Case studies archive

The law firm bought digital camera equipment for each group and an initial briefing session was held in the law firm's office over the summer when the young people were introduced to the project and to staff at Pinsent Masons. One Click Photography ran a workshop session at the law firm to introduce the young people to photography techniques and to show them how to use the equipment. The young people were then entrusted with the equipment for three months with a brief to take images of their communities through their own eyes. During Autumn half term, staff from Leeds Metropolitan University's Art Department showed the young people how to edit their photographs on state of the art editing equipment. The young people also received a general introduction to higher education through the university's Aim Higher initiative. Each of the three groups then judged their photos and submitted their finest work into the Pinsent Masons competition. The best photos were blown up onto canvas to be displayed in the Pinsent Masons conference room for one year. The exhibition was launched at a gala evening event to which the young people and their friends and families were invited. Each received a cash prize and a reference from the business. Direct benefit Apart from the new skills developed by the young people and the opportunity they had to work with business and a university on a collaborative project, for two of the young people the project led directly into jobs. They impressed the firm so much during the project that they were offered firstly work placements and then full time jobs in the facilities department of the law firm, saving the firm recruitment costs!

Pinsent Masons has developed the programme further in 2007 with the aim of bringing fresh images from inner city communities into the firm's city centre offices on an annual basis and formalising the work placement programme to introduce up to six further young people to the world of work over the next 12 months.
Images

The law firm bought digital camera equipment for each group and an initial briefing session was held in the law firm's office over the summer when the young people were introduced to the project and to staff at Pinsent Masons. One Click Photography ran a workshop session at the law firm to introduce the young people to photography techniques and to show them how to use the equipment. The young people were then entrusted with the equipment for three months with a brief to take images of their communities through their own eyes. During Autumn half term, staff from Leeds Metropolitan University's Art Department showed the young people how to edit their photographs on state of the art editing equipment. The young people also received a general introduction to higher education through the university's Aim Higher initiative. Each of the three groups then judged their photos and submitted their finest work into the Pinsent Masons competition. The best photos were blown up onto canvas to be displayed in the Pinsent Masons conference room for one year. The exhibition was launched at a gala evening event to which the young people and their friends and families were invited. Each received a cash prize and a reference from the business. Direct benefit Apart from the new skills developed by the young people and the opportunity they had to work with business and a university on a collaborative project, for two of the young people the project led directly into jobs. They impressed the firm so much during the project that they were offered firstly work placements and then full time jobs in the facilities department of the law firm, saving the firm recruitment costs!

Pinsent Masons has developed the programme further in 2007 with the aim of bringing fresh images from inner city communities into the firm's city centre offices on an annual basis and formalising the work placement programme to introduce up to six further young people to the world of work over the next 12 months.
Images

Leeds Ahead identified the projects in partnership with local organisations, re'new and Friends of Middleton Park. Staff from Ernst & Young were involved in the planning and preparation of the Awayday for two months beforehand to ensure success on the day.

 

Swillington Organic Farm - volunteers cleared a nature trail, built a bridge, redecorated a classroom and laid a boardwalk, to allow schoolchildren to make full use of the facilities.

Richmond Hill, Cross Green and Lincoln Green - volunteers carried out a neighbourhood litter-pick and tidy-up in conjunction with re-new and the active involvement of ten local community organisations.

Middleton Park - volunteers helped a local community organisation, Friends of Middleton Park, with general maintenance of the park.

More than 660 volunteering hours were spent in one of the city's largest Corporate Responsibility days to date. By working with different community partners the volunteers delivered tangible environmental improvements across the city in one day.

The volunteers helped deliver environmental improvements by creating a cleaner and greener environment for those living in the neighbourhoods. The volunteers provided manpower that is not otherwise available and their activities received a warm welcome from local residents.

Ernst & Young Managing partner, Philip Hilling said "Corporate responsibility is not only about giving something back to the community, it also helps develop and expand people's experience and skills, which in turn benefits them in their day-to-day working lives."

Ernst & Young will continue to work with Leeds Ahead to broker a staff into a range of projects under our five strands.   Leeds Ahead will also continue to work with the community partners to broker other businesses in to support thier work.

Leeds Ahead matched Bill's requirements with the expertise of Stuart Marquis, Quality & Efficiency Programme Manager, from Yorkshire Bank and a fruitful mentoring relationship has developed over the ensuing three years.  In particular, Bill has found helpful the business and enterprise advice and support provided by Stuart. ‘Stuart has assisted on a number of levels including developing our business planning and strategy and planning away days with the Management Committee. It is really useful to have discussions with someone with the business skills and experience that Stuart can bring to an organisation like ours.'  With Stuart's input, Care and Repair have developed a social enterprise that is held up as a model of good practice nationally.

But it isn't just Care & Repair that has benefited from the relationship.  Stuart has also found the experience worthwhile.  ‘Working through community issues and helping to develop ideas has been a great two way process and learning experience for me. From my perspective there have been two really good insights. Firstly, by putting myself in Bill's shoes as the community leader and understanding the challenges faced by the not for profit sector, it has given me a different business perspective. Secondly, in terms of balance - ensuring that I continued to act as facilitator rather than follow my natural instinct to step in and become the problem solver. I have also been invigorated by the dedication and passion in the way that Bill and the team go about their work.' 

This ongoing long-term enterprise support has helped Care & Repair improve their business skills and develop new ways of working, and as of October 2007, Stuart has been voted on to the Care & Repair Management Committee.

 

Leeds Ahead offered the furniture through its network of community contacts and then arranged what would be distributed to each of the groups. A significant amount of the furniture was also made available to new enterprise catalyst centres in Beeston and Harehills to support Sharing the Success, the city's Local Enterprise Growth Initiative Programme.

Nine voluntary and community sector organisations benefited from a total of over £7.5k worth of office furniture and equipment.  The furniture delivery was arranged by Eversheds so arrived at the community groups at no cost to them. Eversheds was also able to recycle much of its furniture

The deputy head of the school went on an approved course to learn about the creation of pond areas. Yorkshire Transformations Ltd, who were carrying out a PFI housing project in the area, agreed to use their equipment and expertise to excavate the pond, mark out the area, secure it with fencing and remove surplus soil.

Follow on work was carried out by a team of 30 volunteers from RBS who shaped the pond, prepared the lining and materials, landscaped the area and filled the pond using tools and equipment supplied by the Groundwork Trust. CTP St James provide a cash contribution towards the cost of fencing.

The children (and all the staff) at the school celebrated the day by coming to school dressed as a ‘pond creature'. The school was alive with a fabulous range of exotic pond creatures: spiders, frogspawn; dragon flys; toads; frogs; beetles!

The school is now involving children in introducing pond life and plants to create a truly magnificent natural habitat.

This habitat will add much value to the learning experience of children by bringing to life the curriculum in a fun and hands-on way.

This project has attracted the attention of other schools in the area, who have approached Leeds Ahead for similar schemes.

Leeds Ahead identified the projects in partnership with local organisations, re'new and Friends of Middleton Park. Staff from Ernst & Young were involved in the planning and preparation of the Awayday for two months beforehand to ensure success on the day.

 

Swillington Organic Farm - volunteers cleared a nature trail, built a bridge, redecorated a classroom and laid a boardwalk, to allow schoolchildren to make full use of the facilities.

Richmond Hill, Cross Green and Lincoln Green - volunteers carried out a neighbourhood litter-pick and tidy-up in conjunction with re-new and the active involvement of ten local community organisations.

Middleton Park - volunteers helped a local community organisation, Friends of Middleton Park, with general maintenance of the park.

More than 660 volunteering hours were spent in one of the city's largest Corporate Responsibility days to date. By working with different community partners the volunteers delivered tangible environmental improvements across the city in one day.

The volunteers helped deliver environmental improvements by creating a cleaner and greener environment for those living in the neighbourhoods. The volunteers provided manpower that is not otherwise available and their activities received a warm welcome from local residents.

Ernst & Young Managing partner, Philip Hilling said "Corporate responsibility is not only about giving something back to the community, it also helps develop and expand people's experience and skills, which in turn benefits them in their day-to-day working lives."

Ernst & Young will continue to work with Leeds Ahead to broker a staff into a range of projects under our five strands.   Leeds Ahead will also continue to work with the community partners to broker other businesses in to support thier work.

Leeds Ahead matched Bill's requirements with the expertise of Stuart Marquis, Quality & Efficiency Programme Manager, from Yorkshire Bank and a fruitful mentoring relationship has developed over the ensuing three years.  In particular, Bill has found helpful the business and enterprise advice and support provided by Stuart. ‘Stuart has assisted on a number of levels including developing our business planning and strategy and planning away days with the Management Committee. It is really useful to have discussions with someone with the business skills and experience that Stuart can bring to an organisation like ours.'  With Stuart's input, Care and Repair have developed a social enterprise that is held up as a model of good practice nationally.

But it isn't just Care & Repair that has benefited from the relationship.  Stuart has also found the experience worthwhile.  ‘Working through community issues and helping to develop ideas has been a great two way process and learning experience for me. From my perspective there have been two really good insights. Firstly, by putting myself in Bill's shoes as the community leader and understanding the challenges faced by the not for profit sector, it has given me a different business perspective. Secondly, in terms of balance - ensuring that I continued to act as facilitator rather than follow my natural instinct to step in and become the problem solver. I have also been invigorated by the dedication and passion in the way that Bill and the team go about their work.' 

This ongoing long-term enterprise support has helped Care & Repair improve their business skills and develop new ways of working, and as of October 2007, Stuart has been voted on to the Care & Repair Management Committee.

 

The deputy head of the school went on an approved course to learn about the creation of pond areas. Yorkshire Transformations Ltd, who were carrying out a PFI housing project in the area, agreed to use their equipment and expertise to excavate the pond, mark out the area, secure it with fencing and remove surplus soil.

Follow on work was carried out by a team of 30 volunteers from RBS who shaped the pond, prepared the lining and materials, landscaped the area and filled the pond using tools and equipment supplied by the Groundwork Trust. CTP St James provide a cash contribution towards the cost of fencing.

The children (and all the staff) at the school celebrated the day by coming to school dressed as a ‘pond creature'. The school was alive with a fabulous range of exotic pond creatures: spiders, frogspawn; dragon flys; toads; frogs; beetles!

The school is now involving children in introducing pond life and plants to create a truly magnificent natural habitat.

This habitat will add much value to the learning experience of children by bringing to life the curriculum in a fun and hands-on way.

This project has attracted the attention of other schools in the area, who have approached Leeds Ahead for similar schemes.