Thenue Communities is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thenue Housing Association. The overall aim of the organisation is to help people living in the communities served to improve their lives. Thenue Communities works closely with local residents to identify local priorities and develop ways of tackling these.
Social Impact
The communities served are those in which Thenue Housing Association has housing stock. Key projects include the management of community facilities in Calton, in the East End of Glasgow and Netherholm in Castlemilk, Glasgow, as well as learning, IT, financial inclusion and environmental projects.
Thenue Communities is a company limited by guarantee, with charitable status and a Board of Trustees drawn from the parent organisation and community representatives from the 2 communities with managed centres. Thenue Communities had a current community-led grant, supporting their environmental and volunteering project. They were ambitious to ensure Thenue Communities as a whole could be sustainable, reducing, if not eliminating, their reliance on grant funding. This included looking at ways to generate income from the environmental project, Green Volunteers.
How we helped
SIB worked with Thenue Communities to help them to move forward with their ambitions and in particular to help to develop the board through:
- planning and facilitate a board development session
- helping them develop a skills audit
In addition we:
- provided advice and signposting on where specific social enterprise support for developing Green Volunteers might be accessed.
- provided some ad hoc support and advice to the manager
The work progressed well but, as is quite common where work includes a specific piece of support to a whole board, various circumstances and the difficulties of getting all together delayed the initial proposed date for the development session for some months. However, the session successfully supported the board to explore issues including:
- the role and overall scope of the organisation, including communities served
- governance and the role of the board,
- sustainability and areas to explore to generate further income,
- future staffing
- recruitment of further trustees.
What was the outcome?
Board members engaged fully in the development process, and, through the session, have developed a clearer understanding of their role, as well as contributed to the development planning for the organisation and have given clear guidance on areas for further review and exploration.
The skills audit has been incorporated into the Board’s annual appraisal process. Other advice has been followed up and will continue on a needs basis.
“
We were referred to SIB by The National Lottery Community Fund because we are a grant recipient. We weren't aware that this support would be available to us so when we found out, we were naturally excited to utilise this resource. Our community centres are operating well but like all community facilities, we have to constantly think ahead and address any financial challenges we may face. SIB helped us to take time out as an organisation to consider our future and how we might ensure our security in the long term. We found this to be extremely helpful and the outcomes of our development day will contribute directly to our 2020 - 2025 Business Plan. We are grateful for the help we received and would highly recommend others to take up this support".
Rosie Robertson, Centre Manager
Thenue Communities
