It is the first time in its history that LASS has sought the support of a patron and the acceptance of this position by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu reflects the extensive variety of challenges that working in HIV presents.

Jenny Hand, CEO of LASS, explains:
“For LASS to be supported and valued by a man of such international stature is incredible. The Archbishop’s untiring work in human rights, particularly in Southern Africa, and in the field of HIV/AIDS, together with his extraordinary ability to reach across communities, inspired LASS to approach him. His patronage reflects the diverse range of communities LASS works with and gives us a new sense of purpose and energy. We could not have asked for a better way to mark the launch of our 25th Anniversary Year and embolden our service users, staff and volunteers as we face the challenges that lie ahead.”

In approaching Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu LASS described the charity’s journey, from starting as a struggling telephone help-line in June 1987 for people affected by HIV and AIDS, to becoming Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s leading cross-community HIV charity today, currently supporting over 500 people affected by HIV; leading the way with its innovative community Rapid HIV Testing initiative; delivering education and training in sexual health in schools and community settings and challenging the stigma and ignorance that is still attached to HIV.

In accepting the invitation Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu explained that, as a retired octogenarian, he had been reducing his commitments. However, he was touched by LASS’s story and has decided to make an exception, agreeing to be the charity’s International Patron.

Patrick Bowe, Chair of the LASS Board of Trustees comments:
“This is also a very positive reflection on our home of Leicester, which the Archbishop is already familiar with through the University of Leicester. The extraordinary diversity of the city’s communities, the work done in the city to maintain community harmony and LASS’s commitment to working across faiths and communities were also drawn to the Archbishop’s attention. It is for these reasons also that LASS believes no better figure could have been welcomed as our International Patron than Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.”

LASS will be launching its 25th Anniversary Year with an Anniversary Boat Race in Humberstone Gate, Leicester City Centre, on 9 June. This event will reflect the fact that in 25 years the reality of HIV in the UK has changed enormously and it is possible, with early diagnosis, to live a long, healthy and active life with HIV. It will be the first in a number of initiatives throughout the coming year. The Anniversary Boat Race will also reflect the fact that HIV affects everyone, no matter which community or world continent they are from, and is something to address rather than shy away from.

LASS is a certified social enterprise, with the Social Enterprise Mark, providing support to those living with HIV/AIDS and offering sexual health education and information. LASS works with the different communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to empower them to raise awareness about HIV and HIV testing. LASS also works with regional partners to develop community knowledge across the region.

The “Don’t Just Walk Past – Tell Us” campaign gives people the option of calling a 24-hour helpline number 0800 567 76 99 or completing a form on the charity’s website www.porchlight.org.uk/tellus. You will be asked some simple questions about the person you have seen so that the specialist rough sleeper team can easily locate and identify them.

Porchlight conducts regular early morning street outreach sessions across the county to locate and engage with rough sleepers but hopes that extra intelligence from the public will mean they can find even more vulnerable people.

Chris Coffey, strategic manager for the charity’s rough sleeper team, says that the campaign is keen to find people that are new to the streets: “A large number of homeless people are currently staying on friend’s sofas or in unsuitable temporary accommodation. All too quickly they can drop on to the streets when their welcome runs out. If someone has to sleep rough for too long they can become entrenched in that lifestyle and develop further issues such as drug or alcohol dependency. We want the public’s help to find people quickly and prevent their situation from becoming even worse.”

When the charity receives information about a rough sleeper the team will try to find and engage with that person as quickly as possible.

Mr. Coffey said: “We will invite the person to a safe place such as a local day centre run by one of our partner agencies. This will give us an opportunity to really talk to the rough sleeper and get a clear idea of their support needs. From there we can decide whether they would be best placed into supported accommodation or somewhere more independent.”

In the first 3 months of this year 244 people approached the charity’s rough sleeper team for help. This comes on the back of figures published in February by the Department for Communities and Local Government that showed a 23% rise in rough sleeping in the last year across England.

Mike Barrett, Chief Executive for Porchlight is not surprised by the dramatic rise: “The huge increase in people finding themselves in a desperate situation is very sad but not a shock. The financial pressures affecting both the individuals themselves and the organizations that are there to help are finally coming to fruition.”

Porchlight received £250k from the Homeless Transition Fund at the end of 2011. The £20m independent Fund was set up to help support the national rough sleeping strategy vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide.

Administered by umbrella organisation Homeless Link, the Fund received 190 applications from charities wanting to protect key homelessness services.

Mark McPherson, Director of Practice & Regions at Homeless Link, says: “We know that the longer people stay on the streets the deeper their problems can get and the harder they can be for them to overcome. That is why we are supporting organisations across the country, including Porchlight, to make sure no one has to spend a second night out on the streets through the Homelessness Transition Fund. There are already successful ways for the public to tell us about people sleeping rough set up in London and Liverpool, and now everyone in Kent can join the campaign and take a step to help end rough sleeping.”

Porchlight is a certified social enterprise, with the Social Enterprise Mark.

L-R: David Waterfield (Hillcrest Branch), Anne Mountjoy (Social Enterprise Mark), Jason Moore (Hillcrest), Don Crispin (Hillcrest), Christine Wardell (Hillcrest), Tim Smit (Eden Project)

Tim Smit KBE, Chief Executive and Co-founder of the Eden Project, presented the Hillcrest Branch team with the Social Enterprise Mark at the Eden Project. He said:

“The Social Enterprise Mark is important in helping people across the country understand what social enterprise means. It highlights businesses which ‘do what it says on the tin’ – that are not only in business to make profits, but are also about helping people and protecting the environment. I’m thrilled to award Hillcrest Branch with the Social Enterprise Mark as they join the Eden Project in being in business to make a difference.”

Jason Moore, Manager and Director at Hillcrest Branch commented;

“We are proud to be awarded the Social Enterprise Mark; Hillcrest Branch Limited is committed to aiding those who are disadvantaged in the labour market through mental health issues back into mainstream employment. Being awarded the Social Enterprise Mark confirms our status as a genuine social enterprise, being focused on achieving our social goals and objectives rather than driven by monetary returns”

“Our passion at Hillcrest Branch is being in business to bring benefits to society and the environment by assisting those who are disadvantaged in the labour market back into paid employment. That’s why receiving the Social Enterprise Mark is a great honour for everyone at Hillcrest Branch. It is an independent certification of why we’re in business and a testament for our future direction”.

Hillcrest Branch Limited is a social enterprise aiming to deliver horticultural and grounds maintenance services of the highest standards to its customers whilst providing opportunities of paid employment within a supported environment to people who are disadvantaged in the labour market. Hillcrest Branch Limited also offers a practical vocational training programme using the tool of therapeutic horticulture to provide a steppingstone back into work for people living with mental health issues.

Anne Mountjoy, Communications Manager from the Social Enterprise Mark Co, said:

“As the only certification for social enterprises, the Mark guarantees businesses which meet defined criteria, proving they trade for people and planet. The Mark helps those businesses promote their business ethics and values. We are delighted to welcome Hillcrest Branch and have no doubt they will inspire others to follow this great example of social enterprise.”

Lucy Findlay with Ed Miliband award the Social Enterprise Mark to Emily Farnworth and Callum Grieve

Counter Culture is a sustainability and communications firm that recently launched and is dedicated to helping businesses, NGOs and entrepreneurs take advantage of the opportunities created by becoming more environmentally, socially and financially sustainable.

Mr. Miliband said, “Counter Culture are doing a fantastic job helping the private sector, social enterprises and charities. Responsible capitalism is about building an economy, which encourages companies like Counter Culture – companies which offer good wages and good jobs for the next generation. That’s how we build an economy, which works for working people. I am happy to award this Social Enterprise Mark to Counter Culture.”

The Social Enterprise Mark Company is the only authority that certifies genuine social enterprises, having society and the environment at the heart of the business. Counter Culture joins other ethical businesses that have been recognised by being awarded the Mark such as the Eden Project, Big Issue and the Phone Co-op.

Counter Culture is founded by Emily Farnworth, Callum Grieve and Michael Baldwin – who all have more than 15 years of experience each in sustainability strategy, communications and socially responsible investment.

The team has worked with some of the world’s most influential business, government and charity organisations including the Financial Times, GE, HSBC, Shell, Swiss Re, Timberland, Unilever, the Government of Quebec, the City of New York, the United Nations, the World Bank, and WWF.

Counter Culture will offer an array of services including advice on corporate ‘intrapreneur’ development; localisation marketing activities; campaign development; event production and tailored social enterprise, sustainability and communications support. One of Counter Culture’s first projects is a multi-year campaign to promote social enterprise in Scotland.

“We are delighted to award the prestigious Social Enterprise Mark to Counter Culture, said Lucy Findlay, Managing Director, Social Enterprise Mark Company. “Social enterprises come in all shapes and forms so it’s great to see a firm with this kind of international experience and expertise understanding the importance of being part of the British social enterprise movement.”

“Targeted impact investment and social enterprise are critical for sustainable economic growth,” said Co-Founder and Director Farnworth, “We want to prove that smart businesses can make a profit and make a difference. Helping companies re-connect with communities to solve local environmental and social problems is an exciting way to deliver sustainability.”

“The old business model of seeking profit-at-any-cost is fundamentally broken,” said Co-Founder and Director Grieve. “The great companies of the future will be those that not only deliver fantastic products and services – but the companies who step up and help meet our most pressing social and environmental challenges. We are proud to be part of the most exciting movement in today’s business world.”

Annie Holden, Steve Price and ‘Blind Dave’ Heeley, MyTime Active

Said Annie Holden, Health Division Manager at Mytime Active, which delivers similar services across the UK: “In April 2013, responsibility for public health transfers from PCTs to local authorities and they need to have confidence in those they choose to deliver their services.

“The ground-breaking work that we have been doing in Sandwell, working with local community groups and delivering integrated healthy lifestyle services spanning the life cycle from early years to older age, is a perfect demonstration of how this work can be effectively outsourced to deliver improved impacts on the health of local communities.”

Sandwell is home to some of the worst pockets of deprivation in the UK and research by Sport England shows that local residents are amongst the least likely to do regular exercise in the country, but Mytime Active is already changing this by making it much easier for people to access a variety of healthy activity opportunities.

Since it was awarded the contract to deliver these services by the Sandwell PCT in November 2011, over 20,000 attendances have directly benefitted local people participating in their programmes.

Mytime Health’s Stop Smoking programme is achieving a 40 percent success rate, up from 28 per cent the previous year; 14,000 people participate in Sandwell Stride walks; 19 children centres are now delivering FABtots; health checks for cardio-vascular disease have been implemented in all 69 GP practices; Mytime Health’s pioneering pre-diabetes work will feature at the Heart UK Conference; and its Cookwell programme was singled out for a visit by Prime Minister David Cameron in December.

Recently, local dignitaries, inspirational local celebrity and athlete known as ‘Blind Dave’ Heeley, health care professionals, patients and voluntary sector organisations all came together at The Sandwell Healthy Lifestyles Showcase at the The Public arts venue in West Bromwich.

They were able to see and sample Mytime Health projects delivered in partnership with a range of local community groups, from FabTots for early years and pregnant women to cycling, including a Watt bike exercise demo, Long-term Conditions Pilot, Slimwell (adult weight management), Extend and Active Sandwell for older people, as well as Stop Smoking Services, Walk from Home (for frailer older adults), Pulmonary Rehabilitation and the Health Trainer Service.

Said Steve Price Chief Executive of Mytime Active “You can’t force people to live healthily, but if you provide easily accessible integrated services, ensuring people know about them and provide a single point of access , so that people are empowered and motivated to improve their health, you can make a huge difference. It was inspiring to hear from participants who have had their health transformed, and we’re committed to doing all we can to extend these improvements across Sandwell.”

Said Jyoti Atri, Deputy Director of Public Health for Sandwell PCT: “It was good to see Mytime Active working collaboratively with partners to deliver a service which is fully integrated and delivered around the needs of individuals in their communities. We believe this joined up approach to tackling health inequalities is vital for the future of public health.”

Steve Price, CEO of Mytime Active; Jyoti Atri, Deputy Director of Public Health in Sandwell; and Annie Holden, Health Division Manager at Mytime Active.

MyTime Active is an officially accredited social enterprise with the Social Enterprise Mark.

L-R: Julian Lewis MP, Kate Weston (Wave 105) and Maria Mills, Vicky Judge (SCA)

The awards evening took place at Lyndhurst Community Centre on Saturday April 28th and celebrated the achievements of SCA’s health and social care staff from all over Hampshire and Dorset. Awards were chosen by a panel consisting of the SCA Chair, CEO and Board Members, with over 180 nominations having been received.

Kate Weston said she was thrilled to find out more about the work of SCA, officially accredited social enterprise with the Social Enterprise Mark, and to help present awards to people who worked so hard to care for others throughout the year.

The Team at SCA Fenwick2 Health and Well-being Centre in Lyndhurst won two awards, one for SCA Best Customer Service Team of the Year and one for Andrea Kernaghan, Fenwick 2’s Administrator, who won SCA Best Administrator of the Year. SCA’s Director of Organisational Development Lisa Dillane, who gave Andrea her award, said Andrea was one of the best people she had ever worked with.

“She is always welcoming and happy and her colleagues sing her praises,” said Lisa. “She never takes credit for what she achieves and is the best administrator on the planet.”

SCA Transport, which runs Dial-A Ride, Plus Bus and many other community bus services in and around Southampton, also won three awards, one for the SCA Most Inclusive Service of the Year, which went to the Plus Bus team, one for the SCA Green Award and one for driver Barry Blachford for SCA Transport Employee of the Year.

SCA Employee of the Year was Pauline Bain, a Quality Auditor based at SCA’s head office in Southampton; while SCA Manager of the Year was Helen Atkins, Area Manager for SCA care services in Poole.

Pauline was nominated for always going out of her way to help colleagues and SCA members and for her genuinely caring and compassionate approach. Helen, who was awarded her prize by Dr Julian Lewis MP, was said to set a brilliant example to her staff, always going out of her way to make sure that care customers’ needs were met.

Volunteers Candy Moyce, Harold Hare and Val Harrower, who have clocked up nearly 40 years between them volunteering for SCA’s transport, advocacy and day care services, all won SCA Volunteer of the Year.

SCA Care Employees of the Year were Stef Lynn, Hillary Sampson, Andrew Pope and Yvonne Hargis, from care teams in Southampton, the New Forest, Poole and Waterlooville, who were all nominated for their compassionate approach to caring and commitment to the people they care for.

SCA Day Care Employee of the Year was Theresa Halford, who works at Oak Lodge centre in Southampton, while SCA Trafalgar Dentistry Employee of the Year was Fay Broomfield, who works at Trafalgar in Holbury. The SCA Home Safe Team, which runs an information and signposting service on behalf of Southampton City Council to help people stay safe and independent in their own homes, won SCA Team of the Year.
The awards event was organised by SCA marketing manager Vicky Judge with the help of three student volunteers from the University of Winchester, Amy Leitch, Aly Menzies and Beth Tull.

SCA Chief Executive Maria Mills said the event was a resounding success.
“We wanted to say a big thank you to all our staff for all the hard work and commitment they put in working with our members, and to let them know that their dedication and compassion is highly valued. We could not do what we do without them. They make a huge difference to the quality of people’s lives every day and this should be celebrated. As the nominations show, our staff are doing some outstanding work within communities and their efforts are much appreciated by our clients and their fellow colleagues. So many give way and beyond all expectations and their impact is just deeply inspiring,” she said.

Media contact: Lindsey Darking on 07775 891715 or lindsey@impactwriters.co.uk

Martyn Broadest of Connect Housing, signs up to 50in250 with Mike McCusker of Fresh Horizons and Lucy Findlay of the Social Enterprise Mark.

As a result, Connect Housing have become the latest company to sign up to the Social Enterprise Mark’s 50 in 250 Campaign, by contracting with Huddersfield based Fresh Horizons.

The 50in250 campaign is designed to help 50 businesses each buy from 5 social enterprises, within 250 days. By using certified social enterprises in their supply chain, businesses can demonstrate easy corporate responsibility in an ongoing, valuable and meaningful way.

Fresh Horizons will deliver housing refurbishment and management. Managing Director, Mike McCusker, said: “We are delighted that such a prestigious organisation as Connect Housing, has added us to their supply chain as part of the Engage Project to bring empty homes into use as affordable housing. The 50in250 campaign is designed to help businesses use certified social enterprises within their supply chains, and in the process dramatically improve the benefit they deliver to communities. This work will certainly do just that. ”

Lucy Findlay Chief Executive of The Social Enterprise Mark said: “50in250 will help companies know who can contribute real social value to their supply chains. As the certification for social enterprises, the Mark provides the only reliable way of knowing that the people you do business with have genuine commitment to use profits to support their social or environmental aims.”

Martyn Broadest Director of Regeneration at Connect Housing said “Connect Housing is delighted to be working with Fresh Horizons as part of the Engage partnership, with the aim of bringing empty homes back into use as affordable rented housing. Our partnership will bring benefits to both organisations, helping Fresh Horizons to create a sustainable property lettings and management business, and offering Connect the opportunity to learn from Fresh Horizon’s entrepreneurial success.”

Fusion21, certified social enterprise, celebrates with Alliance’s Heating Systems Framework partners

Alliance, set up by certified social enterprise Fusion21, the Northern Housing Consortium and Procurement for Housing, is the largest grouping of social landlords in the UK. It has a combined membership of 1,170 housing providers and represents over 70 per cent of the UK sector’s stock. Alliance aims to replace the traditional focus on lowest price with a ‘triple bottom line’, ensuring the procurement muscle of the social housing sector is used to meet social, economic and environmental outcomes.
In total, 25 organisations have been appointed to the framework that covers 8 regions nationally. The framework is broken down into 3 lots including domestic, commercial and consultancy.

The new framework will consolidate two of the sector’s best gas frameworks and put social landlords fully back in control of the cost base. Already, Alliance’s Retrofit Solar agreement is creating average savings of 31 per cent and the Retrofit Insulation Systems agreement is saving individual properties an average of 40 per cent. The Heating Systems agreement (which covers maintenance, servicing, repairs and installation) will offer estimated savings of 31 per cent.

By pooling the requirements of their members, Fusion21, the Northern Housing Consortium and Procurement for Housing want to simplify the market whilst adding value. Housing organisations will ultimately have a single point of access to agreements. The scale of the initiative will allow the group to achieve significant efficiencies through aggregated purchasing power, supporting housing providers to tackle key social agendas such as fuel poverty by achieving lower costs.

Accessing the Heating Maintenance Framework will also deliver social value. For every £1 million of work awarded to a framework supplier, Alliance will secure 1.5 job opportunities with that supplier. This will help to reduce local unemployment and tackle skills shortages in certain areas.

Keith Rogers, Gas Integration Manager, Fusion21 commented, “A rigorous OJEU process commenced in the 3rd quarter of 2011 which evaluated both quality and cost of potential supply chain partners. The evaluation process was carried out by Alliance Members and Member organisation officers, in order to utilise available expertise and provide a genuine customer driven end product.

The evaluation panel were impressed with the high standard of submissions and believe that there is a high calibre of supply chain partners now appointed through the robust process. We look forward to working with the supply chain appointed to the framework on behalf of Alliance members.”

Alliance’s Heating Systems Framework is now available to access. For further information, visit www.allianceprocurement.co.uk. Fusion21 is a certified social enterprise with the Social Enterprise Mark.

BBC's Kirsty Wark awards Lydia's House with Social Enterprise Mark. L-R: Kirsty Wark, Catherine Trilló - Chief Executive Lydia’s House, Lucy Findlay - Managing Director Social Enterprise Mark

Catherine Trilló, Chief Executive at Lydia’s House said:
“Our passion at Lydia’s House is being in business to bring benefits to society and the environment by offering training to vulnerable women in furniture restoration and interiors, and in addition, recycling old furniture means less ends up in landfill. That’s why receiving the Social Enterprise Mark is a great honour for Lydia’s House. It is an independent certification of why we’re in business and a testament for our future direction”.

Lydia’s House is a social enterprise providing quality antiques, furniture and associated interiors services such as curtain making and traditional framing. The business also supports training and employment skills for vulnerable women through our workshops in Sunderland. Here women learn traditional skills in furniture restoration, soft furnishings and frame making.

Kirtsy Wark from the BBC’s Newsnight programme presented the Lydia’s House team with the Mark at The Social Enterprise Exchange Event in Glasgow on 27th March 2012.

Lucy Findlay, Managing Director of the Social Enterprise Mark Company said: “Kirsty Wark had called for a kitemark recognising social enterprises whilst chairing a debate at the world’s biggest social enterprise event, so we were thrilled to tell her about the Social Enterprise Mark and how it’s helping social enterprises to be recognised right across the UK. Kirsty’s endorsement of the Social Enterprise Mark means increased recognition of the Mark, as well as those social enterprises, like Lydia’s House, that are working to improve society and to achieve this prestigious stamp of authentication.”

Aspire's Liam Nicholls - Young Apprentice of the Year, at the Sentinel Awards

Liam, aged 19, joined Aspire Housing from its sister company, certified social enterprise PM Training, as a business administration apprentice in 2008. His apprenticeship lasted two years and he worked in various departments to develop his skills. Following the success of the apprenticeship Liam earned a third year extension as a value for money apprentice and in October 2011 he was successful in securing the role of procurement trainee.

During 2011 Liam told his personal story at six events hosted by the Aspire Group. These events with the local councils of North Staffordshire or with Aspire’s suppliers have been, attended by up to 200 people.
Liam’s story, which is delivered with confidence and without self-pity, has moved many audience members to tears. It has also helped the group to create more than 350 apprenticeships places during 2011 and to achieve more than £40,000 in sponsorship for the Realise Foundation.

Liam Nicholls said: “I’m absolutely chuffed with this award. Where could I have ended up without the Aspire Group? I’m now enjoying putting something back into the community and feel valued at the same time.”

The Head of Procurement for Staffordshire County Council was so inspired by Liam’s presentation at one of the supplier events that he offered a week’s experience. Liam has used the experience and contacts to see how Aspire can benefit from the council’s procurement framework. Liam is also due to speak at a prestigious national event for the Government’s Department of Education where he will meet with Tim Loughton, the Government Minister for Children & Families.