Download Where is Affinity Sutton on the journey?

Transferring Assets to the
Community
NHC Resident Involvement Conference
Blackpool
Thursday 9th June 2016
Kate Beeching - Community Assets Manager, Affinity Sutton
Frances Harkin - Research Officer, HACT
Dave Lunn - Manager, Riverside Centre
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Transferring Assets to the
Community
3 main parts to the presentation
• Overview of Community Asset Transfer (CAT) and toolkit
• The housing provider’s perspective - Affinity Sutton’s
journey to Community Asset Transfer
• The community organisation’s perspective – Riverside
Centre, a Community Asset in action
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Community Asset Transfer
• Housing providers own a range of community assets
• Affinity Sutton has cultivated a Community Asset
Transfer (CAT) approach to maximise the potential of
its community asset portfolio
• Developed a toolkit with HACT in 2015 to disseminate
this learning and good practice
• Toolkit explores asset transfer process from experience
of community organisations
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Community Asset Transfer
Why transfer assets to the community?
• Changing climate - there is a need for greater efficiencies
• Increasing professionalization of the community sector
• Changing levels of resident involvement with a reduction
in residents associations
• Implications of changing regulation, risks and litigation
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Community Asset Transfer
Why transfer assets to the community?
• An alternative approach to generating income
• Contributes towards increasing self-sustainability of assets
• Process enables identification of new community partners
• Formal process providing appropriate governance and
procedures for community organisations
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Affinity Sutton journey to Asset
Transfer
Why have Affinity Sutton invested in this approach?
• Importance of assets within communities
• Often the only local accessible space for meeting and
service provision
• Provides neighborhood focus and sense of community
• Ideally placed to deliver Community Investment-type
services and support residents, e.g. employability, IT
training, youth engagement
• Focus for local volunteering and strong links with
Resident Involvement
• Opportunities offered by Community Asset Transfer
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Affinity Sutton journey to Asset
Transfer
Where did Affinity Sutton start?
• Post-merger audit
• Who is managing them and who is using them?
• Policies and procedures? Legal agreements?
• Investment levels? Stock condition?
• Usage levels and income generation?
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Affinity Sutton journey to Asset
Transfer
Where is Affinity Sutton on the journey?
• 43 Assets eligible for CAT – 18 on lease/ license, 15 in
negotiations, and 10 will be promoted for new partnerships
(our mapping process)
• Strategy to have all assets managed by community
organisations via Community Asset Transfer
• Mix of volunteer and staff run, but heavily reliant on volunteers
• Predominantly Charities and CICs
• Supported by Neighbourhood Investment team
• Consistently treated as Assets
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Affinity Sutton journey to Asset
Transfer
What does our ideal Community Asset look like?
•Long-term lease
•Business plan
•Strong governance and procedures
•Full and relevant programme
•Confident in facilities management
•Effective partnerships and
stakeholder relationships
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Community Asset in Action
Riverside Centre
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Community Asset in Action
Riverside Centre
• Located in Carshalton, southwest London
• Managed by a charity, Riverside Community
Organisation
• Purpose built new-build
• Staff and volunteers
• Range of facilities available
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Community Asset in Action
Experience of managing a community asset
• Recognising the importance of developing
relationships within the community
• Putting support in place
• Communication with the housing provider
• Role of volunteers
Biggest challenges encountered
• Be aware of costs
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Community Asset in Action
Showing the value
• Income /expenditure record
• Demonstrating return on investment
• Monitoring information:
• Outputs (training, volunteer hours)
• Usage and resident engagement
• Case studies
• Media Profile
• Fundraising achieved
• Challenges / Opportunities
• More sophisticated monitoring e.g. social value tool
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Community Asset Transfer
Key learning for both housing providers and
community/resident organisations
• Managing expectations
• Support and guidance
• Begin planning at the outset
• Communication channels
• Community knowledge
• People power
• Cost awareness
• Financial self-sufficiency – reality vs potential
• Challenges
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/
Transferring assets to the community
What next?
• Tools now available on HACT website
• Develop voice for sector
• Collaboration and more resources
Kate Beeching - [email protected]
Frances Harkin – [email protected]
Dave Lunn - [email protected]
www.hact.org.uk
https://www.affinitysutton.com/
http://riversidecentre.org/