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The Kainos Community Project
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ACT is currently investigating how we can support
organisations that work to prevent and tackle homelessness with an
emphasis on the role of families and parents.
In addition we still support three partner organisations
working in different fields that we have been funding prior to 2008. These are:
Excellent
Development
Excellent Development was set up to support people living in rural
parts of Kenya. Working closely with a network of self-help community groups, it
strives to improve the livelihoods, health and incomes of one of Africa’s
poorest populations. The projects enable them to take greater control of their
environment through improved soil and water conservation which, in turn,
increases the production of food and improves general health. With the time
previously spent collecting water now freed up for example, adults are now able
to work profitably whilst their children attend school, all of which
dramatically improves the long-term prospects of entire families and communities
as a whole. ACT has supported Excellent Development from its early days as a
“kitchen-table” charity (literally!) to a secure and sustainable organisation
with office space and established management, finance and fundraising systems.
We are now working with them to replicate what they are currently doing in Kenya
in other parts of Africa.
Excellent Development were crowned overall winner of the Charity of the
Year Awards 2008 and Small Charity Big Achiever in the 2009 Third Sector
Excellence Awards
Kainos
Community ProjectIn 2008 Trustees made a further decision to continue
funding for Kainos Community Project whilst they work to achieve
accreditation for their Challenge to Change programme. The aim is for the programme to be sustainably
funded by the prison service in the longer term.
Single Parent Action Network (SPAN)
SPAN is a nation-wide umbrella organisation set up to develop partnerships with key agencies to improve policies and services for one parent families and supports parents living in poverty and isolation to strengthen and empower themselves.
ACT is supporting SPAN to run their Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities Parenting Programme for groups of parents with experience of homelessness. The programme enhances family relationships, cultural values, and positive discipline, enabling parents to develop a range of strategies in supporting positive outcomes for children. SPAN is also coordinating the ACT Homelessness and Parenting Programme in Bristol assisting with enhancing partnership working and monitoring change. They will also take a lead role in hosting events for shared learning and dissemination of the pilot’s experience.
Shelter
Shelter is the most well known homelessness agency in the UK. In Bristol, the Keys to the Future programme has pioneered a more holistic key worker approach to working with homeless families that aims to tackle non-tenancy related problems as well as housing issues. ACT is supporting them by paying for an “Intensive Family Support Worker” that is able to work with the most complex and vulnerable families for longer and in a more in-depth way.
Orbit Group
Orbit is a Registered Social Landlord that works predominantly in the Midlands, South East and East of England. However, they run a small Supported Housing Facility in Bristol that takes in teenage mothers who are homeless. At the service, they have no facility to work with the fathers – many of whom also are experiencing complex problems including homelessness. ACT has supported the recruitment of a Father Worker to specifically provide key worker support to vulnerable teenage dads.
Survive
Survive has been providing services for women and children affected by domestic violence and abuse (DVA) in South Gloucestershire and Bristol for over 30 years. ACT is covering project and associated costs of a Parenting Support Worker to focus on family work with vulnerable families. This key worker will build skills in parenting and promote positive family relationships and will work across our referral, refuge and resettlement team to provide a holistic approach.
Community Resolve
Community Resolve is a community-led organisation, focusing on conflict transformation, working with community and youth conflict using a variety of different approaches including training, groupwork, 1-1 support and mentoring as well as other community interventions. ACT is supporting their Crucial Conversations pilot project, which aims to prevent young people becoming homeless by providing mediation at the point of crisis, using peer and adult mediators working together.
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