Current/recent projects

The following projects are recent examples which demonstrate some of the range of services offered by the team.

Community Participation in Merton

Community Viewfinders was asked to investigate the possibilities for Community Centres to be more strategically involved in the delivery of services, especially to more deprived communities within the Borough. The overall aim was to secure improvements in service planning and delivery through more effective community participation, and to contribute towards the wider community goals of community cohesion, regeneration, community leadership and neighbourhood feeling. The project involved consultation with service commissioners in the Council and PCT and with community and voluntary sector organisations, the clarification of options for community involvement, the launch of a pilot and the delivery of an evidence-based strategy and action plan.

Northumberland's Rural Agenda

Community Viewfinders have just completed a draft Business Case and Action Plan for the use of Defra’s Rural Social and Community Programme in Northumberland. The project involved working with a wide range of stakeholders to develop a set of projects which will take a new approach to tackling rural social exclusion in the County. Seven costed projects were attached to the Action Plan.

Social Enterprise in Gloucestershire

Community Viewfinders has undertaken an evaluation of the three year EQUAL funded programme of support for existing and new social enterprises in Gloucestershire. We made recommendations as to future expansion and development, based on current expectations, methods, outputs and outcomes. We also made available our knowledge of current best practice.

London Borough of Bromley Social Services

Community Viewfinders worked with over a number of months with Bromley Social Services to review the potential role of social enterprises in providing employment for adults with learning disabilities. The project reviewed the potential of a number of sites including the current Day Centres, and examined in detail a range of suitable types of enterprise, taking into account the varied range of disabilities. Extensive consultation was carried out with service users themselves.

Northumberland County Council

A partnership including two district councils required a Development Plan for eight villages within the area known as the Rural Coalfield. The brief required research and consultation with residents and agencies to produce a viable regeneration strategy owned and managed by local people, ensuring sustainable community infrastructure, and levering new funding to deliver projects across the area. The brief was extended to include the setting up of ENRGI, the new Development Trust, and the implementation of the first stage of the Plan, which included the development of an employment guidance service. Community Viewfinders has also just completed a five year evaluation of the ENRGI initiative for the Northumberland Strategic Partnership.

London Voluntary Sector Consortium

Community Viewfinders was asked to undertake an evaluation of the problems small community and voluntary sector organisations face in dealing with multiple funders and to produce a manual to enable such groups manage funder relationships better. The work highlighted the difficulties these groups have in designing and managing projects so that monitoring, reporting and evaluation are effective and a step-by step guide to project planning and monitoring was the key output.

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Past projects

To see a selection of the varied projects undertaken by team members in the past follow this link.