Small Charity BIG

Impact

award winners

Small and local charities and community groups are making a huge impact in the lives of millions of individuals in communities across the UK

and across the world. Small Charity Week, Small Charity Big Impact day gives us an

opportunity to celebrate their IMPACT

Small Charity Big Impact Awards is sponsored by

Content

Foreword

What good looks like

T1 International (rural, income under £50,000)

Sporting Force (urban, income under £50,000)

Gateshead Older People’s Assembly (volunteer led)

TheHorseCourse (regional)

National Ugly Mugs (national)

East African Playgrounds (international)

BIGKID Foundation (income between £50,000 - £150,000)

MACS (income between £150,001 - £250,000)

The Hackney Pirates (income between £250,001 - £500,000)

Create (income between £500,001 - £1.5 million)

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Foreword

Impact in the heart of our communitiesYou don’t need to be big to make a difference

Small and local charities and community groups are each day working to improve the lives of those who are the most vulnerable in society.

They are at the very heart of communities across the UK and around the world, they are campaining and fighting for causes that will educate, relieve poverty, protect our planet, bring relief in times of disaster and ease the burden, and ensure the wellbeing of millions of men, women, young people and children across the globe. They are at the centre of making our world a better place in the UK and beyond.

But doing good isn’t enough. We have to know that what we are doing is the right thing, the most needed, the most impactful, and the most beneficial so that we can be absolutely certain that we are using our resources in the very best interest of our beneficiaries.

At the FSI we have been advocating that our members measure their impact, use it to improve their services and share it to build trust. After reading all of the hundreds of applications for the Small Charity Big Impact Awards, we have chosen one winner from each of the ten categories. Through this book we want to share with you their work and their stories, support them to share their impact and, if you are not already measuring your impact, encourage you to start. I want to say a massive thank you to all of the charities who entered and it was fantastic to read and hear about the work you were doing. But there are always winners and so I’d also like to take this opportunity to congratulate our winners: T1 International, Sporting Force, Gateshead Older People’s Assembly, TheHorseCourse, National Ugly Mugs, East African Playgrounds, BIGKID Foundation, MACS, The Hackney Pirates and Create. You were all outstanding.

In the recent House of Lords Report on charities, they said charities are the eyes, ears and conscience of society, they mobilise, inspire, advocate and unite. Every sentiment of this is true and especially so of the thousands of small and local charities and community groups registered in the UK whose reach knows no boundaries.

Through the Small Charity Big Impact Awards we salute the dedication, support and determination of these organisations.

Emma Harrison, CBEPauline Broomhead

Foundation for Social Improvement

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What good looks like

Plan1. Involve stakeholders

2. Know what impact you want to have and have thought about how best to achieve it

3. Have decided what information to collect and how

Do1. Collect data using a range of approaches

2. Collect a mixture of qualitative and quantitative data

3. Collect outcomes data as experienced by different stakeholders

Assess1. Undertake regular analysis of data for each activity

2. Have scheduled check points and debriefs for each activity

3. Undertake annual assessment across the whole organisation

Review1. Share stories and impact externally through a variety of methods

2. Share stories and impact internally through a variety of methods

3. Use findings to improve services and achieve greater impact

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T1 International Sporting Force

Gateshead Older People’s

Assembly

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aThe-aHorseCourse

aNationalaUgly Mugs

EastAfrican

Playgrounds

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aBIGKIDaFoundation MACS

TheHackneyPirates

Create

Disclaimer: Our assessment of whether a charity met or did not meet the criteria was based on the information

supplied with their application to the Awards. We expect that as we undertake the impact review, as part of each

winner’s prize package, that we will identify further examples of good practice.3

Rural, income Under £50,000T1InternationalCase StudyGlobally, half of those in need of insulin do not have access to it. This means millions of people with type 1 diabetes face an unnecessarily early death. Mbolonzi from Kenya is a T1International advocate living with type 1 diabetes. He says, “proper management of diabetes in Kenya would cost about £93.50 per month. Not many can afford that here, myself included. I have missed clinics due to lack of money. Test strips alone can cost between £15.50 and £270.00 depending on the glucometer one is using.”

With guidance and support from T1International, Mbolonzi managed to reduce the price of blood glucose testing strips - an essential part of diabetes health management - for a group of patients with diabetes in Nairobi. Mbolonzi built a relationship with a company who makes the strips, and he convinced them to sell the strips directly to patients at a reduced rate. The strips were cheaper and the price mark-up at pharmacies was eliminated, allowing some people who rarely test their blood sugar levels to do so regularly. This was a life-saving achievement. “The price is now more within reach, which means people are able to better manage their condition,” Mbolonzi said, “there is now an active group in Nairobi working to reduce other barriers to access, with the help of T1International’s resources”.

Key Statistics• T1International provided 188 hard copy advocacy toolkits (with an additional

300+ downloads) to people with diabetes in 18 different countries.

• T1International provided 2,400 vials of insulin to approximately 150 people living with type 1 diabetes in Syria.

• 100% of advocates and partners said they feel more confident about creating an advocacy plan for long-term change related to type 1 diabetes health access.

About T1International was set up in 2013 by a person living with type 1 diabetes for 25 years. Having been lucky to live a relatively normal life with the condition, they learned early on that many others around the world do not live even six months past their diagnosis date. This is because insulin and diabetes supplies, which need to be injected and administered multiple times each day, are either unavailable or unaffordable for most people.T1International works towards adequate access to insulin, diabetes supplies, medical care and education for all people living with type 1 diabetes. They do this by highlighting personal experiences, collecting better data, sharing resources and best practice, and campaigning for change. We collaborate with existing initiatives and support individuals and organisations on the ground that are working to make life better for people with type 1 diabetes.

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Urban, income Under £50,000Sporting ForceCase Study“I am a left leg below the knee amputee, I thought there wouldn’t be a lot of things I could offer a club, but was still very keen to explore opportunities. Tommy, from Sporting Force, explained that just because of the amputation I should not discount myself from trying to do what I want to in life. They challenged me at the start when I was anxious, asking me if feeling anxious about moving forward and taking on this challenge was more overpowering than the opportunity being presented to me, it was his persuasion that made me go for it. During my interview, I explained about my injury and that I might need to have a sit down every so often, the club completely understood and said that they would help me in every way. After completing my placement, I was offered a permanent paid role and I also volunteer in the community outreach program.

“My biggest achievement is having the confidence to engage with Sporting Force who took my dream and made it reality. Without their involvement I would still be sat at home, unable to afford to go and watch my team in action. Now I am a team member, this experience has transformed me as a person, it has given me determination, passion and the drive to go out and

achieve my new career. I feel determined, proud, important and valued. Sporting Force turned my life around, without them I think I may have given up.”

Key Statistics• Sporting Force supported and engaged 171 veterans in the past 12 months,

with 54 veterans being in paid or voluntary placements.

• 95% of veterans who attend a Sporting Force event have stated that they feel more confident and less isolated.

• Veterans who participated in the NCS program showed an average improvement in mental wellbeing of 80%.

About Established in 2015 by Tommy Lowther, a veteran who suffered with PTSD, Sporting Force has a simple mission to help ex-service men and women make the transition into life as a civilian through placements in the sports industry. Military life is active, and by working with sports organisations we can offer opportunities that appeal, ignite a passion and help create a new life outside of the services, by offering education, exercise and social events to help relieve mental health and social isolation. All opportunities are inclusive and can be adapted to meet the needs of disabled veterans. Our mental health awareness workshops help the integration and support going forward for veterans with PTSD and other mental health issues. Sporting Force offers sport, exercise, camaraderie,being part of a team again, things that veterans all miss.

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Volunteer ledGateshead Older People’s AssemblyCase StudyIsobel is 72 years old and lives in sheltered accommodation in Dunston. In April 2016, Isobel began Gateshead Older People’s Assembly’s Staying Steady programme at Dunston Community Centre. During her initial assessment it was highlighted that her shoulder flexibility was severely limited due to a previous injury. This prevented her from doing many day-to-day tasks and for the last 20 years she has been unable to play bowls, something that she used to enjoy. She also walked with a kyphotic posture and, when using her walker, she would lean onto the frame to take the strain off her legs.

After her initial assessment, the Postural Stability Instructor recommended a home exercise programme to Isobel, which included carrying out daily shoulder mobilisers and a triceps stretch, which improves shoulder flexibility. The instructor spent some time with Isobel practicing mobilising with her walker, encouraging her to walk tall using a heel-toe motion and to rest when she needed to (as opposed to resting on the bars whilst walking). Isobel used this advice well, has stuck to her programme and is now walking taller and does not have to sit down as often as she used to. After 6 weeks Isobel started back at a local bowls class after her 20-year break and took part in a competition in September 2016.

Key Statistics• In 2016/17, there were 7830 attendances at Gateshead Older People’s

Assembly events and classes.• Participants in our first cohort of Staying Steady postural stability classes

showed an average improvement of 28% in flexibility, reach, and timed mobility.

• Gateshead Older People’s Assembly was chosen as Gatehead’s Voluntary Organisation of the Year for 2017

About Gateshead Older People’s Assembly was established in 2002 and our membership is open to all Gateshead residents aged 50+. Our board is comprised of member-beneficiaries, giving us a unique insight into the needs of those we serve. We have nearly 1000 members and our membership list is expanding as more people are signposted to us by public health, community workers, and fellow VCS colleagues who know our commitment to older people living healthy, active, and fulfilling lives.We work to reduce loneliness and isolation, malnutrition, and falls among Gateshead’s older residents. We offer a large variety of activities and opportunities including technology classes, weekly tea dances, a dementia-friendly community garden, and a volunteer-led pay-what-you-can community cafe. We also offer a full suite of wellness classes and give support to social groups across the borough.

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RegionalTheHorseCourseCase StudyJohn * was referred to TheHorseCourse via both substance abuse and domestic abuse perpetrator programmes. Throughout

adulthood, John has never been employed nor undertaken any educational opportunities. When John started he was cut off

from his ex-partner and children.

After completing the course John’s progress has been fantastic. His referrer noted that he has used some of the skills he learned: calmness, focus, engagement, communication, planning, taking responsibility, empathy, and assertiveness, during her sessions with him and he is now abstinent from all substances. He attends social inclusion workshops and appointments, whereas before he had never attended any groups and refused to engage in services.

TheHorseCourse was the first structured intervention John had ever engaged with and after completing, John has found motivation to engage in potential voluntary opportunities. He is also working constructively with his referrers to improve his relationship with his ex-partner and re-establish relationships with his children, and a plan is in place for him to return to the family home in due course.

*Name changed for anonymity.

Key Statistics• We helped 271 people via our innovative ReStart and Lighter Touch

programmes.

• 81% of participants show an average 10.4 point improvement on a 32 point scale across 8 core skills: calmness, assertiveness, strong focus and perseverance, empathy, communication, responsibility, realistic planning, and confidence as a learner.

About TheHorseCourse delivers innovative equine-assisted behavioural interventions that change lives when talking isn’t working. We started in 2010 as an action-research project in Portland prison, having demonstrated our impact in prison and outside we are now replicating the program around the UK. Vaunted by NPC, CES and numerous academics for our important innovation and impact, we are a key player in the growing movement towards “embodied” learning with some of the most vulnerable people in society.

Each year we deliver our ReStarts programmes to the most troubled people from our home base in Dorset and four hubs in London, Gloucester, Wiltshire and Surrey. Participants are referred to our service as a last resort by frontline professionals in Education, Mental Health, Social Work and Offending.

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NationalNational Ugly MugsCase StudyRachel*, a London sex worker, was working when a client pulled out a knife and threatened to stab her if she didn’t give him money. She escaped and, although she didn’t want to speak to the police, Rachel was keen to warn her peers about this dangerous man so reported it to NUM.Not long after Susan*, another sex worker, told us that she’d experienced a similar incident, it was the same man and he was a serial offender. Both women were happy to share the information with police anonymously without identifying them, but did not want to make a police statement. Two men were arrested, both of whom were linked to a series of robberies at knife and gun point. After another victim decided that they didn’t want to make a formal statement, the police were extremely concerned that they might have to release the offender from custody. Both Rachel and Susan were still reluctant to be identified and go to court so NUM provided a statement which was sufficient for police to detain and prosecute the offender who eventually admitted his guilt. This meant that he was sentenced without Rachel and Susan ever needing to go through the additional trauma of the court process. In 2016 this dangerous man was jailed for over six years. The prosecutor in the case recognised that had it not been for NUM’s intervention he would probably

still be on the loose targeting other members of the community with impunity.

*Name changed for anonymity.

Key Statistics• In the last year NUM dealt with over 750 incidents of crime against sex workers,

around a third of which were sexual violence.

• For each incident, we sent out potentially life-saving warnings to thousands of sex workers - we estimate that around 20,000 sex workers receive NUM warnings either directly or via a local support agency. Our latest evaluation found that almost half of sex workers receiving them had avoided an offender as a direct result at least once which demonstrates that our work prevented hundreds, if not thousands, of crimes in the last year.

• We also work hard to improve police practices. We have provided training to over 850 police officers in the UK in the last year to improve their knowledge and change their practices.

About National Ugly Mugs (NUM) was set-up in 2012 to support sex workers throughout the UK when they become victims of crime. Sex workers are frequently targeted by violent, serial offenders but only a small proportion report these crimes to the police, which means most of the offenders get away with their crimes, which has huge implications for public protection. NUM’s work is focused on preventing crime against sex workers, advocating for their human rights and supporting them to report crimes to the police.

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InternationalEast African PlaygroundsCase StudyIn October 2016, East African Playgrounds began implementing our programme in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, northern Uganda.

Since the violence restarted in South Sudan in July 2016, refugees have been fleeing to Uganda in huge numbers, with Bidi Bidi welcoming over 1,000 people a day. A large percentage of the camp population are children, many of them having experienced severe trauma.

With support from UNICEF and the Toy Trust, we were able to implement our play programme and build playgrounds in 15 communities in the camp. Through our play programme we trained teachers in Early Child Development centres to use play as part of their teaching, and helped parents and carers understand why it is vital for their children to have the chance to play. 22,500 children gained access to a safe place to play, meaning they could begin to deal with the trauma they have experienced, improve their wellbeing and were able to gain social and physical skills through play.

Key Statistics• In the past year, 59 programmes were implemented across Uganda

• 118,000 children were provided with a space to play

• 1,180 community members learnt why play is important for children

• 590 teachers and caregivers were taught in play based education.

About The charity was set up after a request from a school for a playground. Over time the wider impact of our programmes became clear; following our intervention each school’s attendance, enrolment and attainment were improving. Children were improving their social, physical and cognitive skills, and seemed happier and better behaved. In response, we expanded the programme to further enhance our impact, introducing play training for teachers and communities. Developing our monitoring and evaluation process, returning to communities to assess our impact we then published an impact study in 2015 using recommendations to further inform improvements.

Since 2009 East African Playgrounds has worked in over 150 disadvantaged communities across Uganda, where high poverty levels and lack of facilities mean many children don’t get the chance to play.

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Income between £50,000 - £150,000BIGKID FoundationCase StudyIn 2016, BIGKID Foundation pioneered its Breaking Barriers Leadership Programme in schools. The programme seeks to reintegrate back into the school community those at imminent risk of exclusion. Breaking Barriers is an intensive 12-week programme that teaches leadership skills, communication skills and encourages improved self-esteem. The purpose of this programme is to replace learnt negative behaviour with positive skills in order to improve classroom performance and help young people become positive role models within their school.

Of the 25 young people we have worked with, 20 have been taken off the risk of exclusion register and many have signed up to extra curricular activities. All of the students we have worked with have also received positive feedback from their teachers, demonstrating an improvement in attitude and outlook. Through this programme, BIGKID has forged a strong partnership with Lambeth Academy, where this programme has been delivered. Nick Heard, Vice Principal of Lambeth Academy says, “feedback from teachers of all the students has been positive and there have been clear improvements in all aspects of school life.” Following the success of the project other schools are now interested in delivering it.

Key Statistics• We have engaged 1,277 young people across our programmes in the London

Borough of Lambeth.

• In 2015, BIGKID began engaging girls, and since then has gone from working with 4 girls to over 500.

• In 2016, our Breaking Barriers programme helped ensure that 20 out of 25 participants were taken off the risk of exclusion register and successfully reintegrated back into school life.

About BIGKID equips young people at risk of social exclusion and youth violence to take control of their lives, as well as find, develop and act on their own potential. The idea for BIGKID started in 2000 by Shaninga Marasha, who - while in sixth form - started a mentoring programme at his school for pupils at risk of exclusion. After meeting three like-minded friends at university, BIGKID began recruiting volunteers to positively impact young people through music. In 2006, the group gave an inspirational talk at a North West London School Assembly. The success they experienced led to them offering leadership workshops, empowering young people to make good decisions. Since then, BIGKID has gone in to areas where young people are struggling with the pressures of gangs, crime and deprivation and assist them in making a positive step change in their life.

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Income between £150,001 – £250,000MACSCase StudyOur son Elijah was born with bilateral choroid coloboma which means that he is blind in his left eye. He was also diagnosed, at the age of 7, with Asperger’s Syndrome. For many years, Elijah would only show me, his mum, any affection and would not even put his arms around his dad. When Elijah was 10, he and dad, after careful consideration, made a nervous decision to attend the adventure weekend that MACS was funding. The weekend arrived and off they went. Before they had even arrived at the destination, Dad had called to say that Elijah was crying – he missed Mum! But on they travelled, leaving a sad Mum at the end of the phone! What a life changer that weekend was! They both challenged themselves and supported each other while undertaking activities they had never done before. Elijah and his Dad canoed, climbed and zip wired their way to a completely different and much improved relationship! Gradually, over the coming weeks and months, Elijah would slip his arm around his Dad’s neck, having never shown him any affection before. They now have a close relationship which continues to slowly blossom and would not have happened without the MACS Adventure weekend! Elijah is growing into a confident, affectionate young man who believes that anything is possible, which is greatly attributable to MACS! The support and love that we, as a family, have received from MACS over the years has been phenomenal.

Key Statistics• Over the last year, we helped 457 people directly through our national events,

grants, caravans and activity holidays. We also helped countless more through our Facebook support page, telephone helpline, our website and the resources we provide to both health professionals and the public.

• 91% of parents of MACS children said MACS helps them to cope with their child’s condition.

• 89% of our parents of MACS children said MACS made them feel less alone in difficult times.

About This year, 90 families in the UK will be told their babies have no eyes, small eyes, or a cleft in the eye. Many of them will have additional needs or other health challenges. Some will be told there’s no hope that their child will ever see. 25 years ago, Robbie Crow was one of those babies, “my parents were told that I was blind. They wondered if I’d ever make friends or live independently. Through meeting other families, MACS told them the answer could be yes.” In 1994, a group of parents, whose children were born without eyes or with underdeveloped eyes, formed MACS. Our vision is of a world where all people affected by these conditions enjoy the same opportunities as everyone else. To achieve this, over 600 member families are offered peer support, events, a helpline, accessible holidays, financial aid, and adventurous activities to build confidence, friendships and self-esteem in our amazing young people.

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Income between £250,001 – £500,000The Hackney PiratesCase StudyTayo was referred to the programme to give him a boost in literacy as he was attaining below age-related expectations. Although he was engaged in the programme right from the start, in sessions he was often very shy and didn’t like speaking in a group or performing. By the end of the year Tayo’s session leader reported an “explosion in confidence”, which was backed up by his teacher and parents. His teacher said, “Tayo has really come out of his shell this year and is a visibly more confident boy”. Both Tayo and his parents mentioned that he was no longer afraid to talk in front of a crowd.Additionally, during the programme his reading age increased over two times faster than age-related expectations, giving him an ending reading age of over 12 (Tayo was in year 6 and aged 11 at this end-point). His teacher also reported that he was back on track working at age-related expectations in literacy at school. Tayo said that before Hackney Pirates he “wasn’t really doing really well but now I am confident and better at literacy.”

Key Statistics• We helped 520 young people (including 160 as part of our core intensive learning

programme) aged 9 to 12 in the last year.

• On average, our Young Pirates improve their reading age 52% faster than age related expectations.

• 97% of parents agree or strongly agree that the programme has had a positive impact on their child.

About The Hackney Pirates was set up in 2011 by teachers who knew that some of their students who were falling behind could benefit from extra support outside of the classroom. We believe that all young people should experience success in learning. Through publishing projects, reading support and the power of local community, we’re on an adventure to build a fairer world. We aim to make a transformative impact on the literacy, confidence and perseverance of young people who are both falling behind at school and have fewer advantages in their personal circumstances, so that they can achieve both at school and in the world beyond.

We run engaging and high quality learning sessions every day after school, in addition to holiday workshops. The young people, who are referred to us by local schools, attend our sessions for 2.5 hours each week. They receive extra personalised attention from volunteers to support them with their reading and their writing towards creative publishing projects.

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Income between £500,001 – £1.5 millionCreateCase StudySuganthi* cares for her mother and aunt who both have Multiple Sclerosis, an aunt who uses a wheelchair and her grandfather. She talked about being a carer and participating in inspired:arts, Create’s multi-arts programme with young carers facilitated by professional artists. “I started caring when I was five or six. I was an energetic little girl but I realised my mum couldn’t keep up so I started helping her. My aunt has carers but I have to help her a lot because they’re not there all the time. Going out with friends is quite hard - I need to be around my family. Sometimes it’s hard to be yourself because being a young carer limits what other things you can do. In Create’s workshops we’ve been singing, dancing, acting and working together to make songs and play around with them. I’ve learnt to project my voice, play different beats on the drums and how to write songs. We get to be ourselves, move around and improvise. Normally I’m quite shy about performing to a crowd but I’ve picked up skills in the workshop about being confident. It’s fun to get to learn people’s personalities, strengths and weaknesses and to help them out. Some people just don’t understand what you’re going through but you can connect with other young carers and it’s easier to build friendships. My mum and my grandfather both used to perform and will be

proud to hear what I’ve been doing this week.” *Name changed for anonymity.

Key Statistics• Create ran 939 professionally-run creative arts workshops delivering 19,980

contact hours with 2,176 disadvantaged and vulnerable participants.

• 90% of participants said they developed their creativity, 82% their

communication skills, 84% their teamwork skills and 78% their confidence.

• 100% of community partner staff rated Create’s projects “successful overall”.

About Create makes society fairer by connecting the most disadvantaged people to the power of the creative arts. Founded in 2003, it was set up to tackle social issues including social isolation, prejudice and low self-esteem among disadvantaged and vulnerable people. To achieve this, it designs and delivers individually-tailored creative programmes with disabled children and adults; young and adult carers; homeless people; offenders; vulnerable older people and other marginalised people. Each programme increases self-esteem, develops social skills and expands support networks. Create believes that everyone – regardless of circumstances, behaviour, age, gender, race or disability – deserves the chance to fulfil their potential. Its particular focus is on engaging the most marginalised participants in inspiring, sustainable creative programmes in areas where provision is poor and engagement in the arts is therefore low. Each project is a collaboration with a community partner that has specialist knowledge of local priorities and the participants that they exist to serve.

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The Grayston Centre

28 Charles Square

London

N1 6HT

020 7324 4777

www.thefsi.org

Charity Registration Number 1123384