St Andrew s Community Network Annual Report 2013

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1 St Andrew s Community Network Annual Report 2013

2 Chair s Comments I am really pleased to present our annual review of what has been another exciting year for us. The story of St Andrew s Community Network has been one of steady, sustainable growth and 2013 has been no exception. The number of people accessing our services has grown, but what has also been exciting is the growth in the number of people volunteering for us. This year, we have expanded the number of debt satellites and Foodbank distribution centres and also seen the development of new services. While this review will summarise the key statistics for our work and tell some of the stories of what we do, it will also reflect three key values that have shaped our work - faith, hope and love. The main driver behind St Andrew s Community Network has always been faith. We began in 2002 out of a desire by St Andrew s Church to provide support for vulnerable local people. The church has continued to be a huge supporter of our work. Many of our volunteers are from our church and other local churches; but we are thrilled that people who do not belong to a church still feel comfortable working and volunteering with us. Over the years we have increasingly worked with people who are in desperate and vulnerable situations. We offer hope to people who often feel that there is no hope, whether it is because of overwhelming debt or the difficulties that living on benefits can bring. We consistently hear people say that it feels like a weight has been taken from their shoulders after accessing our services. We are proud that we have a very high retention rate for both staff and volunteers who get a huge amount of satisfaction out of bringing hope to the people they see. Many of the people who come to us are in difficult situations and often feel lonely, isolated and afraid. It is our privilege to offer love practical, unconditional and structured love to those who need it the most. We are an organisation that places a high value on each person we support. We are proud that these people consistently comment on how they feel welcomed and cared for when they come through our door. We are incredibly proud of our staff and volunteers, who do an amazing job. As ever, we are incredibly thankful for the way in which they are always looking for better ways of supporting people and willing to go the extra mile when needed. This review is really the story of their commitment and professionalism.

3 Our Community We are passionate about our local community of Clubmoor and its surrounding neighbourhoods. St. Andrew s has been in the community for over 100 years. We know it as a place with a great environment, with some lovely people, where many families have lived for years. Sadly it is also one of the most deprived areas in the UK with significant levels of unemployment, ill health, low income jobs, poor housing and poverty. Nearly two thirds of neighbourhoods within the ward of Clubmoor fall into the most deprived 5% neighbourhoods nationally. Over 1/3 of children grow up below the poverty line. Household income is over 1/3 less than the national average. 1/6 of our community s working age population claims Employment Support Allowance (ESA); twice the national average. Only 2/3 working age adults are in paid employment. Male life expectancy in Clubmoor is 73.2 years (UK average is 78.2 years). Female life expectancy is 79.9 years (UK average 82.3 years). With the rising cost of living, the changes in the benefits system and the reduction in community support and resources across the city; the demand for our services has risen. 3

4 Our Vision As we now enter our second decade, St Andrew s Community Network looks quite different from the early days, but our vision remains the same: to transform our community by changing lives and building relationships. To deliver this vision we meet and support people who find themselves in crisis, but our goal is to go beyond a sticking plaster approach. We aim to encourage and empower people to move from a point of crisis to a life that is self-sustaining, productive and fulfilling. To achieve this, in 2013 we began to develop our volunteering programmes, life skills training and wellbeing support. Our vision remains to respond to the needs of our community. However, over the past three years we have also realised that we can help other places to transform their community too, so we seek to work in partnership with other churches and community groups, and to create models that can remain responsive to local need but can also grow. Sam s Story Sam came to us in a desperate emotional state. Before the recent changes in housing benefit she had never been in debt. Several years before there had been a family tragedy, and now she was facing eviction from her family home which had so many emotional ties. One of our debt advisors was able to apply for a grant which means that Sam can remain in her family home. Sadly Sam s story is not an isolated one, many people in our community are facing a similar situation as a result of the recent welfare changes.

5 Our Values We like to explain our values in three words: faith, hope and love. Faith Although we are an independent charity, we retain a close and strong relationship with St Andrew s Church, Clubmoor. The church is well trusted and respected locally and has been serving the local community for over 100 years. Like the church we retain core Christian values of loving our neighbours and caring for the most vulnerable in society no matter what their beliefs or backgrounds. Hope Hope is what gives our vision life. We believe that people in our community matter, and that they can live healthy and fulfilling lives. Love Our approach is unashamedly person focussed. We meet people where they are at in life and will walk with them in their journey for as long as they want to. Sometimes this is as short as hearing their story over a cup of tea, other times it is a relationship that remains ongoing for years. Some of the people we have journeyed with have now become trustees, employees and volunteers. What people say about us: In doing the money management course, Nicky helped me see how money issues can affect all aspects of life, now I feel I m better and much more confident at managing my finances thank you! 5

6 Why Do We Do What We Do? St Andrew s Community Network would not function without our army of dedicated volunteers. We have over 150 people of all different backgrounds who give up some of their week to support our various projects. We are blessed by the diversity of our volunteers and the gifts, talents and skills that they bring. Often volunteers and staff are asked why we do what we do: ALAN Alan heard about North Liverpool Food Bank through an article in the local newspaper. He felt compelled to support local people in crisis by donating food. He now offers some of his time each week working in the food warehouse. His role is to weigh in the food, make up the food orders for the distribution centres and make up food parcels for individuals. It s hard work, but rewarding. While he enjoys volunteering for North Liverpool Foodbank his hope is that in the near future the Foodbank and my services will not be needed. Carol Carol is a carer and currently unable to work. She volunteers two days a week in the office doing admin and reception. If I wasn t coming into the office I would be at home playing on the Internet. Carol s support in the office has been invaluable and is an integral part of the day to day work of the Network. Christine Christine has been helping in the Network for over a year after she started attending St Andrew s Church. She was part of the Warehouse team initially and now volunteers to clean the centre. I like tidying the network office and meeting people. The staff are so friendly. Volunteering has been part of a journey of healing and development for Christine. Julie-Anne, our Network Manager, commented on the progress Christine has made: Christine has blossomed since beginning volunteering at the network; she is such a blessing to us. Michelle Michelle began volunteering following her retirement. She supports us each week by doing general admin tasks; answering the phone, meet and greet, foodbank and debt admin. I have always wanted to be involved in St Andrew s Community Network but haven t been able to do so because I worked full time. 6

7 Fiona Fiona is one of our Debt Advisors. She has worked at the Network for several years. She describes how her faith plays a significant part in why she does what she does. Her desire is to see people freed from the burden of debt, allowing them to experience life in the fullness that God intends for them. She describes her job as a blessing; the rewards are far greater than the effort we put in. Helen Helen is one of the Trustees of the charity. My desire is to see people move on from a place of crisis and struggle to a place of potential and achievement. St Andrew s Community Network is able to offer an opportunity for people to do just that and it s a privilege to play a part in that. Lindsey s Story When Lindsey came to us she was about to evicted from her home because she was in rent arrears. We were able to look at her financial situation and put her on a debt management plan. Thankfully, with our help she was able to avoid eviction. Lindsey is still on the debt management plan but is now in a more stable financial position and is now one of our fully trained debt advice volunteers.

8 Key Achievements in new debt cases managed throughout 2013, representing 2.57million of debt. In 2013, we provided food to a total of 6,498 people, through 3,315 discreet vouchers. This includes 4,275 adults and 2,223 Children. In total, St. Andrew s Community Network has now supported 1,782 people with debt, over 8million. 19 trained families supported with parenting/complex Family issues. We handled 49 Debt Relief Orders, representing 1.5million of debt, in At the start of 2014 we are actively supporting 604 people Manage their debts. 8volunteers with listening / talking therapy skills. In 2013, we closed 527 debt cases. This is 527 who are now able to manage their debt independently. We estimate a half of these people are living debt free, after having their debt written-off or dealt with via a Debt Relief Order or Bankruptcy. Why we do what we do I love working for St Andrew s Community Network because I know personally the impact personal support can have on lives. (Staff Member) 8

9 Accounts Summaryy Income Donations Grants Project Income In-kind contributions Total Income 2011/ /13 45, , , , , , , , , Expenditure Wages and on-costs Activities Overheads 60, , , , , , Total Expenditure 91, , Net Income / Expenditure Total Funds at 31st March Restricted Unrestricted 42, , , , , , ,

10 Our Core Service Areas Money Management Our money management services aim to meet different levels of need around issues of debt, money management education, and saving. The longest running is our debt advice service which provides high quality, clear, free debt advice and has a quality assurance through the Community Legal Services Quality Mark. Demand for this service remains high with 619 current clients, 460 of these new clients in Unfortunately we have seen an increase in clients struggling with debt that has been exacerbated by recent welfare reforms. We foresee this as a key issue for our local community in the future and expect the high demand for our service to continue. To deliver this service we have a dedicated small team of 3 staff and a large fully trained team of 74 volunteers. Jubilee Debt Advice in Knowsley opened in 2013, meaning we now have 6 satellite centres run by local churches across North Liverpool and beyond who operate under our banner and who we support closely. We also partner Community Money Advice and are part of the Advice UK network. New in 2013 we have written and delivered a free money management education course, which is accredited with the National Open College Network. This programme is designed to support those who want to better manage their finances and avoid debt. It includes sessions on attitudes to money, prioritising spending, controlling a budget, saving and borrowing, and effective shopping. So far this has been run out of our centre and three different local children s centres and is something we hope to expand over the coming year. In addition to our other money management services we also host a local credit union to help support saving amongst local residents. 10

11 Wellbeing The aim of our wellbeing service is to be another connection point for people in our community who come to us in crisis but realise their need to reach a more selfsustaining position in life. Our wellbeing work has developed strongly over the last twelve months, most notably with the launch of our Listening Service as the result of an in depth feasibility study. The Listening Service is for anyone who experiences difficulties and hard times in life for whatever reason and provides a safe space for people to be heard. It includes 6 sessions of 45 minutes with fully trained listeners who are matched up appropriately with those using the service. During the sessions people find they are able to unburden themselves through sharing and then, with the listeners, create action points connected with their difficulties. In addition to this, our volunteer led depression support group, associated with Depression Alliance, continued through However, we have now drawn this to a close as we consider how best to continue this service into the future. What people say about us: I was so glad for the help of St Andrew s Community Network, and your staff gave me a lovely warm welcome. 11

12 North Liverpool Foodbank North Liverpool Foodbank provides emergency food relief for individuals and families who find themselves in crisis. To deliver this service we work in partnership with a number of churches who provide distribution centres across the north of the city. We act as a hub for this network and, in addition to warehousing the food, we also coordinate and provide administrative support for the centres. These have increased in number over the last year to 8 including our own on a Friday. We also work with over 233 voucher holding agencies. It is these statutory and crisis support agencies who refer people to us, this allows us to know that other agencies also have some form of supportive relationship with the people using our Foodbanks. Like many other Trussell Trust Foodbanks we have seen an increase in the number of people fed and the volume of food distributed over the last year. From 1st January 31st December 2013 we provided food to a total of 6,498 people, through 3,315 discreet vouchers. This includes 4,275 adults and 2,223 children. Just over 2,000 of these vouchers were due to a delay or sanction in benefits but significant numbers related to chronic low income (277) or debt (250). These figures are a notable increase on 2012, where in the same period we supported 3696 people through 1,749 vouchers. Hospitality is important to us in all of our activities and Foodbank is no different. Each person who comes through our doors receives a warm welcome from one of our volunteers, a hot drink and something to eat. Because of our relational approach we also provide the opportunity for people to tell their story and, if appropriate, direct them to other services that we and others provide which help deal with some of the underlying causes of their situation. This year we have also opened The Hanger which provides free clothing for people in crisis. Like Foodbank this operates on a voucher system. Although we currently have a limited amount of clothing, we are looking to develop this service in the future. 12

13 Volunteers Our volunteers are magnificent; the way in which we serve our local community would not be possible without them. We now have over 150 volunteers across our centres who show incredible levels of dedication and commitment to the work they do here. Our volunteering programme includes opportunities in debt advising, training as a listener, customer service, Foodbank warehousing and logistics, supermarket food collections, administration, and hospitality. Our volunteers come from all walks of life, with different experiences and talents, and many from our local community. We also have several volunteers who have required access to one or more of our services themselves in the past. They have come back to volunteer because they know firsthand the difference this made to them, and they also want to give back and support others who find themselves in similar circumstances of life that they too experienced. We are also aware that with a flourishing volunteer base there is a need to care for wellbeing of our volunteers. We endeavour to maintain the best possible practices for our volunteers, with formal role descriptions and contracts, personal development plans and training. As one part of this care we are about to begin delivering The Boundary s Course. The course offers practical help, encouragement, insight and wisdom to all who struggle with their inability to say no, as well as to anyone who seeks to live a healthy and balanced life, and is offered to our entire volunteer base. Why we do what we do I ve received so much support from the Network, volunteering gives me the opportunity to give back. (Volunteer) 13

14 What people say about us: Words cannot express how grateful I am for your kindness in my time of need. Without people like you we would have nowhere to turn. Family Support 2013 was year of change for our Family Support service. We focussed on a pilot providing an in house support service to families from our local primary school. The pilot was deemed a success, so much so that the school now employ its own Family Support Worker. We continue to link with family based services in the area, and in particular within St Andrews Church, Inbetweenies and Mustard Seeds, and in 2014 we will look at how we can strengthen those links and look again at the local need and how we might meet that need. Why we do what we do I love to serve the people of Clubmoor! In helping others I feel fulfilled. (Volunteer) 14

15 My Clubmoor My Clubmoor is one of our partner organisations whose staff are currently hosted at St Andrew s Community Network. They are part of the national Big Local Trust scheme which aims to give communities a leading role in making decisions about how to improve their area and tackle local issues. Over the coming decade My Clubmoor will invest 1 million into the Clubmoor ward, how this money is spent is up to the local community and is guided by the Partnership Board, comprised entirely of local residents and people with a passion to see Clubmoor thrive. Chloe s Story When Chloe came to visit Foodbank she had just moved to Liverpool for personal reasons. Because of her house move and immediate health concerns her claim for ESA and housing benefit was stopped and a fresh claim to Liverpool City council had been made, this had a 12 week wait. We supported Chloe through Foodbank, our debt advice service, and our clothes bank, The Hanger, but because of her especially traumatic circumstance we wanted to provide a person centred package to see her through this time. So we also supported her in making friends with some positive relationships, and because her gas and electric had been cut, we were able to help get her a small grant. It has been 9 months since we came alongside Chloe and she is now successfully back on her feet and settled. She has gone through an awful lot at a young age. Chloe is now one of our Foodbank volunteers and her wellbeing is much better than when we first met her, she loves volunteering and it has given her a sense of belonging and friendship.

16 Looking to the Future Before 2013 much of our community engagement had been at the level of crisis support, and going forward there remains a clear need for this. In the early part of 2014 we have seen our demand for debt advice and foodbank double from what it was a year ago. However, we have also begun to develop services such as the Money Management Programme and the Listening Course, which connect with some of the underlying issues that cause crisis. Our vision for the future is to develop and grow these programmes, but also to broaden our range of services that give hope for a more sustainable and self-supporting future for individuals and families. We hope to do this in various ways including: Food & Healthy Eating We will look towards the feasibility of developing a healthy eating programme and community cooking service. Our hope is that this could run alongside or act as a follow on service from Foodbank. Enterprise We see a need to encourage and support entrepreneurial endeavour in our community. Our hope is to set up an enterprise scheme which will allow us to walk along side people who have a dream to set up a small business or move into work. This will include expert advice on generating financial capital and business planning, and we are looking at innovative business models to provide intermediate enterprise opportunities. 16

17 What people say about us: I think the Network is brilliant. They have helped me a lot with parenting support, debt advice, and food. I feel I can trust the staff and have talked with them about serious things happening in my life. Budgeting, Welfare & Benefits Advice With the recent changes in the welfare system there is a need to give extra support to people accessing welfare benefits. We are extending our work on helping people to manage money positively. We have already trained some of our debt volunteers on basic benefits advice, and will look to provide community hub facilities for benefits issues over the coming year. Community Cafe With an increase in our service areas we plan to start a community cafe as a new connection point where people can find information about our services and access to them. We hope a community cafe would also act as a hub or gathering point for people in Clubmoor and the surrounding areas. Volunteer support Our growing volunteer base requires a corresponding increase in our volunteer support. In addition to starting and developing The Boundaries Course, we will look at other ways to support volunteers and we hope to employ a dedicated volunteer s coordinator. Why we do what we do I volunteer because I want to help those in my community who are less fortunate than others. (Volunteer) 17

18 Why we do what we do We want to offer people a hand-up rather than a hand-out. (Staff Member) Joe s STORY Joe visited our Foodbank one Friday near Christmas and told us his story. He had found himself in a tough situation, he was caring for his girlfriend who had a disability and was unable to get employment. Because of his circumstances some volunteers took one of our Christmas food parcels to Joe. It was hard for our volunteers to find Joe s apartment at first because the place was in such a bad state. When they did eventually find Joe he was really touched that someone had actually taken the time to do something for him. Our journey with Joe may only have been short term, but we find people are often grateful just to have someone listen to their story and find out that actually someone cares enough to listen.

19 How you can support us? We are always grateful to receive financial support, and you can do so in a number of ways by contacting the office or visiting our donations page at foodbank.org.uk/donate We are looking for organisations who might partner with us. If you are already providing services to vulnerable people, or you would like to work with us to transform North Liverpool, please contact kevin@standrewslive.org.uk. If you require any further information, please visit our website at org.uk, or follow us on 19

20 St Andrew s Community Network Roscoe Primary School Ballantyne Road Liverpool L13 9AL T: admin@standrewslive.org.uk