First Ark’s Advantage,A Social Landlords approach to community investment

Andy CoulsonLouise Reese

First Ark’s Advantage• Who are First Ark?• What are our priorities – how did we

identify them?• Drivers for Community Investment• How do we deliver our community

Investment?• Working with partners• How do we measure our success?

First ArkCommunity business with a great landlord

Knowsley• 5th most deprived

borough

• Only 61.9% of the working age population are employed.

• Knowsley’s business survival rate is lower than both the national and sub-regional

The challenges facing our customers

•Work and Training opportunities

•Welfare Benefits Advice

•Save money

Our priorities

Our four themes• People• Partnerships, • Sustainable communities, • Environment

Our approachHow we’ve identified the social issues:

Traditional Methods

Our approachHow we’ve identified the social issues:

Networking

Our approachHow we’ve identified the social issues:

Government Policy

Our approachHow we’ve identified the social issues:

We’re in the heart of the community

Key drivers for community investment

How we deliver Community investment

• Engaging employees• Engaging customers• Engage suppliers• Engage partners

Vee’s Place

Our Resources

• The SR Team – board champ• Budget £450, 000• Inward investment• CSR strategy is our plan • CSR steering group

Partnerships“Acting in isolation we can

achieve some of our goals but working together we can

achieve more. ”

New Horizons

How we measure and evaluate

• Planned consultation throughout year• BITC check-up• Social value methodology: social

accounts• 3 Star award – internal Quality challenge

and board reports• Future: Project methodologies which

includes evaluation• SROI methodology

Summary

• Consultation – getting ‘buy in’• Networking• Partnerships• Measuring success

Thank you