New directions at Barnwood Trust – May 2011

On 3 May 2011 Barnwood Trust announced Unlocking Opportunities, its new ten-year investment plan which aims to transform opportunities for people with disabilities and mental health.

Unlocking Opportunities will support the development of inclusive communities, where people with disabilities and mental health challenges can develop initiatives to help themselves, and each other. It will also promote the development of accessible housing and community spaces.

Click here to download the Trust’s overarching Strategic Framework 2011–2021 (112 KB)

Click here to download an outline of our ten-year investment plan (504 KB)

Click here to download a table showing the five work programmes within the plan and how the work will develop over the next ten years (64 KB)

Click here to request these publications by post

During a year-long consultation and planning process, people with disabilities and mental health challenges – and the organisations that work with them – urged the Trust to address gaps, barriers and needs to help them achieve a better quality of life.

Barnwood Trust has invested in best practice models for people with mental health challenges for over 150 years. This new strategy represents the latest stage in the Trust’s contribution to the wellbeing of people living with disabilities in Gloucestershire. It brings with it some major changes to the Trust’s existing activity, given its new role as a catalyst for durable change, rather than as a direct provider of services.

Changes to existing activity

Grants

We are retaining our funding for individual grants and for the small grants programme for organisations because of the feedback we received on the positive impact that those grants make. Click here for up-to-date information on our grants programme.

Housing and day care

Those using the Trust’s day care centre and residents in our sheltered housing will continue to be provided for, even though the Trust will no longer be providing the services itself, and is intending to sell the Manor Gardens and Manor House after the services have been relocated.

Barnwood Trust is in the early stages of discussions with Age UK Gloucestershire about the possibility of taking over the day care centre. Christina Snell, Chief Executive of Age UK Gloucestershire said ‘Age UK Gloucestershire is delighted to have the opportunity to explore the possibility of taking over this high quality and well-respected service’.

The Trust will find a new home for the Manor Centre before the Manor House is sold in order to ensure continuity of service for our day guests. In consultation with the local community we will purpose build or renovate suitable premises and we intend it to be within the current catchment area. It is likely to take at least two years to provide the day support service within new premises so until then it will be business as usual at the Manor Centre in the Manor House.

All the residents in the sheltered housing at Manor Gardens are being offered alternative accommodation within the immediate vicinity or in a location of their choice. Barnwood Trust is working with each resident individually to explore the options they are interested in.

Keeping up with the new developments

We will be using this website to provide news of both the new plan and the changes as they develop. You will see the structure and content of the website gradually change as the new plan comes to life.

Work will get into full swing once we have recruited the additional people we need to carry out the five work programmes within the ten-year plan:

community animation
housing and community spaces
grants and funding
research and evidence
policy and influencing.

By the end of May we will be advertising for people to fill these roles. The jobs will be advertised here on our website and in the local and national media. We are hoping to have most of the new teams in place by the autumn, when work on the new plan will start in earnest.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Barnwood Trust’s Chief Executive Sally Byng by email sally.byng@barnwoodtrust.org or call 01452 634016. Otherwise keep an eye on this website to follow the development of this initiative.

New directions at Barnwood Trust – May 2011 - Barnwood Trust