St Hilda's East News 2021
DECEMBER
Dear Guild Member,
As predicted, the cold snap has hit us and it has suddenly turned chilly with the Arctic wind from the north… time to wrap up warm for Christmas!
We are entering the festive season, and the St Hilda’s Team continue to deliver Projects to those in need in Tower Hamlets, from our Food Co-op, Tai Chi sessions for the elderly through to our Coffee mornings, which should prove popular in this weather. Activities are finding their feet and recovering after Covid and let’s hope that we resist the latest wave from Europe and have a great Christmas and New Year.
Some great news, our new Head of Operations, Jim Chirm, is about to start, as part of the SLT, and will oversee our Admin, IT, HR, Finance and Facility functions at the Charity and help develop our processes and systems, going forward, so that we have a modern, up-to-date organisation that uses the latest IT architecture to support our operations and Project Activities. Likewise, our new Head of Programme Dev is planned to start in Jan/Feb 2022 and we look forward to welcoming them on board in due course, as we look to solidify and develop our ‘offer’ to the local community in Tower Hamlets.
The Why Report has landed and we had a great Away Day with Trustees, six of whom are Guild members, looking at our future direction, which will be supplemented by a Needs Analysis, so that we can serve our community in clear and focused manner, whilst ensuring that the Charity is stable and sustainable.
Our Facility at Club Row is now looking more sprightly with its new lick of paint and carpets and we look forward to welcoming Sam Culhane, in December, for her first visit to St Hilda’s East, as Guild Chairman.
Take care and enjoy the festive season!
As always, I will let Paul and Zoe feedback on any planned Xmas Events, although we are still returning to normal after COVID, so probably not as it would be in past years…
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
Tel: 020 7739 8066
matthew@sthildas.org.uk
December Update - Funding
As Matt says, we are very pleased to have our new Head of Operations Jim Chirm in place. He is joining us at an exciting time as we are starting to get our Community Hub more vibrant again post-Covid, with all of our staff migrating onto one floor, and more tenants joining us soon in the spaces upstairs.
We are also pleased to see an upturn in casual hire bookings as we approach the end of the year, and our Marketing Team is busy carrying out the local Needs Analysis to go with our WHY Programme, which has now been completed.
In terms of additional funding, we are also putting the finishing touches to grants and bids that will help support us and our projects over the next financial year, and I am reaching out to our corporate partners to see how they might like to help us as part of their Christmas Giving campaigns.
On that note, if any Guild members would like to support St.Hilda's East and our projects, please do get in touch! We are planning a number of sponsorship events for next year, so can work around any personal preferences- from running, swimming, cycling or walking and more.
Many thanks and we wish you a wonderful Christmas.
Kind regards
Paul Eyres
Head of Funding
(m) 07950 260157
paul@sthildas.org.uk
NOVEMBER
Dear Guild Member,
A warm hello on a cold morning!
Winter is drawing in again but activity continues at St Hilda’s East. Things feel as if they have returned to ‘normal’ and Projects are being delivered to support the local community with people now accessing both St Hilda’s East Centres, taking part in diverse activities such as yoga, coffee mornings, tai chi for the adults, as well as activities for young people, alongside our Day Care Centre, Food Co-op and Legal Advice Service. It is great to see the activity after so much time spent in ‘Lockdown’ and fingers crossed it will continue. Interestingly, there has been an increase in numbers accessing our provision with the team saying that we are picking up people from other projects that are yet to fully reopen their doors, which shows a brief insight into the impact of the pandemic and also the excellent response from the St Hilda’s East team to keep delivering and supporting people throughout!
For anyone who follows the journey of the charity, as mentioned in the previous updates, we have now got the final version of our Why? Report that will help shape our future direction and will be discussed in detail at our first Trustee Away Day in November, alongside governance. Thank you to those who took part in the survey.
Likewise, the basic refurb of our facility at Club Row i.e. paint and carpets is progressing and we have nearly completed the painting, and those who have visited will notice that the bright yellow entrance way is now a more nuanced off-white, which is a lot more welcoming. Tenancy has started to pick up with 8 of our 12 spaces now filled and we have also had more enquiries for casual hire which is good for income generation, alongside the increase of project activities. We will endeavour to maintain a good balance so that St Hilda’s East is here for another 130 years serving the local community if Tower Hamlets.
Anyway, thanks for now, make sure you wrap up warm and don’t Xmas shop too early!
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
VACANCIES AT ST HILDA'S EAST
St Hilda' East has been advertising the following two vacancies (click the links below for further information):
HEAD OF OPERATIONS
Although the deadline for applications passed on 5th November, it is not too late to apply, please use the link below to apply ASAP.
TO APPLY
Please email your CV and covering letter ASAP to ss.perm@tpp.co.uk
OCTOBER
Dear Guild Member,
It’s great to be able to speak with you again!
As we move into the autumn/winter months, things have started to open up at the two St Hilda’s East Centres, Club Row and Sonali Gardens. Activities are back and it is a pleasure to see both young and old taking part in a range of sessions such as Play, Tai Chi and face to face Coffee mornings. Also our Girls’ Unity Project made a visit to Brighton to see the sights and enjoy a different space to London.
This return to normal is much welcome by the whole Team and the people who use our services and long may it continue…
We continue to carry out a basic refurb of Club Row, so that it is more modern and welcoming to Staff and Tenants, and it’s amazing what a lick of paint and new carpets can do. Tenants are starting to return, as well as an increase in Casual Hire and we will continue to look at ways of providing more activities for the local community to enjoy. Linked to this is the completion of the ‘Why?’ Programme with the Ingenious Group, looking at our future purpose, as well as the start of our Needs Analysis in Tower Hamlets to make sure we are relevant, focused and helping people.
Dennis Twomey, our Chair, made an interesting observation at the end of the last Why Workshop attended by Staff and Trustees and said he had just imagined Dorothea Beale sitting there listening and being pleased to hear that we are still focused on helping local people, 130 years on, which was quite heart warming and brought a smile to my face and the thought that the link with Guild and CLC is still strong and prospering.
Last but not least, I would just like to inform you that Zoe Eccles, our Deputy Director, who has done a sterling job over the last 18 months whilst I have been in post, has just secured her first Executive Director role with a local Charity in Tower Hamlets and will be working with us part-time over the next 6 months to ensure a smooth transition at St Hilda’s East whilst she embeds herself in her new position. The Trustees, Staff and myself wish her every success in her new venture and look forward to seeing things develop.
Bye for now, take care and speak soon,
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
Fundraising Update
As Matt says, it was great to see the results of our WHY programme and use the workshop to dive deeper into what this means for St Hilda's.
The ability to articulate what exactly we stand for, for whom, and why, is crucial both for our own sense of purpose and identity but also for funders and corporate partnerships.
I know that this is a process that CLC is interested in too, and I look forward to sharing the findings and learnings with my opposite number in your funding department.
Now that work and travel restrictions are easing, our new tenants have all but moved in, and we are excited by the prospect of getting our Hub back to a more vibrant place as it was pre-Covid! Likewise our staff will be moving onto the same floor of the building, so that we can bounce ideas off each other and have a more "joined up" approach to the work that we do, underpinned by the insights and distinctions that the WHY programme give us.
We have also been busy organising St Hilda's contingent for the London Legal Walk in mid October, an annual event which we always take part in to raise money for vital legal aid services. This is just one of a number of events we have coming up in what promises to be an exciting new era for St Hilda's East and our community in Tower Hamlets as a whole.
Kind regards
Paul Eyres
Head of Funding
(m) 07950 260157
paul@sthildas.org.uk
SEPTEMBER
Dear Guild Member,
Things continue to progress and open up at St Hilda’s East and we hope that the expected rise in COVID cases for Autumn and Winter will not require the Centre at Club Row, Shoreditch to close its doors, once again!
It has been great to see activities for young and old being delivered by our Team, such as Children’s Soft Play and Tai Chi for the over 50’s, which looks very relaxing and enjoyable.
We have continued the basic refurbishment of the Centre i.e. paint and new carpets, so that it is more welcoming and attractive to Staff and potential Tenants, of which we have three new ones lined up to take up Office space and become part of the family at St Hilda’s East.
The Report from our Why? Programme is almost complete focusing on our purpose as a Charity and future direction and should make interesting reading, as we look to improve our impact in Tower Hamlets and help guide our activities.
Last but not least the voting is underway for the Guild Inspire Awards 2021 and our very own Vice Chair, Nandini Basuthakur (St Helen’s, 1987) has been nominated on the Short List and win, lose or draw deserves the recognition for the hard work and commitment she has given to St Hilda’s East over the last 11 years, as well as being an inspiration in the world of business, often unheralded. It is also great to see the fellow nominees, who have also achieved some great things, selflessly!
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
Fundraising Update
We now have the initial results from our Why Programme surveys and are looking forward to a full presentation of these next week! This will help us to formulate updated identity statements about our purpose for the years ahead. More specifically with regard to funding, it means that we can have a clearer sense of what what we fund and what we don't fund, so that we can proactively focus on our Vision, Mission and Values from a place of strength.
In the meantime, my job is to help us get our core funding covered, and to this end we've had some great news this month with a number of tenants getting ready to move onto the premises - contract negotiations and other moving parts notwithstanding!
Finally in terms of corporate funding, I have been refining our events package to engage corporate donor support and sponsorship through walking, running, cycling and "Tough Mudder" style events.
We have a range of these planned over the next few months as follows:
- Kingston Half Marathon, Sunday 24th October
- Tough Mudder Style Training Course, "Grim Challenge", Sunday 5th December
- Cycling Challenge in Winchester, Sunday 27th March
Would any CLC alumnae or Guild members like to get involved in these?
We'd love to get you involved!
Do get in touch with me at paul@sthildas.org.uk
Kind regards
Paul Eyres
Head of Funding
(m) 07950 260157
paul@sthildas.org.uk
AUGUST
Dear Guild Member,
Once again, hello and welcome to another update from St Hilda’s East in Shoreditch. Finally restrictions have eased and things are opening up with Activities being delivered at our two Centres, Club Row and Sonali Gardens, as well as continued outreach into the community, having learnt what works during ‘lockdown’.
People are smiling again and connecting through activities and spending some time together face to face and not just on Zoom!
Great to see and we have continued to use the time wisely with ongoing refurbishment at Club Row i.e. new carpets and paint, so that the centre is more attractive and welcoming to ALL and an enjoyable place to work in. The Team will be located together on the first floor of our facility, so that we can encourage daily interactions and a sense of community and build a strong culture at the Charity which is purposeful and impacting for our beneficiaries.
As you will see from Paul and Zoe’s updates, things are active in our frontline Projects, as well as back office functions such as Funding and Marketing, as we look to build a stable and sustainable base for the Charity with focus on our ‘Why? (Purpose) so that we are meeting the needs/demands of the local community in Tower Hamlets for many years to come!
Enjoy the sunshine and the opportunity to get away for a much needed August break or staycation.
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
Fundraising Update
A really interesting period at St Hilda's as we conduct our WHY survey discussion groups, led by our marketing consultants Ingenious Group. The outcomes of these will massively help our funding drive as will help crystallize our identity, as well as who and what our priorities are.
The tenancy market is now opening up and we have two new tenants looking to move into our outside spaces. Meanwhile behind the scenes Zoe and myself are working with our grant and bid consultants to put in for some large 100K bids- most notably with Barclays.
We are also looking to expand our capacity in the fundraising and other departments by making use of the national Kickstarter scheme, which fits in with our ethos and founding principles of training new people and creating opportunities!
Financially we are still broadly on track to hit our targets this year, but also very open to any support Guild members may want to give as we catch up from Covid lockdown losses in the short term. Please see our Wishlist as below if you can help either financially or through your contacts. Many thanks and have a great summer holiday if you are going away this year!
St Hilda's East Funding Wishlist
- Meeting room chairs and tables
- The cost of 1 year's CRM software or CRM support
- Pro Bono Building Surveyor for Phase 2 of our Hub redevelopment plans
- Pro Bono Architect for Phase 2 of our Hub redevelopment plans
- New Corporate Clients who wish to expand their CSR remit
Kind regards
Paul Eyres
Head of Funding
Project Update
A BIG hello from the Project Team at St Hilda's East
We're pleased to say that both Community Hubs have now re-opened with projects and services partially returning, much to the joy and excitement of colleagues and members alike.
The frontline team have been delivering a packed timetable of summer activities and finding new and interesting ways to listen, engage and activate the local community. There has been an increased focus on outreach and partnership work as we encourage people to re-discover our offer and share the opportunities to get involved with their local community.
This month's highlights include;
- A fun leadership workshop with the Girls Unity Project led by volunteers from Queen Mary's University, exploring what social action means in the 21st Century and the issues they care about.
- The launch of the Just FACT programme, led by the Women's Environmental Network to deliver a community led climate action with the Food and Advice Co-operative as a key delivery partner, focused on reducing the environmental impacts of our food system.
- The development of digital ways of working, including a series of podcasts with our Link Age Plus Members around the 5 ways of well being, all led by Volunteers over coffee & biscuits!
- The formation of cross borough partnership work with the Carers Centre, Tower Hamlets Community Information and Advice Network and MIND in Tower Hamlets and Newham, to find ways to share resources and strengthen our Community Hub model.
Behind the scenes, Fundraising and Marketing efforts have really stepped up with everyone working in collaboration to secure funding, deepen our engagement with friends and supporters and as Paul mentions, unite around Purpose.
Thank you again for your support and we wish you a lovely summer break!
Kind regards
Zoe Eccles
Deputy Director, Projects and Strategy
(m) 07949 990 812
zoe@sthildas.org.uk
JULY
Dear Guild Member,
I write this the day after England have beaten Denmark in the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and, whether a football fan or not, I hope it brought a smile to your face and a much needed boost to the UK. By the time you read this, England will have played the Final, and may have been crowned European Champions, fingers crossed, for the first time!
Likewise there are glimmers of hope, that life is returning to normal with an ending of restrictions on Monday 19th July, hopefully for Lockdown never to return, which will also be a significant cause for celebration across the UK, as the economy and society springs back to life.
Zoe Eccles, our Deputy Director and Team have been working hard to plan for the re-opening at St Hilda’s East and we will see a steady return of activities across ALL age groups over the next few months, as we look to support our local community. Lessons have been learned from the pandemic and we will continue to use digital means to engage with more people whilst, once again, starting to meet face to face. Throughout, we will still look to protect the elderly and vulnerable and take measures one step at a time but the Team and our Service Users are looking forward to the months ahead and increased activity.
I will leave Zoe and Paul to briefly update you an our ongoing Projects and Funding and speak again soon!
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
Fundraising Update
Exciting times at St.Hilda's as we prepare for the 19th July.
In addition to our usual fundraising activities across corporate clients, tenancy and bid-writing this month, we've been holding our quarterly working groups to update our trustees- including CLC alumni- in what's being going on at St.Hilda's. These groups also provide an opportunity for us to harness their experience, expertise and even connect with their contacts:)
And now we would like to expand that opportunity to all Guild Members- to keep you posted of our "Wish List" just in case there is something on there that you, or someone you know, might like to support us with?
Our current wish list includes:
- Provision of high-speed broadband throughout our Community Hub
- Meeting room chairs and tables
- The cost of 1 year's CRM software or CRM support
- Pro Bono Building Surveyor for Phase 2 of our Hub redevelopment plans
- Pro Bono Architect for Phase 2 of our Hub redevelopment plans
- New Corporate Clients who wish to expand their CSR remit
From speaking to my opposite number in fundraising at the Guild, we are very aware that there are CLC Alumni who want to expand their philanthropic efforts into exactly the kind of work that we do, so please don't hesitate to get in touch with me directly- paul@sthildas.org.uk - if you think you can help, or know someone who can! We would love to speak with you further if you do.
Many thanks and enjoy the sunshine!
Kind regards
Paul Eyres
Head of Funding
Project Update
In the last few months, we have been focused on preparing for the re-opening the Community Hubs to give a safe and warm welcome to everyone who walks through our doors. As we head towards 19 July and ease out of lockdown, the team have been working hard to prepare the centres and retain 'what worked' during the last year as well as reinstate more familiar activities.
St Hilda’s East Community Services continue to support people locally through a range of activities such as the Food Co-op and Advice, the Women's Project with the support of our wonderful volunteers! Our older people's hub is being transformed and we are now rolling out the implementation of three pilot projects that will focus on digital inclusion, community access and the creation of peer-to-peer groups. We continue to provide safe activities and support the vaccine roll out, with a focus on promoting healthy living and wellbeing. The Children and Youth service goes from strength to strength and we are working in partnership with the local schools, sports and arts organisations to plan a series of 'summer workshops' which will inform the direction of the service and establish a series of participant-led, co-designed, evidence-based activities.
Behind the scenes, extensive work continues with the fundraising team to create the charity’s first Impact Framework, embed systems and establish ways of working to secure large, multiyear grant funding. This important project will demonstrate the difference that St. Hilda's East makes to the lives of people and communities.
The service delivery team and I would like to thank everyone at the Guild for your ongoing support and please do not hesitate to reach out to us for a chat!
Best wishes,
Zoe Eccles
Deputy Director, Projects and Strategy
JUNE
Dear Guild Member,
Here we are, once again, and St Hilda’s East was all ready to open up its Centres at Club Row and Sonali Gardens, in a COVID secure way, to the community and service users in Shoreditch London from Monday 21st June after a long hiatus of over 12 months!
This was a date we were ALL looking forward to as restrictions eased and life started to return to normal. However, this has been delayed another month to July but with the Vaccination programme going well and things seemingly ok in the UK, we eagerly look forward to this new date. We have learnt a lot over the last year, as a Team, as our service delivery has changed, ensuring that essentials were delivered to the elderly and vulnerable whilst using digital means to stay in touch, so that people did not feel isolated or alone. The Team have been excellent throughout, in changing their work patterns and ways of delivery to meet the needs of the local people for which I would like to say a BIG ‘Thank You!’
Another excellent addition to the St Hilda’s Team, from a different perspective, is the inclusion of the second Guild nominated Trustee, Kate Simpson (1980-1985, Sidney Lodge/Elizabeth), who brings a wealth of experience with her from the corporate sector, to the Charity, and I just wanted to say ‘ Welcome’ and good to have you on board and we look forward to working with you in the coming months. I also wanted to mention Malini McCauley, who was re-elected as your other Guild nominated Trustee and has been a pleasure to work with over the last 12 months, always willing to step forward and share the load, recently as interim Treasurer with her finance background, as well as sharing her expertise in our Marketing and Funding Working Groups. Thank you Malini.
Last but not least, I wanted to thank Olga Senior for her time as Guild Chairman and her kind welcome when I joined St Hilda’s East and also her invitation for me to become an Honorary Guild Member, which I gratefully accepted. Malini assured me that I did not need to learn any secret ‘handshakes’ and it is my pleasure to now be part of Guild. In closing, I would just like to wish Sam Culhane all the best in her new role as Guild Chairman and we look forward to welcoming her to Club Row in Shoreditch, at the appropriate time, so that we can meet face to face and show her the legacy that has been built on the foundations laid 130 years ago by Guild in the east end of London.
Stay safe and enjoy the sunny weather…
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
Funding Update
In the past month, as society starts to open up again, we have been welcoming in potential new tenants and trustees alike, the latter coming with expertise in the property and charity sectors. We are getting our "Hub plan" in place, just in time for the painters and decorators to finish phase one of our refurbishment! The next stage is to see what comes back from the WHY Programme and Needs Analysis, as that will help direct us in the more ambitious second phase of our developments. I am also meeting with new clients to see how they might like to support the vital work that we do going forward.
More specifically for Guild members, we are looking to hold our (lockdown delayed) 130th Celebration and Raffle in February or March 2022! Existing ticket holders are cordially invited, just as other alumnae will also be most welcome.
Watch this space for more details in the weeks and months ahead!
Kind regards
Paul Eyres
Head of Funding
MAY
Dear Guild Member,
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you once again about St Hilda’s East and all things Shoreditch!
We are excited that the COVID vaccination programme is going well and we do indeed seem to be on an upward trajectory with our Community Centre at Club Row opening up for more activities such as the Creche, Play programme and the continued Food Co-op which serves the needs of our local community. Older people who are at risk of isolation are still a key focus of St Hilda’s and our Older People’s Team are actively connecting with them and providing engaging virtual activities such as Coffee Mornings, as well as outdoor ‘Walk & Talk’ sessions as people start to interact personally, which is great to see.
I just wanted to highlight one important area that you ALL can be a part of with St Hilda’s, as we have just launched a quick 10 minute ‘Why’ Survey that will shape the future direction of the Charity, and clarify our purpose and mission in London and continue to build on our successful 130 year history, founded by Guild. Please ensure that YOUR VOICE is heard by clicking on the link below and completing the Survey:
https://forms.gle/EcqvpzrUSB56uDJX8
We are listening to voices from across the local community in Tower Hamlets, as well as internally from Trustees, Staff and Partners so that we can focus our resources to areas of need and plan for the future.
Thank you for your continued support and interest in St Hilda’s East and please let us know if you would like further information on what the Charity is doing or if you would like to connect more closely?
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
Funding Update
An exciting time this last month at St Hilda's East, with society starting to open up again and potential tenants making inquiries, marked by the smell of fresh paint as we ready the building for people once more. In the background I've been shaping up our offer to partners, tenants and stakeholders alike in anticipation of normality starting to return!
To this end, we've also been exploring all of the different options available to us within our Community Hub, so as to crystallize how we can best serve the community, whilst also future-proofing our income for years to come. Lockdown has been hard for everyone, but by rapidly evolving our delivery model and streamlining our overheads we are now in strong position to go out in the world with a renewed sense of purpose, vigour and clarity.
In support of this, our marketing partners at Ingenious Group have been rolling out our WHY programme so that we can do a deep dive into our core identity at St Hilda's East: Who we are and What we represent to all of our Stakeholders.
This of course includes You!
As Matt says, we want all voices to be heard; and since we owe our whole existence to CLC alumnae, we would particularly like to hear the thoughts, opinions and associations that present day CLC employees and alumnae have about St Hilda's East.
Will you help us to shape the future direction of who we are and what we do?
Why Survey Link
https://forms.gle/EcqvpzrUSB56uDJX8
Thank you for your time, enjoy the sunshine.
Kind regards
Paul Eyres
Head of Funding
Service Delivery Update
This month, we have been busy preparing for the safe re-opening of the Centres and to give a warm welcome to everyone who walks through our doors. Making those all-important connections is our first priority, with a huge amount of kindness, care and lots of conversations!
At the grass roots as we ease out of lockdown, St Hilda’s East service for older people continues to be shaped around the impact of COVID, social isolation and loneliness. In collaboration and partnership across the public, private and voluntary sector, we are supporting the vaccine roll out, information sharing and providing activities with a focus on promoting health and wellbeing.
With a brilliant new team on board, the Youth Programme has restarted (!) and we are working in partnership with the local schools to plan a series of 'summer camps' which will inform the direction of the service and establish a series of participant-led, co-designed, evidence-based activities. The Girls Unity Project has just been relaunched, with new opportunities to form partnerships such as London Youth's ‘Good For Girls’ Programme that promotes positive mental health and female leadership and their Sport for Development flagship Getting Active Programme. In addition, we will be working hard to re-start the SEND Youth Project with its long waiting list, as well as the playgroup to support families and children locally.
Behind the scenes, detailed and extensive work is well underway to create the charity’s Impact Framework, embed systems and establish ways of working and reporting to secure future funding. This important project will, in time demonstrate the difference St Hilda's East makes to the lives of people and communities in Tower Hamlets.
As always, the service delivery team and I would like to thank everyone in Guild for your ongoing support and please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like to speak more about service delivery or for a local perspective from a Tower Hamlets resident...
With best wishes,
Zoe Eccles
Deputy Director, Projects and Strategy
APRIL
Dear Guild Members,
Once again thanks for your time and attention!
By the time you receive this update, we will have held our first ‘virtual’ St Hilda’s East AGM on Weds 31st March 2021 from 2 – 3pm and if you are a subscribing Member of the Charity then you should have received your ‘Notice’ and Agenda via email or post.
Not only is it an opportunity to deal with the business end of things, such as the Annual Accounts and Report for 2019/2020 but also to look back on the year and reflect on our challenges, as well as highlights and successes at St Hilda’s East. Interestingly, it will cover the period pre-Covid in 2019 and then just as the virus hit and lockdown emerged in March 2020, so should be something of a mixed bag. As you know I will celebrate my 1 year Anniversary at St Hilda’s East in April and my only experience of the Charity will have been during the pandemic. However, as you have read in previous e-Newsletters, the Team’s response has been excellent and we have continued to deliver our activities and support in new and meaningful ways so that the local community, particularly elderly and vulnerable, have been well supported and fed.
The AGM is also an opportunity to look ahead and this is the most exciting thing as we come out of lockdown and our lives return to normal
and hopefully by 21st June, with a successful Vaccination Programme, we will see the Centre at Club Row and our Social Care Facility at Sonali Gardens fully re-open and start to see signs of life, and vibrancy, once again!
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
Funding update
This month a lot of our Fundraising focus has been around our Hub Plans, and also our Marketing and how it links into our fundraising. We are making detailed plans that considers every aspect of our Community Hub's potential, from the perspective of Needs, Demand and Tenancy. This anticipates the comprehensive internal audit being carried by our marketing arm, into our Why? and Needs Analysis!
By bringing these areas together- Why we do what we do, how we do it, who needs us and for what - and linking this with our plans to redevelop the community Hub, we can put ourselves in a great position to bounce back strongly from the pandemic, just as things are starting to open up again!
And whilst our corporate supporters have also been hit by the affects of Covid, they are already suggesting ways that they might like to support and engage with us.
So if you haven't seen our updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, then please do check them out. We particularly want to hear from CLC Alumnae and Guild, so do feel free to follow us, share your own stories with us, and together we can reach even more people.
Many thanks
Kind regards
Paul Eyres
Head of Funding
Projects Development Update
Hello! A quick update from the team this month,
In March, we have been focused on the development of the Children and Young People’s service and I'm delighted to say the Programmes, Learning and Development Team has been growing! We welcomed two brilliant new recruits, who hit the ground running and have already started to lay the foundations at the ‘grass roots’ by conducting social market research and are planning to co-design and co-produce projects with young people, that will meet their changing needs and aligns perfectly with the Strategic Marketing and Funding development work.
As Children and Young People have been returning, we have been hearing about some of the issues they face and their thoughts and feelings around the pressing matters of jobs and training, health and wellbeing and the importance of creating safe spaces in the community but also the need for ‘play’ and have fun. With this in mind, we are working alongside our longstanding and successful partnership with the local Primary and Secondary schools, to shape a delivery plan together, pool shared resources and agree shared goals, to benefit the local neighbourhood.
In the meantime, as we move through the stages of the roadmap and out of lockdown towards brighter months ahead, we are busy preparing to re-open the Community Hub doors next week and are just super excited to welcome back everyone with lots of happy, smiling faces at the ready! What an absolute joy - we cannot wait!
Very best wishes,
Zoe Eccles
Deputy Director, Projects and Strategy
MARCH
Dear Guild Members,
Once again, a BIG Hello from all at St Hilda’s!
Finally light at the end of the COVID Tunnel and we are hoping that the Charity’s activities will start to resume normality, as we head towards June 2021 and lockdown ends, with a sigh of relief. I will let Zoe and Paul give a brief update on Projects and Partners but just say that the Staff Team have continued to work hard and help the local community of Tower Hamlets in London through ‘Digital’ and socially distanced means throughout the whole of the last year and the challenges it has brought. Particular emphasis has been placed on supporting the elderly and vulnerable and those most at risk of isolation through various activities and ensuring the provision of food.
It's been a great team effort and thank you for the support and interest that you have shown in helping St Hilda’s East, through it’s connection to the Guild and CLC, as we truly appreciate the link and history that we share together and look forward to developing it further in the future. There are a number of ways in which you can engage with the Charity, as many already do, and we would be happy to connect and chat through, if you would like to know more.
Thanks for your time and attention!
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
Funding update
This month we had a number of meetings on Teams with some of our corporate contacts, as part of our process of re-engaging with our supporter base. Perhaps unsurprisingly, even multi-million pound companies have struggled with Covid, but all were pleased to hear from us and keen to talk further about how can partner up over the year ahead.
I also had a great catch up with my opposite number Rebecca Ting at CLC; we spoke about our respective challenges and how SHE and CLC might work together more closely in 2021. Given the rich history between St Hilda's East and Cheltenham Ladies' College, it would be a shame not to tap into more fully.
And with the help of our marketing arm at Ingenious Group we are also getting active on social media again, so watch this space!
Kind regards
Paul Eyres
Head of Funding
Projects Development Update
Hello from St Hilda’s East Project Team,
I hope you are well and staying safe.
With spring in the air and the sun making a tentative appearance, the Project Team at St Hilda’s are feeling optimistic about the weeks and months ahead.
We are focused on continuing our support for the local community in Tower Hamlets with determination and resilience, whether that’s in a virtual space, by telephone or through community outreach as we continue to support more than 300 people each week.
With the vaccine roll out and weekly testing, the team are busy preparing staggered start dates when the Community Hub doors can reopen from Mid-April onwards (fingers crossed) We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the Community Hub but particularly our Children, Families and young people whose voices and energy we have missed terribly.
The generous feedback we have received from beneficiaries, supporters and friends has again been humbling to hear and definitely served to lift everyone’s spirits!
Thank you for your support and taking the time to read the project update. I hope it provides just a glimpse of what the team and I are doing to serve the local community and please do not hesitate to reach out to find out more.
Best wishes,
Zoe Eccles
Deputy Director, Projects and Strategy
JANUARY
Dear Guild Members,
Once again, Hello, and I hope you all had a great Xmas and New Year!
It looks like there might be light at the end of the tunnel (and hopefully not an express train) with the Government’s Vaccination Programme now underway, in earnest, and we look forward to St Hilda’s East’s Activities returning to normal in 2021. We continue to support the local residents in Tower Hamlets, London, particularly the elderly and vulnerable, with support services and Food deliveries, to ensure they are not isolated and feeling lonely, with a BIG ‘Thank You!’ to the Team for continuing to think of others during these testing times.
I am 9 months into my tenure at St Hilda’s East and we have put a lot of groundwork in place to sustain the future of the Charity, in areas such as Funding, Marketing, Governance etc. and are starting to see the results pay off. For example, financially, it has been a testing year with a loss in Trading income but in spite of the ALL challenges thrown at us, we have managed to ‘Breakeven’ and show a small surplus whilst still delivering services to hundreds of people across the borough.
We are looing forward to a new Guild Member joining us on the Trustee Board and adding their skills, knowledge and experience into the mix and becoming part of the Team, and it was a pleasure to talk with them all and get to know them, and share the vision and mission of the Charity going forward, building on the rich history and heritage we share with CLC and the Guild, over the last 130 years.
Have a great January and I look forward to connecting with you all again soon!
Kind regards,
Matthew Band
Director
Funding update
Happy New Year to everyone at CLC and the Guild. I am delighted to report that Credit Agricole kindly pledged £6,000 for our Christmas campaign, to buy and deliver Christmas hampers and dinners to older people who were on their own at Christmas, whilst Broadgate and British Lands designated us as their Christmas charity, donating £3,000 for our Older People's project and core costs.
Our marketing partners, Ingenious Group, are now actively exploring some ambitious bids and proposals that go to the heart of our principles around being a Community led charity. Our tenancy situation remains challenging under Covid, but the local authority have been supportive of what we are doing: Zoe and I are going to present to them soon with a view to forming a new "Premise Group".
We've also had useful exchanges with a local business association set up to stimulate growth and community engagement in the area. This could usher in a range of new partnerships, potentially with our Hub space as a training and education facility.
Finally, one of our Guild member Trustees has suggested that we might want to look to the Guild and other key partners for help with specific relatively small core costs. Our current "wish list" of essentials includes high speed Broadband, the repainting and decorating of a few office spaces, and our forthcoming CRM system.
So, if you would like more information about how to potentially assist with these, or you know someone who might, do please get in touch with me on paul@sthildas.org.uk or 07950 260157. As much as we really need these upgrades, we also remain committed to balancing the books as Matt has said, so your help is greatly appreciated!
Kind regards
Paul Eyres
Head of Funding
Projects Development Update
Hello and a hopeful and happy new year to everyone at CLC and the Guild. All things considered, 2021 brings light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine roll out and the team are responding to the ever-changing circumstances here at St. Hilda's East Community Centre, as no doubt you are too.
In terms of projects and with relentless determination to support the local community, we are continuing to flex and adapt services in a digital space alongside face-to-face delivery when we can but we have also used the time to gain deeper insights into the immediate impact of this health crisis on people’s lives in the medium to long term. Uncertainty still remains about what the future might hold however we do know that the societal shifts and impact due to the health crisis will be far reaching and long lasting for how and what we do.
To develop projects in the future, we will adopt the principles of human centred co-design, to bring a sense of creativity and collaboration to everything, which essentially means that we place people, partners and community engagement as equal partners and in alignment with St. Hilda's Mission, Vision and Values but more of that to follow on the months ahead!
I also wanted to share a positive aspect of this terrible health crisis and the small glimmers of hope. The generous feedback we have received from beneficiaries, commissioners and partners alike has been incredibly humbling as well as strengthening our profile locally and has even led to flourishing opportunities for collaboration and connections.
Here's a lovely testimonial from Carol and Brian on the Link Age+ Project
'Since this awful pandemic hit us all, I found the staff absolutely amazing, and they went far beyond my expectations! Keeping us all in the link with all the visual activities and were possible actual activities. Keeping to the rules and regulations, keeping us safe and well. I cannot praise them enough for all the time, efforts and concerns they have given us, reaching out to everyone, making sure we are all ok. They have got us through these trying times, and still carry on to do so ! We have been introduced to lovely walks, which I am continuing to do and hopefully we will be able to do with more members when we come through this ! At the end of the tunnel, we will see the light, and we will celebrate in style'
Finally, a HUGE thank you to all those who kindly donated the Christmas presents this year, we were absolutely overwhelmed with the generosity shown again and it was with much joy we distributed them to our local community (where possible and done safely!)
Thank you for your support and taking the time to read this update and please feel free to reach out to me to have a chat and hear more about what we're doing zoe@sthildas.org.uk or 07949 990 812.
Kind regards,
Zoe Eccles
Deputy Director, Projects and Strategy
St Hilda's Unity Project Christmas 2020
CLC Christmas Presents
St Hilda's Women's YOGA