To download a pdf of our latest customer newsletter click here - Wates

Pilots demonstrate
Building Opportunities su
Following the release of a Building Opportunities Report and Toolkit, the findings and
recommendations from two subsequent employability pilots were unveiled in April at an
event at the CIH offices in London.
Building Opportunities – a research project,
chaired by Wates Living Space and managed by
Business in the Community with the support of
a range of companies and housing associations
– was initiated to explore the impact that
businesses and housing associations could
make to local communities by working more
closely together. It found that although many
successful one-to-one relationships between
businesses and social landlords existed, there
were few examples of multiple businesses working
with social landlords.
Business Action
on Economic Renewal
BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES
Business and housing associations
working together to help residents
into employment: Lessons from
Birmingham and Bristol
COMMUNITY
ENVIRONMENT
MARKETPLACE
WORKPLACE
Funding for the two
pilot projects was
secured from the
TSA and Wates Living
Space. Working with
BiTC, Midlands Heart
and Places for People,
the aim was to create
multi-sector business
partnerships to help
social housing tenants
to build their skills
and find routes into
employment. CV and
interview workshops,
Business in the Community – mobilises behind-the-scenes
business for good. Business Community
Business Our Action members commit to take action on the key issues 137 Shepherdess Walk
of today, be that people or planet, and create a unique London N1 7RQ, UK
on Economic platform Renewal
for collaborative action. visits to workplaces
T +44 (0) 20 7566 8650
F +44 (0) 20 7253 1877
E socialhousing@bitc.org.uk
and work experience
March 2010
www.bitc.org.uk placements were just
Registered Details 137 Shepherdess Walk, London N1 7RQ. Telephone: 020 7566 8650 Registered Charity No: 297716.
some
Company
of
Limited
the
by Guarantee No:
wide
1619253. Designed and
range
produced by Alan Bates Design.
of
Printed
opportunities
by CPG, an FSC and
made
PEFC accredited printer. Printed on Revive 50:50 White Silk, a material containing 50% post-consumer waste, which is
both FSC certified and Carbon Neutral
available to participants, who were referred
® . Product code 01COM000490.
by their landlords via agencies. Wates also
ran a Building Futures scheme in Bristol that
gave delegates an insight into careers in the
construction industry.
In all, 19 businesses provided support to 111
residents between September 2008 to March
2010. The pilots found that working with
Housing Associations gives businesses the most
direct route in to some of the most deprived
neighbourhoods in the UK, and resulted in
recommendations including:
• Housing associations committing resource
to employability as a corporate priority, to
explore how working with businesses can
complement existing activities
• Building housing associations’ understanding
of opportunities to engage with businesses,
and their confidence that the private sector
will be receptive to approaches
• Making the most effective investments by
creating activities that best reflect the local
economy
• Partnering smaller housing associations,
where resources are an issue, with other local
housing associations
• Tackling financial barriers that currently
discourage residents from returning to work
and losing the stable income that housing
benefit provides
Business in the Community Business Action on Economic Renewal
A toolkit for SoCiAl lANDlorDS
Business Action
on Economic Renewal
A toolkit for
SoCiAl lANDlorDS
Building opportunities for business
and social landlords to work together
COMMUNITY
ENVIRONMENT
MARKETPLACE
WORKPLACE
• Encouraging funding bodies to recognise the
growing expectations for housing associations
to provide greater support for their residents’
employability.
Both pilots developed strong and sustainable
relationships between housing associations
and businesses and succeeded in increasing
residents’ employability, and we are delighted
that the partners involved are continuing to
support the work, creating opportunity for more
residents into the future.
Wates is passionate about making
a lasting difference to not only the
people’s homes where we work but to
the wider community. Across the UK,
our teams work closely with local
communities on projects ranging from
the refurbishment of kitchens at a local
community college, through to funding
a full-time youth worker to engage with
local people and develop the services
they need. In 2009, our community
work delivered more than £875,000 of
value in kind to communities in need.
Steve Trusler, Strategy Director, Wates Living Space
4 NewSpace ISSUE 3, 2010