Autumn 2011
Welcome to the newly rebranded Hall Aitken newsletter. The summer has seen a lot of changes for Hall Aitken. We had a Glasgow office move and an image over-haul. But our dedication and commitment to clients remains the same. Read about what’s been happening...
We give you:
- Some basic tips on fundraising for your project;
- Information on how our Parks for People extension has progressed;
- A taste of how SROI has been implemented in a programme;
- Some issues that affect the UK tourism policy;
- A guide to the EPODE health intervention model;
- Ways to prove impact through evaluation;
- Our thoughts on building creativity, leadership and management skills; and not least
- Ways to explore issues of healthy eating through performance.
Please read on to find out more...
New look for Hall Aitken
Hall Aitken has undergone some rebranding. We have changed our logo and reporting style. Although our look may have changed we are still offering the same services and our ethos remains stead fast. We are still providing specialist services which aim to improve the lives of disadvantaged communities and excluded people.
Have a look at our re-branded image on our website www.hallaitken.co.uk.
Drop us an email and let us know what you think of our new look This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Fundraising to support your organisation
In this article we focus not so much on funding bids to government sources, trusts, foundations or European grants. But we talk here about what skills and resources are needed to get money from the public or from private sector organisations.
Who is going to be responsible for fundraising in your group? Will it involve everyone or will you set up a separate committee and invite people from the wider community to join it? Will it be a specific, named individual, employed purely for this purpose? Or will you outsource part or all of it to a professional fundraising company?
Parks for People Extension
Hall Aitken and CFP are delighted to announce that our contract with HLF has been extended until March 2012. So, we are here to support all approved projects with meeting the monitoring and evaluation requirements of the programme.
We have been working with HLF on the Parks for People programme since 2008. Our remit is to provide self evaluation support to funded projects, helping to ensure that the monitoring and evaluation requirements of the programme are met. Read about the support we provide.
SROI analysis of Sunderland XL Youth Villages
In the current climate it is ever more important to demonstrate what difference a project really makes. We have just completed an analysis of the Social Return on Investment (SROI) created by a youth project in Sunderland. The XL Youth Villages project, which Sunderland Youth Development Group delivers with local partners.
The approach is rising in prominence and endorsement and members of our team sit on the SROI Network’s Methodology Working Group to improve it further. Read More about SROI and its benefits.
Issues affecting UK Government's new Tourism Policy
The UK Government produced a new tourism policy earlier this year. Here Hall Aitken Director Paul Buchanan looks at the issues in delivering its goals.
A little taster...
Interestingly, the government seems to be working on an assumption that tourism is a low-cost option for boosting growth "compared to sectors of the economy it requires little initial funding."
Read more of Paul's comments on the issues affecting the new policy.
Following in French Footsteps
After a few false starts, the UK seems to have joined the rest of the world in adopting the influential EPODE model for promoting health interventions. Pilots and projects are now running in Scotland, England and in Wales and Northern Ireland using the French system as a basis for community interventions to prevent childhood obesity.
The EPODE method relies on a multi-stakeholder approach which coordinates existing interventions. A trained manager has the responsibility of engaging everyone in a community who may have an influence on Children's health. Read more about the EPODE model.
Indicate® – Reporting on impact
Our Indicate® self evaluation support service is what many local authority departments and community and voluntary sector projects need to help them measure outcomes effectively and report on impact to stakeholders. It can help them identify changes their services create, measure them in a simple and robust fashion and then show the value of that work – in terms of outcomes.
Find out more on our website. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Proving you're worth it: facilitating impact evaluation
Now more than ever, people and organisations have to demonstrate that they are delivering value for money when using public funds. There’s nothing new about this and there's a raft of guidance and instruction on how to do it. The UK Government Treasury sets out how to do this in its "Green Book" (HM Government, 2003 and updates). While some may question that "evidence-based policy making" will really operate at the highest levels in public decision-making, there are strong signals in the UK that demonstrating value is being taken much more seriously.
Leadership, Creativity and Management
It has long been argued that the UK needs to develop into a more competitive knowledge based economy. There is a requirement for leadership to drive up productivity. Leadership and management skills are needed across all sectors - private, public and voluntary.
New location. Same support.
Hall Aitken have closed the door on their Glasgow based office in West George Street for the last time. But fear not we have only moved around the corner into the bustling atmosphere on Glasgow's Style Mile Buchanan Street. A trendy new location for a newly re-branded Hall Aitken.
You will now be able to find us at:
3rd Floor, 125 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 2JA. Here we are.
Do your bit for Comic Relief
Comic Relief, we are currently looking for organisations and clubs that might be interested in hosting a Sainsbury's Sport Relief Mile for their community. The Mile events will take place nationwide on Sunday 25th March 2012. Click for or more info.