ANNUAL REPORT 2007
Board of directors
Harold G Watson MBE – Honorary Life President
Lee Wardle – Chairperson
Bob Moody – Vice Chairperson
David Brass – Secretary
Anne Ramshaw – Treasurer
Donald Todd – Director
Paul Swinburne – Director
John Hogan – Director
Helen Stafford – Director
Helen Woods – Director
Peter Woods – Director
Jane Ayre – Director
Darren Addison - Director
Members
Lee Waters
David Pearson
Robert Fishburn
June Forster – Project Advisor, City of Sunderland Council
Foreward from our chairperson
This is my second year as Chairperson at Easington Lane Community Access Point, and what a busy year it has been. One of the most exciting introductions this year is the Community Wellness Programme, which we operate in partnership with Sunderland City Council. The Easy Line equipment is available to improve individual’s health and well being through the vision of physical activity opportunities, lifestyle advice and education within community venues.
The Urban II funded projects driving force Lets Go and Elcap Youth Project have been and are still very successful, and we have achieved over and above the targets set. The Urban II funding runs out June 2008 and as yet, we are unsure of many of our new funders at this moment in time. We have already set up a funding strategy group to look at both capital and revenue bids to take us into 2010.
Finally, I wish to thank once again all the people involved at ELCAP, especially the staff, funders, partners, and volunteers – too numerous to mention! My special thanks to our advisor from Sunderland City Council, Mrs June Forster, for her continued support and ELCAP Project Manager Susan Brown for her tireless work throughout the year.
Lee Wardle, Chairperson
Mrs June Forster
City Of Sunderland Council
Project Advisor
Foreword from our Honorary Life President
We have continued during the past year to maintain the high standard of service and commitment to the community that has been our strength in the past. More people of all age groups have been involved in all the various activities and services that we have provided.
The continued success has been due to the dedication of all the staff, the Board of Directors and the many volunteers.
The number of volunteers who are involved with the running of activities and assisting members of staff has shown a pleasing increase, getting more local people involved in the working and activities of the Access Point can only be good for the community.
Gaining funding to continue staffing and the on going activities is proving to be more difficult, but we continue to seek more funding, and are always looking at ways to maintain the sustainability of the access point and maintain the excellent service.
Well done to all the staff and volunteers, keep up the good work.
Harold G Watson MBE, Honorary Life President
Project Manager’s Report
We have enjoyed another exciting yet challenging year, our excellent staff team and hard working volunteers meet our workload. Many local people have gone from strength to strength developing skills contributing to their community and gaining employment skills and personal satisfaction.
We updated our business plan, which emerged from a residential with Board of Directors, staff and volunteers, giving us a clear focus for 2008 service delivery, our main priorities being:
• Youth Provision 0-19
• Transport
• Health & Wellbeing
• Small Business Units developing social enterprise
Our partnership working with Sunderland City Council Community and Cultural Services continues to develop with the opening of our Wellness Centre seeing over 150 new members since March. Future developments include Garden Project with local schools and Children’s Centres - watch this space!
I would like to thank our many funders for all their commitment and support, funding continues to be tough but I am confident we will meet the challenges ahead and continue to provide an excellent service.
I look forward to, managing the project in 2008.
Susan Brown, Project Manager
Finance Team
Hi, we are the finance team. We work closely with everyone at the Access Point to ensure the smooth running of the finances and that we meet the needs of our funders.
Jane Wetherell, Finance Manager
Rita Grey, Finance Assistant
Secretary’s Report
Well what can I say, another year has passed and gone from ELCAP. Since I became a volunteer nearly 7 years ago I have witnessed the growth of the project and its amenities.
With support from fellow Directors, staff and volunteers I feel that I have developed my skills as a dedicated and committed member of ELCAP.
When asked 4 years ago to become a Director I felt I was ready for the challenge and to help shape our community. At first I was hesitant, but with words of encouragement from other members I agreed and have never looked back.
To try and explain how ELCAP operates and influences people’s lives would take up too much space in this report so I will try and explain it in a “Nut Shell”.
I believe ELCAP is like a mature tree with the Board of Directors being its roots ensuring a firm and solid foundation for the ever expanding growth of the project. The staff is the branches, which stretch out to reach out to the local people. As like all trees the branches blossom each year as do our valued and committed staff team, to which I show my sincere gratitude.
Most of all I wish to express how proud I am of all the volunteers that have dedicated their precious time into making ELCAP as it is today, as without them ELCAP would not be as strong as it is. These are the new seeds that germinate and grow and develop into their own existence, which helps to nurture the new and upcoming seeds, which makes a healthy plantation.
David Brass, Secretary
Volunteer Co-ordinator
Hi, I’m Michelle. Having been a volunteer at the Access Point for some time, I was appointed volunteer co-ordinator in 2007, welcoming eleven new volunteers to the team. We offer a wide variety of opportunities including, youth work crèche, administration and transport. I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all volunteers, old and new for their dedication and commitment to the organisation, as they are the glue that holds ELCAP together.
Driving Force Transport Project
The Driving Force Transport Project at ELCAP continues to run well,meeting our Urban II targets. The Success of the new Wellness centre has created even more need for transport in the local community. The Flatts Youth Centre and Hetton youth base make up 40% of all transport bookings to date.
Midas training over the last year has been very busy with over 30 people been trained at ELCAP. Midas training can be provided to any community groups who wish to use our mini busses on a self drive basis. Our Midas assessors have updated their qualifications in line with the national guidelines, this enables us to teach Midas for the next two years.
In September 2006 the laws concerning transportation of wheelchair passengers changed and we have had to reduce the seating capacity from 14 seats to 10 to accommodate the new laws.
As last year our volunteers have played a major part in the smooth running of the transport project at ELCAP, once again can we thank you all for your good work.
We are now looking for new funding for 2008 to enable our Transport Project to continue into the future.
Jonathan Cooke, Transport Manager
Chris Brown, Transport Co-ordinator
Julie Allen, Administrator
The Lane Crèche
The crèche team and myself are pleased with the success of our Out of School Activities for children aged 0-5 years, 5-8 years and 8-12 years.
The activities were in great demand within the community and also in other areas. They consisted of centre-based activities and also trips out, bowling, swimming, farms, Washington Wetlands Trust, rock climbing, karaoke’s, messy play and loads more. We look forward to planning activities in the future.
Our crèche staff have been attending further training courses to develop their skills and knowledge. Also staff have attended the new EYFS training and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all of their support and hard work.
Kirsty Harding, Crèche Manager
LETS GO Training Team
With thanks to all the hard work and support from tutors, staff and volunteers, we are proud to be part of the success and development of the LETS GO project, highlighting positive contributions to training for local people.
Educational and leisure courses continue to improve, our current term being the most successful with over 282 learners. By removing barriers to access training, local people can participate, improving life skills and opening opportunities to gain employment.
Learn Direct was piloted at the Access Point, delivering accredited learning with students gaining level two and three in Numeracy and Literacy.
Lesley Avery,Training Officer
Linda Ather,Training Assistant
Nicol Trueman, Training Co-Ordinator
Angela Bowler,Training Assistant, HRCAP
Sam Curry,Training Administrator,HRCAP
Social Enterprise Sunderland
Currently employed by Social Enterprise Sunderland as an Enterprise Development Advisor, I have been providing business start up support to individuals in the coalfields area and Easington Lane Community Access Point. I have been involved in community enterprise development since 2000 on a citywide basis.
Bill Robinson
Social Enterprise Sunderland
Community Wellness Programme
Easington Lane Access Point opened a new Community Wellness Centre earlier this year. The aim of the Wellness Centre is to help you improve your health and well being through physical activities. Our Wellness Centre has a range of Easy Line machines, which are very easy to use and accessible to most people, regardless of ability. Anyone over the age of eleven can take part in classes. We already have over 160 members. Although membership is free we do ask for £1 per session.
From Monday to Friday we have 9 classes running, these range from the Right Line class for beginners or those who have, or have had health issues, to the more advanced aerobics and boxercise. We have classes for under 16’s and men only. A Community Wellness Coach or instructor is always on hand to deliver the sessions. All you need to take part is comfortable clothes and enthusiasm. Come along and have a look around and talk to us, see where you can fit in and get fit.
Linda Ather, Training Assistant
Lee Waters, Community Wellness Coach
Community Social and Education Groups
• Elemore Ladies Club
• Senior Citizens Club
• Luncheon Club
• Karate Club
• Bowls Club
• Disabilities Group
• Male Voice Choir
• Little Laners Toddler Group
Some of our members have been meeting for over forty years bringing skills of the older generation to the younger generation, creating an environment for learning not only new skills but tradition, heritage, culture and community spirit.
Elcap Youth Project
Outreach Satellite
The Elcap Youth Project project has come a long way in a very short space of time offering even more opportunities for young people delivering sessions in Murton, Haswell, and Easington Lane with a satellite base at the Hetton Centre. We have doubled our contact time with local young people since the project first started and they have responded and taken part in a number of exciting opportunities. These include: a three way music event with over one hundred young people; consultation events; racism awareness course’s; Drugs and Alcohol Training, and sexual health awareness course’s. Young People have also enjoyed in-house and out of centre activities like windsurfing, kayaking, football and trips to the sage arts and music projects.
Richy Duggan, Outreach Youth Manager
Flatts Youth Centre
The Holiday programmes have been another successful part of ELCAP’s provisions. The programmes were implemented to meet the needs of the young people from the ages of eight to nineteen years. Young people took part in sessions from Expressive Arts and Crafts to MC Sessions and Website Designing, in which they received level one in Dreamweaver. This all adds to their record of Achievement when they leave school, as does the Duke of Edinburgh Award in which 33 young people signed up.
During Christmas 2006, young people from Hetton Youth Base, Easington Lane Flatts Youth Centre and the Murton Youth Project came together and performed in an MC Face Event. The young people mixed and performed to an audience of over 100 other young people. It was a massive success with demands from young people to make it an annual event. Hopefully Christmas 2007 will see another successful night with cross border work being achieved.
Donna Brass, Centre Based Youth Manager
Photographs taken from the MC Face Event, Flatts Youth Centre
Acknowledgements
• Adult and Family Learning
• ASPIRE
• Biffaward
• Big Lottery
• Calouste Gulbenkian
• City of Sunderland College
• City of Sunderland Council
• Coalfields Regeneration Trust
• Community Chest
• Community Foundation
• Connexions
• Community and Cultural Services
• E.T.E.C
• Northern Rock Foundation
• Sir James Knott Trust
• Sure Start Children’s Centre’s
• Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust
• Tyne and Wear Included Communities
• URBAN II
• Youth Development Group, City of Sunderland
|
