Overview
Since its inception in 2006 Building Futures East has grown significantly. Established as a Company Limited by Guarantee in May 2007 it became a Development Trusts in March 2008 and was awarded Charitable Status in August 2008. We are an organisation grown from our local community.
In acknowledging worklessness as a primary objective, one should not lose sight of the fact that Building Futures East is about more than this. Our approach seeks to support real transformation, a transformation from the passive to the active, to support the regeneration of our most disadvantaged communities that has its foundations in the genuine ability to make life choice. We see the opportunity for work as central to this. We believe that our diverse approach builds individual capacity, builds social capital, and creates synapses that connect people to work and place thereby creating living, vibrant communities.
As an organisation we recognise the need to maintain flexibility in order to respond to emerging opportunity. Diversity is also key to our success both in engaging and supporting our client groups and in ensuring that we are responsive to a range of needs expressed by employers. We continue therefore to develop innovative "curriculum offer" with our strategic partnerships and networks, to the benefit of the organisation, to secure its goals and to meet the needs of those we strive to support.
The ethos of the project remains that of high quality training and associated support in a context of committed employer buy-in underpinned by a strong local connection.
Activity focuses around:
- Vocational and employment skills training
- Personal development programmes
- Entrepreneurial/ income generation activity
The impact of the organisation to date and its approach has been quantified through focus group work and student survey, in addition to consultation with stakeholders from 22 different organisations. This has been further measured through independent external longitudinal evaluation conducted by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies published in 2008.
Mindful of the very low or limited starting point of the majority of students, statistical data for 2008 evidences performance as:
- 29% into employment
- 71% gaining a qualification
- 44.5% other positive outcome (e.g. further education/work placement)
- In 2008 we delivered 119,340 hours of training
There are also a significant number of softer outputs and outcomes associated with our work. Our recent study points to increased motivation through gaining new skills, increased self esteem and personal confidence. Additionally, through programmes such as our Garden Maintenance Scheme we achieve significant social impact through the delivery of a free garden maintenance service to our elderly and vulnerable residents increasing community cohesion, greater intergenerational understanding, reducing litter and anti-social behaviour.
Whilst opportunities are offered openly, as an organisation we also target specific, vulnerable groups within our communities. We have already been successful in our work with some of the areas disaffected young people and those classified as NEET (not in education, employment or training) and are, for example, securing increasing numbers of single parents and women into what are non-traditional skills.