LAUNCHED IN MARCH 2006
Springboard for Children has a clearly defined plan for expansion into ten cities. We call it the 10/10 strategy and we are launching an appeal to fund it in March 2006.
The 10/10 plan was evolved in conjunction with colleagues from Accenture plc who gave freely of their time to help us test the rationale and build the blue-print for the roll-out. It has been tested in the first expansions into North London and Manchester where lessons were learnt and incorporated.
How does the 10/10 Strategy work?
From the outset it is our determination to embed the new Springboard for Children hub in the community it seeks to serve. Before any appointments are made, we seek out ‘service champions’ in the city who prepare the ground, provide a focal point for the charity in the city and, with head office support, undertake initial fundraising. This group will go on to develop into the local Hub Stakeholder Board. During this early phase there is a great deal of local research to undertake. We need to know the nature of the need, the variety of charitable funds available in the area, and whether there is a ready ‘pool’ of potential volunteers whom we can train. It is also a time of partnership-building with the local education authority, the Diocesan Board of Education, the local Chamber of Commerce and Education Business Partnerships. Support is available throughout this period from the central executive team in London.
Towards the end of this period a full time manager is appointed, who reports to a Hub Stakeholder Board made up of local people appointed by the Trustees. It is their role to manage the hub on behalf of the Trustees. The manager’s first tasks are centred around the recruitment of schools and volunteers. School are always working with finite budgets and need time to re-align those in order to accommodate Springboard for Children so, very often, discussions may have started many months before our work in a school commences. Recruiting volunteers takes time and training them is a critical part of the process. During this period we are building personal and professional relationships that will sit at the heart of the success of the hub as it expands and develops. Once again, the central team in London are on hand with advice. The work is supported by governance, education, finance and human resource manuals which mean that no manager or Board has to invent their own wheel.
Whilst the professional work develops, the role of the Hub Stakeholder Board settles down to its three principal focuses: raising and maintaining local support and awareness; fund raising and service management.
What will the 10/10 Strategy cost?
As you’d expect, we have also costed out the development city by city. You’d expect to see higher costs in the start-up phase and they are there. Initially the costs per child are high but they reduce as growth delivers efficiencies in terms of staffing and resources. The following tables show the realistic costs over a number of years. We are not in this for the short term: we know we have to develop a sustainable, locally-based funding programme which is why we lay such store on local ownership of each project.
Figure 1: How we need to grow our local fund-raising:
Figure 2: How the number of children taught grows:
Figure 3: How the cost per child stabilizes:
How can you help?
We are already operating in south and north London and Manchester. That means there are already opportunities for you to become involved as fund-raisers, volunteers, or local Board members in you live in any of those three areas.
To express interest you can email: tencities@springboard.org.uk
Phone: 020 7582 5487
In writing: Springboard for Children, 4 Bedlam Mews, London, SE11 6DF