May 0 and March 0. We engaged with a diverse group of young people, many of whom were from disadvantaged backgrounds with no other access to cultural activities. Activities included trips to the Science Museum, Kensington Palace Gardens and the Royal Court theatre. The project developed organically and was responsive to feedback from the young people who took part. We supported them to develop their creative potential and hosted a script-writing workshop, a series of debates and film-making courses at their request. [on a trip to the imax]... I felt I was in a real jungle! I reached out to touch the animals but I couldn t feel anything. I hope I can go back. Amira,8 Visit to watch a short film about the project. 08 Impact Report 0/ 09

6 Help with jobs and training Apprenticeships Our new employment and training programme, Future Foundations, began in January 0. In the first six month of the project we worked with over 0 local people, eight of whom have achieved paid employment and a further 0 that are currently undertaking work placements to support and develop their employment prospects. With high levels of unemployment and ongoing changes to welfare reform, it s unsurprising that we ve experienced increased demand for our employment and training services over the past year. We expect this demand to continue and will plan to extend our provision where possible. Westminster works Funded by the London Councils and the European Social Fund, we were one of several organisations appointed to provide employment support to over 000 adults in Westminster. We offered a tailored service and our employment advisor developed a relationship with every participant. Future Foundations into paid work into volunteering into work placements Our namesake, Octavia Hill believed passionately in offering people the opportunity to develop themselves and to gain skills. As part of activities to mark the centenary of her death in 0, we are working with colleagues in Octavia Housing to launch five brand new apprenticeships in construction, retail and office services for local residents. Each apprenticeship will last for months and will give young people aged 6- the opportunity to develop job-specific skills in a real job and to achieve a recognised qualification whilst earning a salary. When the programme ended in November 0, we had helped 6 people into paid work (a whopping 0% over our allocated target!) and helped 9 other people in to volunteering or work placements (0% over our allocated target!). We commissioned a report* to look at the social return of our Westminster Works programme and conservative estimates show that for every invested in the project, a return of. was identified (from savings of state benefits paid to unemployed households). That s not to mention the huge impact we made to people s wellbeing and happiness. Gisele Gisele approached the Octavia Foundation in early 0 and began work as an Assistant Trainee Nurse in July. When I approached the Octavia Foundation I lacked confidence, felt very nervous and needed help to write CVs and apply for jobs. I d been a full time mum for ten years (to four young children) and I didn t want to set a bad example to my kids. I d done lots of volunteering and training but being unemployed isn t fun. I d always wanted to work in healthcare and Wray (my employment advisor) was kind and patient and provided me with tailored advice and support. really helped me and I m very grateful. Gisele The apprenticeships will be launched in August 0 and we really believe they ll allow young residents to develop their employment prospects watch this space! I m a driven person but looking back I was depressed. I thought I might lose my home and was anxious. I m back to my upbeat self now. Wray [employment advisor] changed my life. Tamara 0 *To receive a copy of the report, please get in touch! Gisele, March 0 Impact Report 0/

7 Our work to help with money and debt We help local people on issues surrounding money by awarding essential grants and by funding advice services. This year we extended this work to include an innovative short film and backed the ongoing development of a new credit union service. Welfare and education grants We administer hardship and education grants to Octavia residents on behalf of the Friends of Octavia Housing. grants (up to a value of 00 each) were awarded this year. Grants are made for essential household items or repairs, and may include for example, a new television for a housebound older tenant or new carpets to replace damaged or old furnishings. welfare and education grants were also awarded to support tenants and residents with their ongoing education. Your Credit Union Kensington & Chelsea Our support of a new credit union service for Kensington and Chelsea continues, after we funded an initial feasibility study in 00. An independent shadow board is now in place and an application for the credit union was submitted to the Financial Service Authority in August 0. It received final approval in May 0. Welfare benefits and debt advice We continue to fund a programme of welfare benefits and debt advice for tenants, delivered by dedicated advisors from Westminster Citizens Advice Bureau. Over 60 tenants benefitted from the service, exceeding our initial target of 0 demonstrating a strong demand for the service. Bridging the Gaps Bridging the Gaps is a short film, produced by nine young people to address concerns or confusions identified within the local community, surrounding the proposed changes to welfare and benefits. The project began in April 0, with funding from the Big Lottery Fund, giving young people the opportunity to learn more about benefits, budgeting and the proposed cuts. The end result was a minute film that successfully addresses the proposed changes to welfare and benefits that confronts the anxieties that we identified within the local area. The film includes interviews with a local MP, financial consultant and tenants and residents of Octavia Housing and was a great example of a community-led response to a national issue. Accompanying materials were produced and distributed along with the film to local community groups and individuals. To watch the film visit or call to request a copy. Over 0,000 of grants were awarded this year and as with many of our services, we ve witnessed increasing need and demand. 0,000 The trading name will be Your Credit Union, Kensington & Chelsea and everything is on track for a launch in late 0. We re supporting the credit union with in-kind support and office services and have made a significant investment to help get the project off the ground. NEW I m writing to thank you for the grant enabling me to have a new cooker, after mine had been condemned. A big thanks to all, it s comforting to know that the Octavia Foundation are concerned about the elderly who have no one else to support or care for them. Mrs Johnson We can t wait to start promoting the credit union to the people we work with and know it has the potential to make a huge difference to local communities! Kym, Jocelyn and Asmita at a screening of the film, September 0 Impact Report 0/

8 Involving the community All of our work encourages community involvement and helps to develop opportunities for individuals to become more involved in their local area. Our volunteering programme and the Acorns project are particular examples of activities that have developed the theme of community involvement. Volunteering Our volunteer programme is a key part of our community involvement and employment and training initiatives, and has developed significantly over the last year. We ve more than doubled the number of people volunteering with us and have ambitious targets to continue growing our volunteer programme! Over 00 people regularly volunteer their time to our projects, over 0% of these have volunteered with us for more than a year, despite a minimum time commitment of only six months for our volunteer roles. Acorns Project In 0-, 89 people were registered as volunteer befrienders and a further 6 people volunteered in our charity shops. We also supported several volunteer placements in our care schemes, youth projects and within our offices. The Acorns Project is a new initiative that recognises the role the Foundation plays in incubating and developing local individuals as future community champions. The project was identified during research undertaken by the University of Manchester in 0 and encompasses the support and resources that we share with local individuals and groups that we believe have fantastic potential. Moktar Alatas Volunteer Rita at our Kensington Church Street shop All of our volunteers receive a full induction and ongoing training throughout the year and we provide regular social activities. In June 0, we were awarded the Good Practice Award by Kensington and Chelsea Volunteer Centre, in recognition of the quality of our volunteer programme and opportunities. Aspire Inspire Kwadwo Moktar is a young tenant who established Aspire Inspire a fantastic youth-led social enterprise that works to empower marginalised young people in Kensington and Chelsea. We funded AI s website, helped to broker funding and support Moktar with office space. In August 0, we nominated Moktar for a London Peace Award, because of the incredible contribution he s made to the local community. The judges agreed, and Moktar was presented with his award by Boris Johnson at City Hall in September! Solidarity Sports We helped Sean, founder of Solidarity Sports to register the group as a charity and provided advice and initial project funding. We still work closely with Sean and assist with fundraising and development. Solidarity Sports deliver our football club and summer tennis club. Raè Evelyn Raè Evelyn Raè is also a young acorn and has been involved with the Foundation for five years. Through her participation in our media projects, she has developed an interest in film and theatre. We supported her to write a screenplay by brokering script-writing master classes and helped her with funding applications. Kwadwo is a mature social care student. He is a volunteer befriender and has been visiting Joseph since July 0. I wanted to volunteer to help local people and my community and also to get experience working with vulnerable adults, because I want to work in social care when I graduate. I love visiting Joseph I see him once a week and because he s a wheelchair user and unable to leave the house independently, we tend to go out. Normally we go to the pub for a drink and a chat Joseph really enjoys the pub but he can t go on his own. It s been really humbling to learn more about him and the challenges he faces and it has made my degree much more relevant. I can t imagine my life without volunteering I find it hugely rewarding. Kwadwo Kwadwo at our volunteer celebration event, July 0 Impact Report 0/

9 Fundraising and support We raise money from a wide range of sources and this year, we ve been able to increase the amount of funding that we ve received through external sources by 0,000. What we raised and how we spent it Our charity shops Fundraising The figures on this page are from our unaudited accounts, but they provide a good overview of our income and how we ve spent the money. Our 0 charity shops across London, sell a mix of donated and brand new items to raise money for our work. We opened a new shop in East Sheen and a temporary shop on Wandsworth Bridge Road this year and have had good sales across the year. Our shops are staffed by a mix of paid staff and volunteers and their boundless energy and enthusiasm is a key part to our shop s success. 6 people volunteered in our shops this year, spending an incredible,696 hours supporting our work in our shops! Gift Aid We introduced the gift aid scheme in late 00, allowing the shops to claim an additional % from the tax man, on donated items sold in our shops. In total, we ve raised an extra 80,000 to support our work from the scheme! We ask supporters to gift aid their items when they donate to our shops and so far nearly 6,000 donors have joined the scheme. From April 0 March 0, we were able to claim over 8,000 from HMRC at no extra cost to our customers or donors. Customers made an estimated, transactions in the period thank you for spending your money in our shops and for keeping our tills ringing! In 0- we recruited a record number of runners to complete sponsored events to support our work. In total, runners raised over 6,000, having raced over 9 miles for the Octavia Foundation! Beth Cox ran six half marathons in six months for the charity, as well as the Virgin London Marathon 0. Her challenge took in the Edinburgh, Southend, Marlow, Windsor, Portsmouth and Royal Park s half marathons - she ran 0 miles for us in total and many more in training. Incredible! Trusts and foundations Support from trusts and foundations remains a key part of our fundraising strategy. This year we ve received project-specific funding from the Big Lottery Fund and additional funding for BASE - the impact of which will be seen over the next months. Our grant from Octavia Housing includes the profits from the Octavia Foundation charity shops Expenditure includes all direct costs and staff costs You ll notice that it may appear as though we spent more than we raised this year. This is because funding for some of this year s projects was received in the previous financial year. Income % (00k) Grant from Octavia Housing 6% (7k) Other grant income 0% (9k) Funding from Friends of Octavia 6% (0k) Property rental income % (k) Donation of office services from Octavia Housing % (0k) Income from investments Expenditure 79% (7k) Project costs 9% (k) Fundraising costs 7% (8k) Other costs % (k) Public relation costs Project Expenditure 9% (86k) Older and vulnerable people 0% (9k) Help with money and debt 7% (8k) Employment and training % (7k) Young people and children 9% (0k) Community involvement To receive a copy of our audited accounts, please get in touch! Impact Report 0/ 7

10 Looking to the future... Director s conclusions Thank you! Thank you to all of the organisations and individuals that have contributed to our work this year. Particularly, we are grateful to our trustees and to all of our wonderful volunteers, fundraisers and gift aid donors. We couldn t have done it without you... Reena Mukherji Director It is really encouraging to review the progress of the Octavia Foundation during the last year and to consider the impact that our work has had to the many people that we have supported over the period. I m very grateful to our trustees, my colleagues and our fantastic team of volunteers for delivering such a fantastic programme of activities that have had such obvious and tangible impact throughout our local communities. We ve delivered and developed new services, programmes and activities, all within a challenging context the economy is in recession and the Coalition government has embarked on a vigorous programme to reduce the UK s budget deficit. We know that these measures, including reforms to the welfare state and the re-shaping of public services will have wide reaching implications for many of the people that we work with, especially those who have a greater reliance on public services and welfare benefits. Particularly, we anticipate that demand for certain services will increase, but that simultaneously, many of our current funding streams will come under strain. In order to develop our services and to extend these to as broad a population as possible we must develop our fundraising expertise and increase our voluntary income. Our key objectives for the coming years will be to: Create services that help to develop a sense of empowerment amongst young people Extend and enhance support for older and vulnerable adults Deliver projects to tackle financial inclusion, digital inclusion and employment and training opportunities for Octavia Housing residents (and the broader community) In the simplest sense, we re proud of the incredible services and projects that we deliver and are committed to doing more, for as many people as possible. We will certainly need help to achieve everything that we ve set out to, and I do hope that this Impact Report will inspire and encourage you to support us. Our trustees: Isis Amlak Debs Bourner Sue Caro Peter S Chapman Gwen Godfrey Michael Johnson Lara Samuels Laurie Soden Acre Resources Action Disability Kensington& Chelsea Age UK, Kensington and Chelsea Aime Angus Taylor Aspire Inspire Avenue Design Bethany Cox Big Lottery Fund Blue Eyed Digital Brook Camden Pupil Referral Unit Campden Hill Lawn Tennis Club Choice Textiles Clothworkers Craig Hill David Fox Denis Kane Dr James Mumford, Centre for Social Justice Ellis and Co EMI Fiona Holmes Friends of Octavia Housing Gillian van der Merwe Gray & Osbourne Heritage Lottery Fund Jack Petchey Foundation JCP Kensal Road and Marylebone Road Jonathan Waddingham Karen Buck MP Kensington Temple KPMG LiNK Living Well CIC Liz Waine, City West Homes London Borough of Westminster Louise Strickland Mansell Mark Gayfer Mears Mendez Media Mentoring and Befriending Foundation Mercers Mike Ellicot NHS Nicole Nixon Notting Hill Methodist Church NOVA Nu Century Arts Octavia Housing Oliver Betts Open Age, Westminster Paddington Development Trust RBKC Employment Business Partnership Richmond Volunteer Centre Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Sainsbury s Sarah Asante SCOUT Shubiz Silver Saints Solidarity Sports Steve Coe Steve Phillips Steve Shorthouse Stuart Freeman Stuart Ingleby The Beethoven Centre The Dalgarno Neighborhood Trust The Independent Trowers and Hamlin University of Manchester Urban Outfitters Village Heating Voluntary Action Westminster Volunteer Centre Kensington and Chelsea Waitrose Westfield Westminster Citizens Advice Bureau Westminster Dementia Service Westminster MIND Westminster NHS Westminster Safeguarding Team Westminster Volunteer Centre Woodlands Trust We re always keen to hear from people who able to support our work, either through volunteering or by fundraising or from people who are interested to become involved with our projects and activities. Please get in touch to learn more about how we can work together! 8 Impact Report 0/ 9

11 Get in touch Our charity shops To find out more about the work of the Octavia Foundation, our charity shops or how to get involved, please visit our website. Octavia Foundation Emily House 0-08 Kensal Road London W0 BN T E info@octaviafoundation.org.uk Askew Road, 76 Askew Road, W 9BJ Barnes, Barnes High Street, SW 9LB Brompton Road, Brompton Road, SW EJ Ealing, 0 High Street, W DB East Sheen, 9 Upper Richmond Road, SW 8QT Fulham Road, 87 Fulham Road, SW0 9PZN Finchley Road, 79 Finchley Road, NW 6LB Hampstead, South End Road, NW PY 00 7 Kensington Church Street, 7 Kensington Church Street, W8 BA Olympia, 66 High Street Kensington, W8 6ND Kings Road, 0 Kings Road, SW EP Putney, 88 Upper Richmond Road, SW 6TH Queensway, 78 Queensway, W 6LY Richmond, 9 Richmond Road, TW DY South Kensington, Bute Street, SW7 EY Tooting, 6 High Street Tooting, SW7 ORG Turnham Green, 6 Turnham Green Terrace, W QP Wandsworth Bridge Road (temporary shop), Wandsworth Bridge Road, SW6 UH Registered charity number 0687 West Sheen, Upper Richmond Road, SW 7PJ