Year in Review Annual Report 2019-2020
We work to empower society through engaged, confident, sustainable and inclusive communities.
Supporting Communities is an independent charitable organisation that champions tenant and community participation by developing groups, supporting active citizenship and building cohesive communities. We promote best practice in community participation in Northern Ireland through a grassroots approach to community development, providing tailored support, advice, information and training to new and existing community groups, statutory and voluntary organisations. We work to empower society through engaged, confident, sustainable and inclusive communities.
A Message from our Chair 2019 was a celebratory year for Supporting Communities. We marked our 40th anniversary with a series of events and nostalgia around the theme of “Looking Back to Look Forward.� We began 2020 full of fresh purpose and ambition, ready to build on the successful launches of several new services, including The Amp, The Tenant Participation Standards, the ONSIDE Project, and our work with the National Trust in Cushendun. Our partnership with our key stakeholder, the Housing Executive, was stronger than ever and we were branching out to work with more housing associations (both north and south), councils, health trusts and other agencies integral to community participation. Now, suddenly, the world has changed completely and in ways we cannot yet predict for the future. What we do know, is that our mission of creating strong, empowered communities is as important as ever. Probably even more so now in uncertain times when we all must rely on each other for our collective well-being and to safeguard the most vulnerable amongst us. So, as we reflect on our accomplishments of this past year, we will continue to look forward, ready to innovate and adapt to the new realities we must all learn to live with.
The SC Team Our team has grown to 28 staff members working throughout Northern Ireland. We have 11 Community Development Officers based in community hubs and Housing Executive offices who work directly with individuals and groups to enable their full participation in the matters impacting their communities. Our Corporate Services team provides specialist help to groups and other third sector organisations through funding advice, training on a range of topics, digital skills and business development support for social enterprises. The Administrative Team keeps everything running smoothly both for our staff and for the groups we serve through PAYE support, surveys, minutes and other correspondence.
“Supporting Communities provides a vital link between the residents and the statutory agencies, especially in our area which does not have any other community facilities or a dedicated worker.� - Community group representative
Grassroots Community Development We work directly with community and resident groups to ensure they can fully participate in matters which affect their lives. We help new groups to form, constitute themselves, and become sustainable and productive for the betterment of their local area.
This year, we worked with 546 community groups and helped to establish 27 new groups in areas that needed community representation. In areas without an organised community group, we helped establish 24 'Village Voices' or 'Community Champions' who are willing to engage with housing providers and other statutory agencies on behalf of the people in their area.
Creating Vital Links: Inter-agency Working Supporting Communities helps residents groups to take an inter-agency approach to identify problems and find solutions in a coordinated way. We facilitate regular estate inspections and inter-agency meetings between community groups, the Housing Executive, the PSNI, councils, the Department for Infrastructure, and any other body that needs to be included to make the changes needed.
This year, we facilitated and supported 225 inter-agency meetings, 222 estate inspections, and put in place 54 InterAgency Terms of Reference.
The Housing Community Network We support the Housing Community Network on behalf of the Housing Executive. It is the largest tenant engagement structure in NI, made up of about 550 community groups across Northern Ireland as well as representative tenant involvement panels in each of the Housing Executive Areas of housing management.
Supported the Central Housing Forum to develop their Manifesto Set up & trained the South Regional Housing Forum Helped 11 Area HCN’s monitor Housing Executive services and put in place 11 Area Terms of Reference Put in place 15 Local HCN Terms of Reference Set up 139 Community Service Contracts between the Housing Executive & community groups
Good Governance: Charity Commission Support Supporting Communities is a member of the Developing Governance Group, a group of charity sector support organisations dedicated to helping voluntary and community organisations comply with best practice and their statutory obligations. We support community organisations to develop good governance and comply with the Charity Commission's regulations.
This year we assisted with 18 new applications to the Charity Commission registration and had 39 applicants approved so far.
Training Courses Tailored to Your Needs Supporting Communities is an OCN recognised Centre of Training. We offer a wide range of study subjects and training courses that can be tailored to meet the needs of community groups and other organisations. Training is delivered where and when it is needed with more and more courses now available online.
153 training sessions held 484 people took part 107 people completed OCN NI accredited training 99% participant satisfaction rate
I really enjoyed each of the CCB courses. I was a bit apprehensive about getting back into education and completing assignments again, but we were able to work as a group on each assignment - it even helped us plan new ideas for our centre. - Course participant at Whiteabbey Community Centre
First Graduation Ceremony In September, we held our first official graduation event at Belfast City Hall to mark the success of our 2018/19 trainees who gained OCN NI qualifications. 30 graduates from community groups all over the area came to receive certificates of completion in courses such as Community Capacity Building (CCB), Understanding Social Enterprise, Community Development, and Tenant Participation.
“Now that you’ve taken this step, keep going with your education as far as you can - for yourself and for your community.” - words of advice for the grads from the keynote speakers, former students Aaron Thompson and David McPhilips.
Digital Inclusion: Essential skills Our digital inclusion courses are making a tangible difference in developing the skills and confidence of those who have been digitally excluded. Working with Department of Finance’s’ GO ON NI Team, we bring the training to rural and older groups who need a helping hand to get connected and go online.
35 digital skills courses delivered 291 participants trained 100% gained new skills & improved confidence with technology!
Social Enterprise: Training & Business Development Support Supporting Communities has been assisting grass roots community organisations to develop social enterprises for over 20 years. Our Social Enterprise Officer provides a dedicated and qualified service including training, support, advice and signposting.
20 new OCN course graduates 12 organisations provided with 55 support/mentoring sessions 7 meetings of the Social Enterprise / Clauses Working Group facilitated
“As a small group, we would struggle to exist without your support and guidance.”
Funding Support and Social Value Supporting Communities' Funding Service informs groups of the most up to date and relevant sources of funding available and provides guidance on the overall fundraising process. We also provide a social return on investment (SROI) evaluation service to help HCN groups show the worth and impact of their work.
206 funding enquiries addressed 12 funding fairs attended 12 SROI exercises carried out for area projects
ÂŁ2,167,584.98 We supported community groups in Northern Ireland to access over 2 million pounds in funding for their communities!
Launch of New Products At a celebration of our 40th year in December at Stormont, we were excited to officially launch two new products to help us achieve our twin goals of increasing and improving community participation.
The Amp Survey Series The Tenant Participation Standards
Amplifying Resident Voices Last year we introduced a new engagement tool that will enable residents all over Northern Ireland to contribute their thoughts on a range of housing and community related topics. ‘The Amp’ aims to amplify residents’ voices to influence the decision-makers who can effect real change. The first survey, run in January, was in response to a new Minister for Communities. We wanted to give our audience a chance to tell Minister Hargey which of her many responsibilities were the most urgent for them. Overwhelmingly, our respondents’ top two priorities were to protect people from the harshest aspects of the changes to the benefits system by extending Welfare Reform mitigations and ensuring there is enough affordable housing in NI/ build more affordable houses. We presented our findings to the Minister, who was grateful for the input and comments directly from community members.
Join 'The Amp'! Tell us what matters to you through regular surveys Help us provide valuable data to decision makers who can make needed changes Win prizes for submitting surveys Amplify your voice and the voice of your community!
Learn more about The Amp and register to take part in the next survey: https://supportingcommunities.org/the-amp
Raising the standard of Tenant Participation in Northern Ireland Introducing the 'TP' Standards At the end of 2019, we officially launched a new set of standards to enable social landlords to assess their progress in developing and building on their tenant participation work. This accreditation standard provides an external, professional validation of how well a landlord is meeting their tenant participation goals.
Find out more! https://www.empoweringcommunities.ltd/tp-standards
The Tenant Participation Experts During the past year, our delivery arm Empowering Communities continued to build on our reputation as the 'go-to' tenant participation experts for housing associations across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland providing a range of consultative services and hands on solutions to our members.
16 housing associations remain as member organisations 7 tenant participation strategies produced, reviewed and updated in Northern Ireland 359 housing association staff, tenants and board members trained Regular peer-support meetings for dedicated Tenant Participation staff
Supporting Housing Associations to Develop & Deliver Tenant Participation We believe that tenants hold the key to the success of their social housing providers. We work with housing associations to unlock the potential of 'TP' by engaging in a valuable and meaningful way for everyone involved leading to improved services, better relationships, and happier tenants and staff! Our Tenant Participation Practitioners' Network meets quarterly providing a space for workers to come together to share good practice and experiences with tenant participation.
Housing Policy Panel In our role as the Independent Tenant Organisation for Northern Ireland, appointed by the Department for Communities (DfC), we continue to deliver on the targets set out for us in the Tenant Participation Strategy for Northern Ireland (2015-20). This past year we have continued to grow the Housing Policy Panel and ensured it has the resources and information to perform a consultative function to the DfC, focusing on social housing related matters. This year, the panel responded to the DfC's public consultation on the proposed changes to the definition of affordable housing and had input into the University of Birmingham’s research project on Sectoral Change and Strategic Decision Making: A Study of Housing Associations in Northern Ireland. The panel also made visits to several housing associations to learn about their Tenant Participation work.
This training has helped us all, both staff and tenants. Staff have told us they value the training and they believe it will help them to better engage with more residents.
Building Trust: The Cushendun Project In 2019, we began work on a three year project in partnership with the National Trust to develop proactive and participative approaches to identifying issues and solving problems with the local community in Cushendun. The National Trust, who own much of the land and property in Cushendun, came to Supporting Communities to help them rebuild relationships with the community, which have become strained over the years. This project is the first of its kind anywhere in the UK. We aim to build trust and forge consensus with residents in Cushendun so that they feel that they have a voice and a part to play in the village's future.
Partners in Community A new dedicated project worker and Cushendun native, Christine McNeill, came on board and got to work fostering good working relationships with many groups, stakeholders and residents in the village.
"Having Christine in post as a neutral facilitator has ensured that communication is much more fluid, collaborative and constructive." - The National Trust
We have conducted an area wide survey that will provide a basis for taking work forward in several key areas, including the creation of a Tenants Steering Group. Several new projects are being planned in conjunction with the Trust, all designed to make Cushendun a better place to live for the whole community.
Launch of the ONSIDE Project The ONSIDE project is a new cross-border project aiming to improve the health and well being of disabled people living in Northern Ireland and the border regions. Supporting Communities is running the digital training strand of the project, a joint piece of work we are collaborating on with Disability Action NI, the Housing Executive and the Independent Living Movement Ireland supported by the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. We will be delivering an eight week digital skills programme which will train, equip and support participants to become socially connected online.
Creating Community Connections Officially launched in March 2020, the project began earlier this year for our digital skills trainers. Our new staff has already been teaching in the Northwest border regions to the first groups of participants. The goal is to train 2,400 people with disabilities in digital skills, empowering them to improve their lives and reduce social isolation. Now that in-person training is not possible during the lockdown, we have been working to shift as much of the work online as feasible and to create online resources for our participants and the wider community.
Increased Reach & Raised Profile We continued to expand our reach and improve our engagement with our audiences through our website, publications, and social media channels.
Ezine, our regular newsletter reached 1,532 people every fortnight. SCENE Magazine, published twice a year, went out to 1,826 recipients. Our website had 3,357 users on average each month.
45% 21% 92% *figures show the percent increase in followers from the previous year
Refreshed Board Last year, we conducted a recruitment exercise in order to refresh and grow our board. We are delighted to have found 8 new members with the skills to take us into the next phase of our organisation's development.
"We now have the expertise to take the organisation to the next level with a really good mix of volunteers from the community, housing, legal, accounting and corporate worlds.�
Colm McDaid, CEO Supporting Communities
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