Making an impact

Bournemouth Borough Council: A listed church became available and the neighbourhood Management team engaged the Team to undertake consultation and to produce a feasibility study to determine its potential and viability. We were subsequently retained to raise the £1.4m and bring the project to fruition.

Community Council of Northumberland: Community Viewfinders was commissioned by the CCN to assist two Community Partnerships in the development of community action plans. The project was to develop a comprehensive strategic document for each area, based on a clear analysis of existing work and current priorities and capacities of the local community. Each included a framework to address priority strategic issues for the North East and a package of achievable strategic projects.

Earth Balance: Provision of a detailed business programme for the growth and expansion of the main community environmental centre in Northumberland. Including a community café, organic bakery, a range of small enterprises including organic horticulture, fish farming, willow management, garments from reclaimed materials, composting and a micro-brewery. The centre also includes a visitor centre and a horticultural training unit for people with learning disabilities.

London Borough of Newham: Manor Park - Priorities for renewal: In the Manor Park area of Newham, we are consulting widely with all identifiable stakeholders with an interest in the future of private sector housing in this area. A number of consultation processes are underway with community groups, residents, businesses and other organisations. The ethnic mix of the area necessitates working in a dozen languages.

London Borough of Southwark: Following the drive from central government to make local authority decision-making more accountable to the public, we worked closely with the council, in order to review and rationalise the network of area-based forums, community groups, and committee structures which play a role in linking the local community to the day-to-day running of the council. As well as analysing the council's present arrangements, we reviewed initiatives elsewhere in order to identify best practice models which may be applicable to Southwark

Northumberland Strategic Partnership: Community Viewfinders was invited by the (NSP) to undertake an evaluation of the Community Capacity Building Project delivered by the Community Council for Northumberland. The task was to undertake a review of past performance of the CCN capacity building programme and to make recommendations for the future of the project in the light of the changing funding and community development landscape in Northumberland. The team was to advise on the achievements of the project to date and the role it could have in the future regeneration of rural Northumberland. To provide a clear picture of how the project could work in the future alongside existing and emerging initiatives in the County.

Southwark Action for Voluntary Organisations: Following the drive from central government to make local authority decision-making more accountable to the public, we are working closely with the newly established Southwark Community Empowerment Network to review the consultation and participation structures across the 46 partnerships in the Borough. The final report makes recommendations to link the participation structures back to the LSP, provide a central recruitment and support structure, and to rationalise the network of infrastructure.

Taylor Woodrow, Greenford: the Team were commissioned to undertake research and consultation to create a community development trust as part of the creation of the Grand Union Village. Training and support was provided over six months to develop a Business Plan for the Grand Union Village CDT and related work programme. The team have been retained for an average of a day per week to set the Trust up and run it in partnership with Genesis H.A.

The Earth Centre: Development of the retail centre for the UK's largest (£70m) visitor centre near Doncaster. Including programme and operational set up for fittings and product spec., retail systems, three year budget and recruitment and staffing.

Warm Zones: A national pilot programme to evaluate and maximise the impact of government, energy industry and local authority initiatives to reduce fuel poverty. Warm Zones comprise the most significant fuel poverty programme yet devised, combining systematic treatment of the issues on a large scale - covering half a million households in a three-year period. The £6m programme was researched, developed and implemented by the Community Viewfinders team, who also developed the business plans and funding models. The pilot programme has successfully concluded and roll-out in several new areas has already commenced. See www.warmzones.co.uk

West Ham and Plaistow NDC: Community Viewfinders was appointed to undertake a skills audit and feasibility study to underpin the NDC programme to establish a viable Resident Service Organisation to achieve its objectives of creating employment, improve economic regeneration of the NDC area, and work towards the aims of Neighbourhood Management. The assignment required two inter-related aspects of work, a Skills Audit of local residents to identify factors excluding them from employment and a Feasibility Study to explore the market opportunity for a "Handy Van" service.