Futurebuilders England asks ‘How are we doing?’ with new film (21/09/2006)

21.09.2006

A new film, capturing the stories of six Futurebuilders investees, is to be premiered at the Futurebuilders annual conference next week (26 September 2006).

With examples of projects from rural Harrogate to urban Hackney, How are we doing? shows how Futurebuilders has supported voluntary and community organisations to develop sustainable public services. The projects highlight how alternative loan finance, combined with capacity building support, has helped bring communities together, rebuild lives and created new contract partnerships with public agencies.

Investees featured include:

• Harrogate Community Transport Association – The Little Red Bus Company, a rural voluntary organisation helping isolated and vulnerable people access public services they were previously denied through lack of transport in the area.
• Pecan, a London based project helping to reduce re-offending and improve employability by training black and minority ethnic ex-offenders in furniture restoration and basic skills.
• Total Healthcare, a small, nurse-led, social enterprise supporting people with long-term conditions through exercise and healthy living support groups.
• Peacemaker, a project to develop Community Cohesion programmes for young people and adults which supports local authorities and other public service providers in meeting their legal and moral requirements.
• Dorset Headway, a brain injury charity supporting those with brain injury to rebuild their lives through the development of horticultural skills.
• Cottingley Cornerstone Centre, a community venture to build a new centre for health, elderly day care, youth services, education, crime and police support in partnership with Bradford Metropolitan District Council.

Richard Gutch, Chief Executive of Futurebuilders said:
"Just over two years into the Futurebuilders project we wanted to ask our investees how they thought we were doing in our mission to transform public services through a new finance model. The film gives us an honest snapshot of how far we have come in helping change attitudes to loan finance, as well as developing the chances of organisations to secure contracts with statutory bodies."

"The film highlights the sheer diversity - in size and impact on beneficiaries - of our 150 investees so far. Without investment from Futurebuilders many of these projects would not have had the opportunity to flourish. We are proud to have invested in them, especially when many other traditional lenders would not have taken the risk."

How are we doing? is available to order, for free, from our enquiry line on 0191 261 5200.

For further information please contact Jenni Anderson at Futurebuilders on 020 7927 6356.


Notes to editors

A copy of the film is available from Jenni Anderson on 020 7927 6356.

Futurebuilders is the £125 million government backed investment fund for the third sector. It provides a combination of loan, grant and capacity building support for voluntary and community organisations to help deliver better public services. It invests in organisations working in five public service delivery areas: crime, education and learning, health and social care, children and young people, and community cohesion.

Since 2004 Futurebuilders has offered investments totalling over £60 million to over 150 organisations.

Futurebuilders is holding its annual conference on 25 and 26 September 2006 in Newcastle. Speakers include NCVO, the Office for the Third Sector, local government purchasers and Futurebuilders investees.

Investment packages for the featured investees include:

• Harrogate Little Red Bus Company received an investment package of £1,106,000. 
• Pecan received an investment package of £199,750.
• Total Healthcare received an investment package of £90,700.
• Peacemaker received an investment package of £920,000.
• Headway Dorset received a development grant of £15,000.
• Cottingley Cornerstone Centre received an investment package of £1,015,000.