Eighth Edition

A few words from our CEO, Caroline Ridley.

As we approach the end of our financial year, it’s important to reflect on all we have achieved. At our recent SLT away day, we revisited our three-year strategy, recognised the progress we’ve made and that some achievements were planned, others emerged as unexpected opportunities. But in every case, we stayed true to our purpose, using our mission and values to guide us as we innovate to develop our work.

The Challenge Ahead

Like many organisations, we face financial uncertainties in the year ahead. Some income streams are yet to be confirmed. But there are opportunities on the horizon, and we are actively pursuing them. The work we do matters. It makes a difference, and we are committed to finding the best way forward.

Adapting, Learning, Growing

I am currently taking part in the Scale-Up Programme with Sussex Innovation—a fantastic space for learning from experts in business growth. It has been great to link with other charities and businesses on the programme with joint working already being discussed.

We are also making real strides in our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. Our EDI group is back in action, working alongside the Clare Project to develop an Inclusion Plan. We have also refined our values and updated our website to better reflect who we are and what we stand for, and to make this more accessible to a wider audience. Check this out on our website.

Children & Young People Round-Up

Head of CYP – Jennifer Tulloch

We’re excited to share some recent highlights from our Children and Young People’s (CYP) services. This quarter, our dedicated team delivered 89 group sessions and provided one-on-one support to 117 individual children and young people.

We were lucky enough to have BBC South East visit us at the Young People’s Centre (YPC) this month in celebration of Children’s Mental Health Week. They showcased our vibrant space and interviewed both young people and staff, highlighting the impactful work we’re doing together.

targeted support

Health and Wellbeing Youth Work: Our Health and Wellbeing Youth Workers continue to be busy, providing essential support to young people and referring them on to access our youth drop-in services.
Children’s Art Exhibition at Jubilee Library: In support of Anti-Bullying Week, we hosted the “Choose Respect” children’s art exhibition at Jubilee Library. Organised by Safety Net, the event celebrated young artists’ interpretations of respect and kindness.
Transitions Workshops: This quarter, we delivered Transitions Workshops to 300 children across eight primary schools, helping them prepare confidently for their move to secondary education.

youth support

Group Visit to B.fest at BYC: Our group had an inspiring visit to B.fest at Brighton Youth Centre (BYC) in Marlborough Place. B.fest is Brighton’s annual youth arts festival, organised by and for young people aged 13-20, celebrating diverse aspects of youth culture.
Board Games Club Launch: Our Youth Champions have been proactive, launching a Board Games Club that’s been a hit. They’ve also been working on new promotional materials and are creating a film to welcome new members, fostering inclusivity and engagement.

E-motion

Platform Enhancements: Our E-motion platform has received a fresh update! The new design is more user-friendly, and we’re collaborating with partners to further enhance the experience.
Video Counselling: We’re thrilled to announce that video counselling will soon be available, offering more ways to support our young people.
Inclusive Outreach: Our new flyer now incorporates images of young people from diverse backgrounds. We hope this small change will encourage other ethnic groups to engage with our services.
Brand Alignment: We’re updating our branding, logo, and website to align with our organisation’s identity. The platform now boasts a cleaner, fresher look, enhancing user experience.
Health & Wellbeing Drop-In, Lewes: Our Lewes drop-in sessions have been busy and the new timings are working well. We’re working closely with the GP practice to ensure we continue receiving appropriate referrals.

Adults & Older People Round-Up

Head of Adults & Older People – Maxine Thomas

Advocacy

Parents Voice Service: Parents Voice Advocacy was one of 15 projects across the country that received funding from Henry Smith to provide Advocacy to people with learning disabilities and autism. Henry Smith paid Social Finance to undertake an evaluation of this work to show the importance of non-statutory Advocacy. We were invited to the launch of the findings for this research at the Houses of Parliament. A big finding was that for every £1 invested in Advocacy bought savings of £12 to local authorities and health.
Money First Advocacy: is approaching the end of its first year of service. The team have worked incredibly hard during this time. The support provided has included support to claim benefits, dealing with debt, and budgeting. So far from its closed cases, every person supported has gained an average of £342 as a direct result of advocacy. This figure is likely to in fact be a lot higher as it is the first year of the project and many people supported are still awaiting the outcomes of benefit claims.

ageing well

Back in November we learned we were awarded a 4 year contract to continue to lead on the Ageing Well service. Since then we have been working hard with our new partners and starting to plan our 2025 festival.

Workability

The team in West Sussex have made an incredibly strong start in this the first year of a new contract, and have already met most of the required contractual outcomes. We had some really lovely feedback, highlighting how important and helpful people find the support given:
“It is good to talk though ideas and thoughts I had and going through my CV gave me confidence to send it off.”
“Very happy with the support. My Employment Specialist is very helpful and kind”

housing ROUND-UP

HEAD OF housing – stevie graves

Stopover

On Friday 17th February I was pleased to take receipt of an Automated External Defibrillator. This was provided to Stopover free of charge by local charity the Connor Saunders Foundation.
We took over management of Stopover 11 on Monday 17th February and already have the house close to full. It’s been an exciting time and it’s great to get the residents moved in and settled into their own home.

Home Safety

A big thank you to Brighton & Hove City Council’s funding which will allow this service to continue for the next three years.

training

Thank you for your interest in Impact Initiatives. If you would like to give any feedback please contact our Communications & Marketing Officer Katharine.Grummett@impact-initiatives.org.uk

The Impact Informer 08