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CSR partner Macfarlanes monthly update
May 2012
Cambridge House is very proud of the ongoing support we receive from our CSR partner Macfarlanes. This month Macfarlanes included a blurb about our relationship in their monthly internal newsletter to continue to build a good relationship that gives Cambridge House valuable support and to share its positive outcomes. The following is a summary of what Macfarlanes had to say:
"Many of you will be aware of the CSR relationship which Macfarlanes has had with Cambridge House for over two decades. For others, however, I thought it would be worth reminding you of what Cambridge House is and how our relationship with it works.
Over the years Macfarlanes has supported Cambridge House in many ways. A number of our lawyers will recall providing debt advice to local residents as trainees and following qualification - we are hoping to relaunch this scheme shortly. We have also provided legal advice in a number of practice areas on a pro bono basis, not least in relation to the construction and financing contracts for their recent redevelopment. Business services staff have been involved with advising on the fit out and operation of the redeveloped premises and also in a number of other ways.
Alex Crockford has recently taken over as company secretary and as a member of the Cambridge House board of trustees, which is chaired by David Coleman. It is fantastic that this is very much a CSR relationship which spreads across the firm in so many ways.
To read more about Macfarlanes CSR programe click here.
For further information on how to become a CSR partner of Cambridge House, please contact Burger Edwards, Director of Business Development and Finance, on 0207 358 7000 or bedwards@ch1889.org.
Birbeck University of London - 12th - 18th May 2012
Supporting social change in Southwark
Chris Gibson, Marketing Manager at The Social Investment Business talks about our engaged investor approach on a visit to Cambridge House
March 2012
Cambridge House is a charitable organisation in Southwark offering a number of services to alleviate the local effects of poverty and support social change. It has had an investment of over £4million from the Communitybuilders Fund, Adventure Capital Fund and the Futurebuilders England Fund. The investment was used to transform five buildings into a fully accessible space that now houses Advocacy services, Community Development, Disability services, Law Centre, LINk Southwark, Nursery and Youth work.
Clare Gilhooly, CEO and Burger Edwards, Business Development and Finance Director met us and gave us a brief history of the organisation and how much it has changed in the last five years since it’s inception in 1889. Clare and Burger make a dynamic team. Clare has the best of the not for profit qualities including a real passion for helping the people the organisation serves. But she admits that she had to recognise that she was focussing too much on the people and not the quality or efficiency of the service.
This is an area where Burger had the most impact on the organisation. He brought the commercial flair and decisiveness from the commercial world and applied it to the existing services at Cambridge House. He, along with Claire, oversaw a significant cultural shift from the trustees down to the operational teams. If I was able to relay any of Burger’s anecdotes, which were used to make points around the acceptance of loan investment or the quality of service delivery, I would but the pictures Burger painted with his words were both vivid and explicit in equal measure!
Claire and Burger took time to answer our questions and we took this opportunity to see what we can do better as a social investor. Burger, not one to shy away from being brutally honest, and Clare offered us some feedback that we’ll be seriously considering, especially on issues around bureaucracy and streamlining the investees journey i.e. making the route to the money as easy as possible whilst maintaining due diligence – a tricky balance but one we aspire to reaching.
After filling up on digestives and chocolate bourbons, it was time to walk off such gluttony with a tour of the truly impressive multipurpose building. The building has been made 100% accessible for all types of disability for example all rooms in the building are accessible by a wheelchair and they are trialling an innovative signage system to make sure people with learning difficulties are able to easily navigate their way around the building.
We saw the ‘smart’ building, which includes a state of the art ventilation system that heats and cools the building without the need to open windows or the more likely scenario in England, turn the radiators up! There is a real vibrancy within Cambridge House that comes from attracting people from all walks of life from the children in the nursery to other charitable organisations renting the office space with over 200 desks available to rent.
We left Cambridge House, feeling inspired and energised. It was a unique learning experience that provided an invaluable insight into the issues and barriers that have to be overcome to make a social or community venture work. It was the best way to start the week and we look forward to seeing more of our investees soon.
To read more about this or watch the video on the Social Investment Business click here.
