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Meaningful Activities – Why Bother?

Meaningful Activities – Why Bother? . Welcome. Agenda. 10.00 Welcome 10.05 Speaker: “Meaningful activities, why bother” Lindsey Horsfield, Homeless Link 10.30 Speaker: Working in partnership to provide meaningful activities – June Grimes, Crisis 10.55 Q&A 11.05 Break

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Meaningful Activities – Why Bother?

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  1. Meaningful Activities – Why Bother? Welcome

  2. Agenda • 10.00 Welcome • 10.05 Speaker: “Meaningful activities, why bother” Lindsey Horsfield, Homeless Link • 10.30 Speaker: Working in partnership to provide meaningful activities – June Grimes, Crisis • 10.55 Q&A • 11.05 Break • 11.25 Workshop Session 1 • 12.25 Lunch • 1.10 Workshop Session 2 • 2.10 Break • 2.25 Workshop Session 3 • 3.25 Speaker: Measuring the impact of meaningful activities - Carol Candler, Director of Strategic Operations, Northern Rock Foundation • 3.45 Evaluations & summary of day • 4.00 Close & optional tour of Crisis Skylight (just across the road)

  3. Welcome • Becky Elton, Regional Manager, Homeless Link

  4. MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES: WHY BOTHER? LINDSEY HORSFIELD SPORTS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER HOMELESS LINK

  5. Get Creative: Arts for all

  6. Aiming High: Sport for all

  7. Why activities? Initial (low) engagement Non-threatening Levels the playing field Highlights talents and strengths, rather than issues Lifts mood and general wellbeing

  8. “… is The ‘context’ The ‘platform’ A ‘way’ … to work with people”

  9. What are people saying about sport? • Improves wellbeing and physical health • Helps towards moving on to education and employment • Developing skills, training, qualifications • Self-Esteem, confidence and improved mental health • Distraction from external and internal issues

  10. What are people saying about sport? • Making friends and “feeling a part of something” • Relationships with staff • Friendships based around something positive • Trust, communication, achieving together

  11. Key principles Aiming high and expecting quality Creating a safe place Regularity and continuity Having clear aims and objectives Recording and evaluating Client involvement Building progression routes and pathways

  12. Key principles Having clear leadership Setting clear boundaries Empowering homeless people to become independent Providing inspiration and aspiration Evaluating artistic projects according to their aims Never exploiting individuals for commercial gain Providing strong leadership and commitment Not an add on!

  13. The essential ingredient • STAFF • Passionate, skilled, motivated • Volunteers “Relentless irrational optimism”

  14. What outcomes can we achieve? • Meaningful use of time • Social networks and relationships • Physical and mental wellbeing • Skills, education, employment • Drug and alcohol misuse • Managing tenancy and accommodation

  15. Questions Thank you

  16. Working in partnership to provide meaningful activities • June Grimes, Crisis

  17. Q&A

  18. Break

  19. Measuring the Impact of Meaningful Activities Carol Candler Director of Strategic Operations – Northern Rock Foundation

  20. What this is about • Why Northern Rock Foundation is interested in making a difference • What is Impact? • Why measuring the impact of Meaningful Activities could be useful to you • How to do it

  21. Northern Rock Foundation

  22. Northern Rock Foundation support • Almost 4000 grants since 1997 • Over 1900 organisations supported • Range £1K - £1.5Mill • 5 Programmes • Having a Home • Managing Money • Changing Lives • Enabling Independence and Choice • Safety and Justice for Victims of Abuse

  23. Northern Rock Foundation – Making an Impact • Not just about spending money • Assessing our own impact • Choosing organisations that make a difference • Supporting them to make a bigger difference

  24. Northern Rock Foundation – Making a bigger impact • Evaluation requirement • Training and capacity building support • Support for networking organisations • Advice and training on measuring impact • Work with other funders / stakeholder organisations (locally and nationally)

  25. Making an Impact with Meaningful Activities”Lost – but making really good time..”

  26. Measuring Impact – Why bother? For Professionals • Helps you describe what you do and the difference you are making • Provides a framework to support your engagement with service users • Form basis of clear delivery plans for you / service user • Allows you to see progress of individuals as a result of your work • Helps you understand what works and change approach / activity where necessary • Helps you to think about / develop your own skills • Helps you exchange information / ideas with other professionals

  27. Measuring Impact – Why bother? For Individuals • Help to set own targets / plan own activities • Able to recognise own progress and achievements • Help to be part of decision making process • Help to take back responsibility • Empowering and reflective process

  28. Measuring Impact – Why bother? For Managers / Organisations • Way to demonstrate progress / value • Provides evidence for funders / support for applications • Professionalisation of project / organisation (can influence perceptions) • Being systematic helps provide continuity for individuals if worker changes • Provides evidence about what works and whether project is achieving it’s aims

  29. Making a difference - Why measuring impact matters • To know we’ve made a difference • To know what difference we’ve made • To show what difference we’ve made • To know how to make more difference

  30. Measuring Impact – External Evaluation Why? • Independent perspective • Possible partnership approach • Capture and share good practice

  31. Measuring Impact – External Evaluation What? - Eg ‘Meaningful Activity and Older Homeless People (Age UK / Homeless Link) ‘When B started coming.. needed persuasion and coaxing ..to the vehicle.. Declined any offer of activity or engagement’ ‘B gradually began to.. exchange a few words as he watched others..respond to direct requests’ ‘B began setting himself targets..was proud of his achievement and able to receive congratulations from the group’ ‘B expresses his own ideas.. now one of our core group’

  32. Measuring Impact – ‘Progress’ Measures Why? • Focus on measuring what matters • Consistent approach • Part of everybody’s day job?

  33. Measuring Impact – ‘Progress’ Measures What? - egCyrenians ‘Matrix’ • Covers 10 key measures • Housing stability, Housing comfort, Legal matters, Money Matters, Employment situation, Leisure and community based activities, Alcohol, Drugs, Physical Health, Mental Wellbeing, Relationships with family / friends / neighbours, Abusive relationships

  34. Measuring Impact – ‘Soft Outcomes’ Measures Why? ‘Complex problem’ – not a straight line • Not just numbers / Measuring changes and progress • Capturing evidence of ‘success’ for individuals / with individuals

  35. Measuring Impact – ‘Soft Outcomes’ Measures What? • Feedback • Radar • Star • Own ‘tool’ (egDepaul)

  36. Final thoughts • So what difference are we making? • Keep it clear and simple (fewer, better measures) • Impact measurement that is useful and used • Meaningful Activities that make a difference

  37. Resources • www.nr-foundation.org.uk • www.ces-vol.org.uk • www.neweconomics.org/publications • www.philanthropycapital.org

  38. Any questions?

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