Member updates

Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest housing association, announces the launch of the sixth William Sutton Prize, with the prize pot increased to mark the organisation’s 125th anniversary. A fund of £125,000 will be awarded to ideas and innovations that transform the lives of social housing residents. Named after the Victorian philanthropist whose legacy created Clarion Housing Group, The William Sutton Prize seeks innovative and bold solutions that will tackle some of society’s most urgent challenges. The £125,000 fund will be split between the winners of two categories focusing on sustainability and connected communities. Clarion Housing Group draws on its long heritage that goes back to 1900 when entrepreneur William Sutton left his fortune to create some of the first social housing in London. Along with contemporaries such as Joseph Rowntree and George Peabody, Sutton’s original bequest transformed the lives of so many Victorian workers in towns and cities. 125 years later, Clarion’s William Sutton Prize aims to honour that legacy by turning groundbreaking ideas into real-world solutions that make lasting improvements to the built environment and local communities. Clare Miller, Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group, said: “Through The William Sutton Prize we are proud to collaborate with those who are pioneering new innovations and cutting-edge thinking. Kickstarting our 125th year anniversary celebrations, this year’s prize is our most ambitious to date and we are delighted to be able to increase the value of the funding thanks to the support of our partners. “We’re focusing our efforts on tackling two major societal issues – preserving and restoring nature, and the need for truly connected communities – and I can’t wait to see what innovative ideas are put forward.”  Several eminent judges have been chosen from the architectural, construction, design and academic sectors including Peter Murray OBE, Co-Founder of New London Architecture, Tara Gbolade, Co-Founding Director of Gbolade Design Studio, Matt Harvey-Agyemang, Co-Founder of The POoR Collective, and Greg Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of Vistry Group. The £125,000 prize fund, financed jointly by Clarion and corporate partners, will be awarded to the winners of two categories. The William Sutton Prize for Sustainability will be awarded to organisations or individuals bringing forward ideas that actively contribute to the restoration and preservation of our natural world. Applications are invited to tackle any issues in this space, with a particular interest in climate resilient design, retrofitting and renewable energy, resource efficiency, biodiversity and recovering nature, and wellbeing and placemaking.   New for 2025, The William Sutton Prize for Connected Communities aims to foster innovative solutions that enhance community ties, promote inclusion, and strengthen the social fabric of Clarion neighbourhoods. Developed in partnership with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art (RCA), this new category will recognise impact-led ideas that improve social housing residents’ physical, emotional and social wellbeing, promoting a healthy and welcoming environment for all. In addition to funding, the winners will also receive a tailored package of business support and the chance to collaborate with Clarion and their partners and sector-leading experts to turn their boldest and brightest ideas into reality. Peter Murray OBE said: “It is an honour and privilege to be asked to judge The William Sutton Prize in Clarion’s 125th anniversary year. We need the best brains with the most ambition to match the transformative impact of Clarion’s founder, and I’m really looking forward to receiving the submissions and meeting the people behind them.” Past William Sutton Prize winners include well-known architecture practices including Bell Phillips Architects, Mole Architects and Jas Bhalla Works, alongside social enterprises and charities such as the Hackney School of Food and Pride of Place Living.   Tim Bell, Director of Bell Phillips Architects, said:  “Winning The William Sutton Prize has enabled Bell Phillips to expand our focus on reducing embodied carbon in all the buildings we design. The Prize has provided us with dedicated research and development time for our in-house carbon calculation tool and to implement the findings of that into live projects across a range of building types – it truly has been invaluable.” Applications close at midday on 8 April. To find out more about The William Sutton Prize or to apply, visit www.clarionhg.com/william-sutton-prize

Better leisure centres across the UK are partnering with the Department for Education’s Skills for Life campaign.  The initiative aims to encourage people not only to focus on health and fitness goals this January but take a more comprehensive approach to personal development. Specialist advisers from the Government’s National Careers Service will be based at Better leisure centres across England, offering free and impartial careers advice to leisure centre visitors. A poll of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Skills for Life, shows most people (96%) want to achieve some kind of personal growth in 2025 and 57% plan to set themselves a professional goal for the year ahead, such as switching jobs, getting a pay rise or working towards a promotion. Of those surveyed, more than two thirds (67%) said they think it is easier to commit to a physical goal – such as losing weight, going to a gym or taking up running – than it is to commit to learning a new skill. When asked why, they said they felt physical goals were “more attainable” (35%) and learning something new was too expensive (23%).  Customer & Communities Director for Better leisure centres, Joseph Rham, says: “Prioritising our physical, mental and learning health are all things we should be focussing on in the 2025.  We aim to support as many people as possible to get active and experience the huge benefits of improved health and wellbeing. Likewise, learning a new skill can not only be empowering but also offer real opportunities for employment and career development. “We are therefore delighted to be supporting Skills for Life with several of our leisure centres across the country hosting free personal development - or ‘PD’ sessions - with career advisers from the National Careers Service.” Steve Hanley, a careers adviser at the National Careers Service, says: “There’s no better time to take stock and review your skillset than at the start of a new year. But taking that first step can sometimes feel really daunting. “I know from my experience as a careers adviser that there are lots of reasons why people can put off learning new skills – whether that’s the perceived cost of courses or people simply thinking they’re too old to learn something new. But we would encourage people to look again. Learning new skills doesn’t always mean you have to spend money and is for everyone. “We hope this exciting partnership with Better will inspire people across the country to also think about their learning health this January. With so many free and flexible training opportunities available, it’s never been easier to get started. Search Skills for Life to find out more.” Skills for Life is encouraging adults to explore the various government-funded courses available. From short courses like Skills Bootcamps, available in a range of subjects, to apprenticeships or Higher Technical Qualifications. For more information and a list of participating Better leisure centres visit: https://www.better.org.uk/healthy-communities/skills-for-life

At its recent AGM in the City of London, social enterprise cleaning company Clean for Good announced that it was sharing 50% of its distributed profits with its workers. At a time when many employers are concerned about rising employment costs, this social business is showing that by investing in its workers it can deliver a ‘triple win’ – excellent customer service, financial dividends to shareholders and social impact for employees.   Clean for Good is a different kind of cleaning company, established as a social business to provide a fairer deal for cleaners and to drive change in a sector that is infamous for low pay and poor conditions. 50% profits shared with workers Clean for Good is only seven years old but has grown rapidly to a turnover exceeding £1m, employing 75 cleaners. At its AGM on 13th November it announced that it has now made an annual profit for the fifth year in a row, demonstrating that a responsible business can also be financially sustainable. The company also declared a dividend and announced that the company’s profits would be shared out equally between shareholders and employees, with each group receiving 50% of distributed profits. This is in line with the company’s highly unusual Profit Policy which is part of the company’s deep commitment to fair pay. A total of £20,000 of profits was distributed in November. Some 46 cleaning staff received a share of the profits in their November pay packet. A full-time employee will receive £378 of the profit share, with amounts varying depending on the hours worked during 2023-24. Most of the company’s shares are owned by the three founding charities, so most of the shareholder dividends will go to support other charities. Even for these charities, it is a powerful demonstration that philanthropic giving is not the only way to create a positive change. A triple win Clean for Good pays the real Living Wage and also provides better employment terms and conditions for its cleaners than most of its competitors – like occupational sick pay from day one of a cleaner’s employment. This approach has enabled it to deliver a triple win – high customer satisfaction, high employee satisfaction and financial returns to shareholders. A new independently researched Impact Report recently highlighted that the company’s cleaners were likely to have higher job satsfaction than the staff of the offices in which they are cleaning. Many employers in low pay sectors face higher employment costs arising from increases in the Minimum Wage and upcoming reforms to Statutory Sick Pay through the Government’s Employment Rights Bill. This is concerning many employers who see it as a negative, but Clean for Good demonstrates that paying higher terms and conditions is actually good for business. Clean for Good already pays the real Living Wage and offers employee benefits like occupational sick pay, all above statutory minimums already – and this has strengthened the business, not undermined it. What is good for workers can be good for business. Charlie Walker, Clean for Good’s Managing Director said: “At Clean for Good we don’t see our cleaners as a cost that needs to be managed down, but as our greatest asset that needs to be invested in. By sharing our profits we can demonstrate this value tangibly. It is great news for our cleaners but we also believe it is good for the business as staff feel valued, and recognised and this generates a sense of belonging and loyalty within the organisation.” Becky Morris, Finance Director for the Church Mission Society (CMS) and one of the company’s founding charitable shareholders said: “As a shareholder, it’s certainly gratifying to receive a dividend on the investment we’ve made in Clean for Good, because we believed – and still believe – strongly in its purpose and vision. And seeing the company continue to treat its employees fairly and sharing out the profits so equitably makes us feel even better about our investment in this model of enterprise.” Jacqueline Carrion, employed for over 5 years as one of Clean for Good’s cleaners, said: “This bonus makes me feel more valuable and more close to the company. I believe,  in London, that it is the only [cleaning] company that recognizes the values of the employee, by showing this generosity.” cleanforgood.co.uk

Dream Big Sports are thrilled to be able to share access to our Social Value Annual Report 2023-24. We are extremely proud of this comprehensive report which evidences the positive impact we have achieved during the 2023-24 academic year, making a significant difference to the lives of children and young people across the communities that we support. After releasing our very first annual report 12 months ago, our incredible team has been dedicated to exceeding our previous achievements. We are delighted to evidence that there has been significant growth across each of our Key Value Indicators within Education, Holiday Camps and Training in addition to our key focus on Workforce & Employment which has resulted in an increased Social Return on Investment (SROI). Now in our third year of tracking the impact of our provision, we have a sound understanding of what Social Value means to Dream Big Sports and how we commit to reinvesting back into the community alongside our additional Mission: Dream BIG! initiative that has four specific pledge themes and targets to achieve with the support of key partners and stakeholders. Here’s what Director, Dillan O’Connor had to say on the release of our Social Value Annual Report 2023-24:  “As a non-profit organisation, the consistent tracking of engagement, data & feedback and the resulting Social Value Annual Report is a crucial element of our work and perfectly aligns with our company mission. After receiving such an overwhelming response to our first report, we were determined to increase our reach and achieve growth across all areas of the business, which we are delighted to be able to evidence 12 months on. In addition, we were very conscious of our ambitious Mission: Dream BIG! initiative and our capacity to achieve the targets set out for 2023-24 but the team has worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to turn those targets into tangible achievements, providing much added value and support for children, young people and the wider community.”  You can find out more about Social Value at Dream Big Sports and gain access to our Social Value Annual Report 2023-24 by clicking here.

Multi-sport facility to transform social sports provision with basketball, netball, futsal, volleyball, pickleball, badminton and more to boost community health and wellbeing Leyton's Score Centre was officially opened on Thursday 28 November in a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated with the local community. On a tour of the facilities, Waltham Forest CEO Linzi Roberts Egan, Council Leader Grace Williams, Cllr Ahsan Khan Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, Cllr Kizzy Gardiner Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and GLL CEO Peter Bundey were joined by James Lidgate, Managing Director for Taylor Wimpey London and VIP athlete Ex-Saracens Rugy Player Sonia 'Sonic' Green at the borough's most significant leisure opening in years.  The Score Centre's large capacity means it will have a 'transformative effect' on social sports in the borough - allowing many more clubs and teams to have fun, socialise, get active or compete in tournaments. Located next to Leyton Orient Football Club at 2, Coronation Square E10 5UN,  Waltham Forest Council's investment in the Score Centre provides a brand new sports facility, with courts that the local community can book up to 7 days in advance. Containing five basketball / netball / volleyball / handball  / futsal courts (which can be reconfigured as 20 badminton courts or in multiple permutations to provide for exhibition and tournament events for different sports), The Score Centre is one of the largest new sports halls in the country and will operate at a player capacity of 100, a spectator capacity of 500 and will create additional local employment and sporting opportunity. There are also two studios for Pilates, Yoga, Zumba and more - plus two community rooms available for hire, alongside associated offices.  Better - the trading name of not-for-profit charitable social enterprise GLL - is managing the facility - alongside 7 other borough centres, in partnership with Waltham Forest Council.  Speaking at Thursday's event, GLL's CEO Peter Bundey said:  "As a charitable social enterprise and staff-owned co-op, our mission is to enhance community health and wellbeing through making facilities and programmes accessible for all.  "This aligns strongly with Waltham Forest Council's public health agenda and its wish to see residents improve their health and reduce health inequalities across generations and cultures. "Waltham Forest has a deserved reputation for producing household name athletes who have honed their winning talents in the borough's great public leisure facilities. "So we are delighted to have added the fantastic new Score Centre to our portfolio of centres we manage and operate across London and can't wait to see which future sports stars call it 'home'." Cllr Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration said: "It’s been an absolute pleasure to be here today and celebrate the opening of The New Score Centre with our partners and the local community. ‘’It’s a facility that defines a clear example of what top quality sports centres look like, one that allows us to serve our residents by giving them the opportunity to access good fitness facilities, breaking down health inequalities in the borough. ‘’The energy and excitement here today reminds us just how important spaces like this are, not just for physical fitness but also for fostering connections, building confidence and strengthening our community. ‘’I have no doubt that it will inspire many of us to lead healthier, and more active lives.’’ Sports governing bodies that are partnering in the initiative include England Handball, London Pulse (Netball), London Galaxy (Futsal) Essex Netball, Leyton Orient Trust, Metro Blind (Disability Football). The Score Centre is part of Taylor Wimpey's Coronation Square Development - a vibrant public space and new destination for Leyton Town Centre and a hub for creativity, leisure, sports and culture. Laurent Plopeanu, Project Director for Taylor Wimpey London, said: "We are delighted that the new Score Centre is open to the public and being used by a wide range of local residents. "We have worked collaboratively with the London Borough of Waltham Forest to deliver this state-of-the-art new facility for Leyton. Featuring fitness studios, community rooms, offices, and an incredible five basketball courts that can also accommodate 20 badminton courts, this space is truly versatile."Our aim is for the new Score Centre to act as a hub for the community that allows people to meet, get active and take part in a wide range of sports that they may otherwise not have been able to." Dignitaries also visited the 120 capacity Nappy Gang nursery co-located at the site and toured the facilities to speak to staff and meet the little ones - who helped cut the ribbon on their new facility. The Score Centre boasts an Active Reality zone.  A gym and cafe concession will be added to the facility from early 2025 - completing the destination offer.  https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/waltham-forest/score-leisure-centre

This holiday season, discover a gift that embodies luxury, social purpose, and sustainability with Amplify Goods' new Solidarity Gentle Exfoliating Bar Soap. Crafted for conscious consumers who want to make a meaningful impact with each purchase, the Solidarity Bar Soap is designed to nurture individually and collectively. The Solidarity Bar Soap isn’t just a washroom essential; it’s a gift that gives people and packaging a second chance. Each bar is carefully packaged at our base within Crisis’ warehouse, creating living wage paid work experience for people facing diverse barriers to work, including those experiencing homelessness. Our bar packaging also opens up to create a bookmark, by tearing along the inbuilt perforation. Each case of 175 soaps provides two hours of vital work experience, empowering individuals with the skills and confidence to (re)enter the workforce. When bought in bulk, the packaging process uses repurposed materials like newspaper offcuts and reused cardboard boxes to keep waste at an absolute minimum, embodying our commitment to reducing carbon and creating circular-enabled products. The Solidarity Bar Soap brings a premium feel to your routine with a blend of natural ingredients: 96%+ Naturally Derived Ingredients: Carefully selected to provide a nourishing and gentle cleanse, suitable for all skin types. 100% Vegan & Cruelty-Free: Certified by The Vegan Society, ensuring zero animal testing. Upcycled Olive Stone Granules: Offering a gentle exfoliation, this eco-friendly feature repurposes olive stones to reduce waste. Infused with 100% Essential Oils: Natural fragrances with orange and herbal notes. Plastic-Free Packaging: Our packaging is as mindful as our ingredients, designed to reduce environmental impact without compromising on quality. Each individual soap box can be repurposed into a bookmark, giving it a second chance of life. Amplify Goods Co-Founder Camilla Marcus-Dew, says: “Soap without compromise, I‘m so proud to launch this! Long ago, I used to have products in 1000 supermarkets doing good, and it’s exciting to bring something back to market that we know, at scale will do SUCH great things – let's make sure more products put people and planet first, and where better to buy this year that Crisis, ensuring all profit are used for good.” With an RRP of £3.75 per bar and also available in bulk orders, the Solidarity Bar Soap makes a meaningful and affordable addition to holiday hampers, stocking fillers, or corporate gifting. It’s a beautiful, socially impactful way to spread the spirit of giving this holiday season. For more information, contact us at hello@amplifygoods.org Shop Solidarity Bar Soaps on the Crisis store: https://shopfromcrisis.org.uk/products/solidarity-soap

Community Dental Services CIC (CDS) has staged three days of action to address the crisis in children’s dental care – specifically to address the “Covid Generation” of children who have never seen a dentist, or whose continuity of dental care has been severely impacted by Covid.  Working with commissioners, CDS identified where care would have most impact e.g. looked after children; and saw over 200 children across specific CDS clinics in Bedfordshire, Norfolk and the Colchester area of Essex.  The CDS team made up of hygienists; therapists; as well as senior clinical staff in management roles who donned their uniforms to provide care; and students with CDS on training placements, worked additional hours to provide the “screen and intervene” initiative.  Children received a check-up, on the spot presentative treatments and, if required, were then referred for treatment in general dental practice with any children CDS recognised as needing their specialist care being triaged into their own services.  The day, supported with materials/consumables and toothbrushing packs by the Henry Schein Dental Group’s “Give Kids A Smile” programme also saw the CDS oral health teams in attendance to share valuable prevention advice to raise families’ awareness of how to care for their children’s oral health longer term.  Glen Taylor, CDS Chief Operating Officer said: “We are very aware that there is a whole “Covid Generation” of children who have never had the opportunity to see a dentist. This means children are not being routinely seen to address dental problems at an early stage and they are not being acclimatised to the dental environment from a young age, leading to greater levels of anxiety. Many of these children are being referred for treatment in our community dental services with high dental need and severe anxiety often requiring treatment under sedation or in hospital with general anaesthetic. Families are also often not getting preventative oral health information. This initiative has enabled us to see a large number of children in a short space of time and we are pleased to have partnered with the Henry Schein Cares Foundation and our colleagues in general practice at Colosseum Dental to deliver an effective screen and intervene initiative.”   About CDS  Community Dental Services CIC (CDS) is a 100% employee-owned social enterprise providing community dental services to the NHS and oral health improvement programmes throughout Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk & Waveney, Nottinghamshire and Oxfordshire.   - Together we will enable our communities to enjoy a better quality of life -  communitydentalservices.co.uk 

To mark Social Enterprise Day (Thursday 21 November) LNER announced a new partnership which will bring life-changing biscuits to the London King’s Cross First Class Lounge. The special snacks have been handcrafted by talented bakers at Half the Story, a social enterprise formed by two charities working together to provide employment and help tackle homelessness. Grace Enterprises and Green Pastures set up Half the Story to offer meaningful job opportunities to people who have experienced barriers to work, such as homelessness and addiction. By providing a Real Living Wage, stable hours and mentoring support, employees can take control of their future and start to move forward in their lives. Thanks to the new relationship with LNER, eight new part-time roles have been created to produce the tasty provisions for the King’s Cross First Class Lounge. Speaking about the impact of Half the Story, Baker Anthony said: “Half the Story has changed my life. I’d experienced homelessness and addiction problems and found holding down a job difficult. But Half the Story has not only given me a job, they’ve provided real and useful support which has enabled me to break away from addiction and live independently. They’ve set me free, and I can’t thank them enough.” Richard Judge, Head of Customer Experience at LNER, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to offer Half the Story biscuits to our customers. Not only are they delicious, but every bite also makes a real difference to someone's life. We're really excited to be working with Half the Story, helping to offer positive employment opportunities." About Half the Story Half the Story is a joint venture between two charities: Grace Enterprises and Green Pastures. Working together they have started Half the Story to multiply their impact and make an even greater difference in the lives of those people they’re called to help. Half the Story is a social enterprise employing people facing major barriers to work, including homelessness. The whole team is paid the Real Living Wage, and everyone is offered holistic support and mentoring. About LNER  LNER is on a mission to transform rail travel. Our new modern Azuma fleet of trains continue more than a hundred years of LNER tradition - setting new, higher standards in comfort, reliability and customer experience. LNER calls at more than 50 stations along almost a thousand miles on the East Coast route, including major towns and cities between London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East of England and Scotland.