Annual Report 2002/03

Community Links West Dunbartonshire : Annual Report 2003-2004

Contents               

If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.

Report from the Chair

Client Projects

CLWD Projects

Report from the Manager

Board Members and Staff

Financial Overview

Clients and Project Funders

Community Links West Dunbartonshire is a Company Limited by Guarantee and not having share capital. Company No. 229753 it is also recognised by the Inland Revenue as a charity, with Scottish Charity No. SC032934. Contact CLWD at 75 Kilbowie Road Clydebank G81 1BL

Tel 0141 952 4382   e-mail stephen@comlinkswd.org   www.comlinkswd.org

Report from the Chair – Sue Hemmings

As Chair of Community Links West Dunbartonshire , I welcome all our supporters, clients and new friends to our second annual report. The last year has been one which has seen the organisation continue to learn about the mechanics of being a wider role service delivery agent and introducing and implementing new ideas and methodologies into practice. We have continued to try and juggle several objectives including; providing robust and efficient services to client members; exploring potential services for the benefit of all member RSLs; responding to policy changes both nationally and locally and continuing to plan for future years and the ongoing, changing demands of regeneration work.

In meeting these demands I would like to thank the Board of Directors at Community Links West Dunbartonshire together with our advisors, supporters and staff who have worked extremely hard and professionally to maintain the high standards achieved in our first year. I am particularly pleased with the Investors in People award which staff and Board have worked hard to achieve in the timescale since our formation. In addition to this a great deal of effort has taken place to establish a Project Database and Website to increase and improve client communication.

The quote at the top literally keeps everyone at Community Links feet firmly on the ground and reminds us who we work for and what our role is.

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Be wary of experts – you don't need to be a shoemaker to know that your shoes do not fit.

Client Projects

Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time.

In the last year, CLWD worked on 64 separate wider role Projects on behalf of clients. Examples are highlighted below under the relevant Communities Scotland wider role priority.

Improving health

Assist Knowes HA co-ordinate meetings with relevant agencies, prepare information for Business Plan and complete three funding applications to enable the employment of staff and the opening of Café Knowes, a healthy eating café in Faifley .

Improving levels of community safety, including reducing levels of anti-social behaviour

Following concern from residents, Dunbritton HA and CLWD held public meetings, established a community group, organised a drama projects and a series of community events to help with the integration of the scheme and improve relations between young people and older residents.

Increasing environmental sustainability

A derelict Trafalgar HA wall of forty two former garages was transformed by the work of local residents, two Primary Schools and a Secondary School into a historical/community artwork.

Increasing levels of income or access to affordable credit

CLWD staff have assisted Bellmyre HA to purchase a vacant shop unit to convert into an information and advice unit which will allow residents to access financial services locally. .

Helping people into jobs

Dalmuir Concierge Scheme involves the three Dalmuir RSLs and was led by Linkwide with the support of CLWD staff who provided assistance with funding applications, business planning and the appointment of staff. Ten members of staff are likely to be employed by mid 2004.

Improving transport

CLWD staff assisted Clydebank HA secure substantial funding to install a District Heating System in seven multi storey block. The Project has also considered using surplus electricity from the scheme to run electric cars which will be hired to residents.

Building the skills, motivation, networks and confidence of local people.

Faifley HA together with Knowes HA, CLWD staff and arts workers submitted funding and facilitated an Art/History Project which involved Faifley residents of all ages working together.

Increasing educational attainment

Following successful outreach work, Dalmuir Youth Action Group was established with the support of weekly meetings involving CLWD staff. Backed by Dalmuir Park HA, Trafalgar HA and Linkwide the young people have organised a series of workshops, two residential courses, and now employ their own member of staff.

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If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great

CLWD Projects

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.

Investors in People

CLWD received their award towards the end of the financial year following an excellent assessment and support from Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire.

Website

By accessing funding through the Equal Programme, CLWD have been working with Ithos web developers to create Community Link's own web site. Following staff training the Web Site at wwwcomlinkswd.org is now live and is regularly updated with our own in house Newslinks e-mail information sheets.

Database

CLWD have been working with staff from the Lennox Partnership to create a database to assist with the reporting, monitoring and evaluation of CLWD's wider role Projects.

Consultancy /Presentations

CLWD have given a number of presentations throughout the previous year including: Rural Stirling HA, East End HAs Steering Group, SFHA Conference, and Scottish Enterprise

Streetlinks

Following the success of the Dalmuir Youth Outreach Video Project CLWD was successful in acquiring funding from Better Neighbourhood Services Fund to carry out an entirely detached youth outreach programme. CLWD completed a prioritisation exercise together with a cost plan.

On Site

CLWD staff have been involved with an architect and staff from WDC Education and Arts and Cultural Services Departments to produce an educational pack for primary school children linked to housing, their community, housing associations and how houses and designed and built.

Right Time – Right Place

Working with housing officers from all client RSLs, WDC Housing Department, with input and design from three different groups of young people, these booklets have been designed to assist housing officers and support new young prospective tenants.

Establishing Wider Role Planning Mechanism

CLWD staff have been working with each of the RSLs to establish a three year Wider Role Strategy, Evaluation and Funding Plan. The Plan helps RSLs to prioritise activities to reflect actual need and provision, as well as highlighting the likely outcomes for each of their Projects.

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If you wait to do everything until you are sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything

Report from the Manager

The world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he is going.

You are either on the way or in the way.

Three years on from its introduction by Scottish Homes in August 2000, wider role appeared to be at a crossroads last year, in need of a sense of direction and a plan detailing how to get there. Communities Scotland , in its publication, Communities Scotland – Regenerating Communities published in September 2003, supported the previous policy and gave new context and wider role priorities with which to set against wider role activity.

The publication reinforced that RSLs must be able to demonstrate how their Wider Role activity links with national Ministerial priorities and, most crucially, how it will improve people's lives. In the clearest terms outcomes, became the new outputs, and with that comes the requirement for a new wider role planning mechanism that incorporates: evaluation, monitoring, funding and prioritising.

In parallel to these developments a great deal of planning and time is being invested integrating Social Inclusion Partnerships and Community Planning Partnerships. The subsequent Regeneration Outcome Agreements should provide the overall general sense of direction while individual client RSLs use their three year, Wider Role Strategy, Evaluation, and Funding Plans developed by Community Links to ensure client members know where they are going and are on their way.

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Board Members and Staff

Directors

Sue Hemmings (Chair)       WDP Vale of Leven Forum

June Todd (Vice Chair)      WDP Clydebank Forum

Rose Harvie                     WDP Dumbarton Forum

Laurie Mackay (Treasurer) West Dunbartonshire HA Forum

Moira O'Neil                     West Dunbartonshire HA Forum

Anne McGowan                West Dunbartonshire HA Forum

David Dowie                    Communities Scotland

Sandra Davidson              West Dunbartonshire Partnership

Drummond Stewart           West Dunbartonshire Partnership   

Staff

Stephen Singer:Manager             Callum Smith:Economic Development Officer

Kate Coleman:Project Officer       Stephen Horsburgh: Project Officer

Lhara Stevenson: Admin Officer    Alison Shaw:Admin Assistant

Thanks also to Sharon Keenan and Fiona Ewing for Financial Services and auditors Alexander Sloan.    

Some make it happen, some watch it happen, and some say, “What happened?”

Financial Overview .

Wealth, like happiness, is never attained when sought directly. It comes as a by-product of providing a useful service

Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2004

Current Assets                                         £   £

Debtors                                                   5,600

Cash in Bank and in hand                        86,159

                                                             91,759

Creditors: amounts falling due within

one year                                               34,890

Net Assets                                           56,869

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Clients and Project Funders

Clients

In the past year CLWD established funding commitments and the ongoing participation of the original eight client members who are: Bellsmyre Ha. Clydebank HA, Dalmuir Park HA, Dunbritton HA, Faifley HA, Knowes HA, Linkwide and Trafalgar HA. Consultancy work was also carried out with Hillhead HA 2000 and West Highland HA.

Projects

CLWD staff worked with client members on 65 separate Projects, submitting 54 funding applications. The reduction on client outputs in the year reflects attempts to be less reactive and instead work to a more strategic pattern often involving larger, more complicated projects. The table below highlights the financial return on the involvement of CLWD staff in funding bids for individual RSL wider role Projects, and the sources of funding received.

Despite the large amounts of income generated, equally valid Projects were also worked on throughout the year providing capacity building opportunities for individuals and groups which may well be of a greater, longstanding value in the future.

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Not everything that can be counted, counts. And not everything that counts can be counted