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>View discussions about this entry Country: United Kingdom
Organization: Energy Orchard
Sector Focus - Civil society
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2007
Project URL: http://www.energyorchard.net
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - The creation of a seedbed, from which to empower people to flourish in the areas of money, health and adapting to change, by utilizing the power of networking (ending poverty, the advancement of education, relieving distress and sickness).
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - Our uniqueness is the ability to empower people's skills through 'walking the talk'. Each facilitator learns the programme (5 weeks) through applying it to their lives, and teaching others the same strategy (7 week learning programme). Hand holding each participant through the money, health and personal development interactive programmes, builds confidence, skills and aspirations. The pre-start up enterprise skills, Energy Orchard programme, teaches facilitators to plan and implement the same programme they have undertaken to help raise others from neighbouring areas, to do the same. By empowering others (grassroots up), this firms the facilitator's foundations and assists them to move with confidence coupled with the finances to invest in their own enterprise/business. Pathway To Growth - participant | volunteer | mentee | health educator | facilitator | entrepreneur.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - Debt, health problems and the ability to adapt to change are topical issues, generating wide interest. At awareness sessions attendees are recruited. Initially the 5 week programme teaches managing finances, reducing stress (prevention of long term illnesses), skills analysis and adapting to change; a further 7 weeks enables participants to implement the programme as a fundraiser, and/or an opportunity to become self-employed reducing risks of being in business alone, empowering with 'hands holding' business skills. Replicated builds on experience and expertise, strengthening the network of communities globally.
How do you plan to grow your innovation? - In order for each facilitator to grow, they go through the programme, teach others to do the same, and move up the Pathway to Growth. This assists them to flourish into developing their own enterprise, based on community need. A true grassroots approach, each person is encouraged to work within their comfortable zone, and share their story, developing a natural progression. This builds confidence, increases aspirations through positive feedback and role model exposure, increases networks and improves enterprising cultures. Our aim is to identify local communities skills-kits in order to creative solutions to community problems. By identifying life skills, empowering with pre-start up skills and firming foundations in money, health and personal development, each person will identify the additional skills they can offer to address the problem, and create solutions, collectively. Step by step. These skills-kits will be extended across grassroots and third sector organisations.
Do you have any existing partnerships, and if so, how do you create them? - Our existing partnerships are with Including-You charity. They are a networking charity, raising awareness of third sector organisations, i.e. community groups, charity and social enterprises. They map third sector activities by engaging them with free advertising on the internet (website being updated) and through community radio, Preston FM. This creates a level playing field of involvement for organisations, i.e some organisations have more exposure than others because they have a marketing budget, the website and radio station will raise awareness equally by including organisations in order to create choice. The founder and volunteers carry out interviews and identify problems of organisations. In the UK there are over 168,000 registered charities. This strategy of mapping, creating a database, raising awareness and recruiting from a pool of sustainable volunteers to implement fundraising strategies or to enhance with empowerment skills will increase partnership involvement because of depth of impact.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - The impact of learning and replicating self sustaining strategies through true empowerment helps communities remove barriers, re-build trust, respect, dignity and hope.
How many people have you served or plan to serve? - In Lancashire alone over 12 areas (counties) we will recruit 1 person from each area (12), teach them the strategy of empowering 15 people each (180). Once each facilitators (12) is taken through the programme with their recruits, they can replicate the programme, and will be encouraged to, in order to continually enhance their skills. These figures are for year one.
Please list any other measures of the impact of your innovation? - New start up enterprises; number of people entering self employment (192); number of people coming off benefits; number of community groups, charities and social enterprises developing a health and social care branch to their operations; new enterprise development in communities; number of community based companies implementing a Corporate Social Responsibility reducing stress strategy
Exactly who are the beneficiaries of your innovation? - The beneficiaries will largely be individuals from grassroots communities, whilst we will source products from ethical companies to carry our health strategy, individuals will be paid for their usage, across a range of ethical companies, in order to protect individual, reducing risk. Companies will benefit from having empowered communities, and will be able to recruit from neighbourhoods, up-skilled individuals in some cases, but also the services which they offer too.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - The initiative has been self funded, with a small grant from UnLtd for my social entrepreneurial activities. Awareness sessions are free; Interactive 5 week programme £15 per person; Leaders empowerment programme £15 for 7 weeks. Corporate rates vary, in order to cover costs for grassroots participants. The health strategy – ‘Wellness Experience’ carried out by health educators is £5 per session, paid by participants. 80% is given to each Health Educator; 10% is donated to charity; 8% is a management fee for the Facilitator, and 2% is given to Energy Orchard for training activities.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization - Annual budget;
Annual revenue generated; Number of staff: 180 self employed Health Educators, empowered by 12 Facilitators over 12 Counties in Lancashire each working a maximum of 18 hours per week = £5,184,000 80% between 180 Health Educators = £4,147,200; 10% to charity =£518,400; 8% divided between 12 Facilitators = £414,720; 2% for training and facility = £103,680 What is the potential demand for your innovation? - With 168,000 charities in need of fundraising strategies, the demand is high. The problem is training enough people in each area to fulfil the demand. Raising awareness of the strategy is generating interest which has led to the focus being on recruiting and training individuals, in order to manage the demand, once the awareness has been raised on a larger scale.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - As each facilitator reaches their potential leading a team of health educators within Energy Orchard, the intention is to assist them to create their own enterprise. This will create space for health educators to learn new empowerment leadership skills, and make space for mentees and volunteers. We are reliant on members of the public committing £5 per month for their health, employers empowering communities with stress reduction strategies, and contracts from large organizations, in order to carry out their roles.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - Thirty two years caring for others, from volunteer to social worker, lecturer to managing a charity. Throughout my professional roles, I felt my integrity was challenged, as well as my skin colour, on many occasions. In a predominantly white environment, I felt isolated and often changed careers, questioning where is home, a place where I am able to be me, with other like minded people? After leaving school with a basic education, I went to college, followed by university, gained a Degree in Social Work and Community Studies, a teaching qualification, Diploma in Person Centred Counselling, and a Diploma in Management Studies. The way I adapted to change was through empowerment personally and professionally. However, during managing the charity, the trustees had mis-spent funds, meaning closure for the charity, and chose not to tell me. I uncovered the problem and was tried to be made the scapegoat. Over a two year period, this took a toll on my health, the doctor signed me off for 3 months with stress, anxiety and depression, I lost the use of my voice, and had the early signs of ME (extreme exhaustion) and diabetes. I resigned from work, went through divorce, became a single parent, and we lived off my savings. I finally chose to create the environment I had been search for… a place to nurture values, improve health and wellbeing, work collectively and for everyone to have the ability to earn money based on ethical practices of empowering others and self.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material - Learning how to survive the areas of health, money and change inspired me to empower others. Too often, I noticed the goal post change, different rules for different people. Money and health do not discriminate, we may work to form barriers to segregate ourselves from each other, but these two areas connect everyone single one of us. Learning strategies to help someone’s ability to earn, and improve their health, can only serve to make a difference to ending poverty and enslavement for all.
Contact Information:
Anthea Fenton
Facilitator of Change Energy Orchard (Social Enterprise) Discussions about this entry |
Pathway to Growth - The Creation of a 'Walk The Talk' sustainable model in the areas of money, health and adapting to change.
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Hello,
You identify issues of health, stress, finances, and business skills and key areas that you would like to address. I would like to know more about the target population that you are serving. Who are the beneficiaries and how are they involved i modern day slavery? Men? Women? Children? Adults?
Also, what type of monitoring and evaluation system will you utilize to ensure positive change and measure impact? Do you have target numbers? Are there specific indicators you will measure such as decrease in stress or increase in health? Number of new businesses opened?
Good luck! I look forward to hearing more.
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Gender Equality and Human Trafficking Specialist