HCLC News

HCLC is pleased to announce that we are leading the Hackney Big Lottery Advice Services Transition Fund (ASTF).

 

The Big Lottery set up the nationwide Advice Services Transition Fund to enable local not-for-profit advice providers to continue providing advice to their local communities. The Big Lottery wishes the two-year funding to be used to help the not-for-profit sector transform and adapt to a new funding environment by:

• renewing its service models to reduce duplication;
• measuring the difference services can make to people’s lives; and
• bringing providers together to be more efficient and effective.

A key aim of the funding is that the independent advice sector will become more enterprising and business-minded. The project offers a unique opportunity to allow advice agencies a resource to think from a client’s perspective about how to improve service provision and to develop and evaluate new ways of working.

 

The projects aims to deliver the following outcomes over the next two years:

1. Increase access to new channels of advice through training, volunteer recruitment and support to community groups.

 

2. Ensure effective targeted service delivery to ensure access for people in need across Hackney.

 

3. Develop a shared funding strategy for agencies who deliver advice in Hackney, to diversify funding streams and to explore alternative business models to secure future provision for users.

 

4. Build a specialist advice unit in Welfare Benefits & Debt that can be accessed by agencies delivering welfare benefits advice and also by clients who need welfare benefits advice. Hackney's ASTF project, led by HCLC, is called Sustainable Advice in Hackney.  

 

HCLC's partners on the project steering group are the East End Citizens Advice Bureau, City and Hackney Mind, Age UK East London, Halkevi, the Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation, and the Hackney Migrant Centre. The project is now in the process of appointing two members of staff - a Business Development Manager and a Training and Development Supervisor - to take the project forward.

 

Welcoming the Lottery funding, Sean Canning, HCLC Manager and current Chair of the project steering group, said: "HCLC is excited to be leading a partnership with our colleagues that seeks to support advice services through a period of realignment and change.  We hope it will enable Hackney residents to access long term sustainable services that meet their requirements. At a time when the impact of housing and welfare reform is having a devastating impact on communities and families across London it is vital that advice service organisations are resilient to deal with these challenges". For more information about Hackney's ASFT project please get in touch with us HERE!