BUILDING STRONG PARTNERSHIPS

Our approach is to work in partnership with our clients by lending our skills and experience as part of the team and in support of the social change they want to see. We succeed when our clients succeed and when collectively we make a difference to the lives of people and communities

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Impact focussed 

Hands on

Uncomplicated

The Wembley to Soweto Foundation

Practical support in programme design and fundraising will help over a thousand young people in the UK's poorest neighbourhoods rmove away from poverty and harm through 'Communities in Focus UK over the next three years.   
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W2S reaches young people across the globe affected by poverty, war, abuse, discrimination, trauma, and disability. Through training across photography and film disciplines, improving life-skills and providing mentorship, the charity helps participants gain employment or pursue further education. Many former students have gone on to become mentors, assistants, and teachers themselves, creating a cycle of empowerment beyond the initial training. 

​Victor is now an experienced teacher with The Wembley to Soweto Foundation, mentoring students across the UK. He has run and organised events for W2S nationwide and now runs The Running Charity in London. He came to The Foundation as a refugee from Sierra Leone and, having gained his British Citizenship after 13 years, has become one of our key teachers on the Communities in Focus project.

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​Rosemary and BSS have been a joy to work with. Always diligent, professional and imaginative - not only have they raised our profile as well as significant funds, it’s also been a lot of fun along the way.
David Westhead, CEO

Awaaz Manchester

Bid-writing support wiill raise the funds to build a community kitchen and run the 'Healthy Cooking for All' project, tackling food poverty, entrenched health inequalities and facilitating routes into employment. for Global Majority residents of North Manchester.
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Awaaz Manchester is a community-led organisation in the heart of Cheetham Hill. It was established in 1998 to improve mental health outcomes for the South Asian community. It has grown into a trusted wellbeing and inclusion hub with deep community roots, especially for South Asian, African, and Middle Eastern residents. It provides social support, ESOL and employment workshops, mental health and wellbeing sessions, youth activities, and cultural programmes. 

​Basic Skills Solutions has been an important partner in Awaaz’s development. Their support has helped us strengthen services and secure vital funding. Their long-term involvement has deepened our impact in North Manchester.

Awaaz offers innovative responses to social challenges in one of the most diverse areas of the city. It creates safe spaces for those facing isolation or barriers to participation and Awaaz Community Radio is a powerful example of its impact. A community-led platform enables Global Majority residents to share their stories, build digital and communication skills, and access information that helps them feel more connected to local life.

Lumiere Futures

Pipeline research and business planning will support Lumiere Futures to provide altenative educational and work opportunities within creative industries. for young NEETs (not in employment, education and training) across South Yorkshire. 

Lumiere Futures will offer an holistic independent vocational programme to disengaged 16 -24 year olds facing mulitiple and intersecting disadvantage including poverty, poor mental health, discrimination and involvment with crime.  The provision offers an exciting mix of creative arts learning, employability and entrepreneurship with embedded holistic support to ensure each young person is listened to and their needs are met. 

​Basic Skills Solutions were great at providing pragmatic and helpful advice on setting up my community interest company, including support on where to find funding, structuring a business plan and working within the third sector. They have a wealth of experience within this sector and their practical advice was based on understanding the industry and over 25 years of personal experiences. They listened to the concept of my business idea and gave realistic and meaningful feedback and solutions to facilitate me to solve problems confidently and effectively, empowering me to take full ownership of both my idea and my business model. 
Senara Foster, CEO​

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PAST HIGHLIGHTS

Collaborative Women

Long term strategic development, financial planning & fundraising support

Over the course of seven years we supported Collaborative Women with becoming investment ready and securing social investement to increase the housing capacity for BAME women escaping domestic abuse. The provision grew from 3 bed spaces in 2016 to the current  18 and on target for 50 bed spaces by 2028.. We provided the additional capacity to carry out comprehensive consultations and produce robust financial plans to create a strong case for support..
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​We developed a long-term Fundraising Strategy with a pipeline of Trusts, Foundations and other grant-givers. This genereated both revenue and capital for a comprehensive welfare programme for residents and  to build up a community hub for a wider demographic of women facing gender-based harm. The Hub has delivered a plethora of activities from wellbeing support to campaigning on gender justice. 

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Women for Refugee Women

Project management, fundraising, implementation of monitoring & evaluation

We carried out a comprehensive review of funders, donors and supporters to establish a forward strategy for fundraising.  We audited organisational material and rewrote cases for support, policies and financial plans.  We provided the additional capacity to project manage live projects to funder requirements and implemented appropriate monitoring, evaluation and reporting. 

Once we had refreshed the approach to fundraising, we led on developing aTrusts, Foundations and Grants pipeline.  We worked across teams and partners to help shape projects, cost delivery  write the case for support. and coordinate the reporting process.  This work contributed to high-profile compaigning around women's detention and influencing the passage of refugee legiislation through Parliament.  It resourced practical, emotional and legal support for over 400 women each year.

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Friends of Victoria Park Stretford

​Capital fundraising assignment for an eco-friendly, fit-for-purpose community hub 

Basic Skills Solutions was commissioned to develop a Fundraising Strategy that raised the capital for a new building and the revenue to run a programme of wellbeing activities throughout the park. The brief was for a project that was fully inclusive of the demographic across Trafford. To this effect, we carried out a comprehensive community consultation, ran stakeholder events and co-created the case for support across groups from widely diverse backgrounds. 

​We worked closely with the CEO and Trustees on lining up requirements for social investment, Trusts, Foundations, grants, individual giving and community fundraising. With everything in place, we took charge of bid-writing, pitching to supporters and running social media campaigns. The Hub is a beautiful facility with the only Changing Places facilities in the area. It hosts numerous community groups and provides a safe and welcoming space from which to organise nature-based and welllbeing activities for thousands of residents.

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PREVIOUS SOCIAL JUSTICE PARNERSHIPS

First Asian Support Trust, Greater Manchester

Long-term strategic development, project planning and fundraising 

​​Our purpose is to mobilise our community to improve the basic conditions of life for local residents trapped in deprivation, hardship and abuse.

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Mums in Need, Sheffield

Charity set-up, financial planning and fundraising strategy

​Mums In Need supports mums facing emotional, legal, and financial abuse after leaving abusive relationships, offering trauma-informed support, practical resources, and a community that understands the depths of coercive control and post-separation abuse.​

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Greater Manchester Community Chaplaincy

Good governance, long term strategic development and project management

​We with people who will be returning, or have returned to, the Greater Manchester area after leaving prison. Work can start within prison prior to release, or after release, and continues for as long as necessary.. 

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Greater Manchester Bangladeshi Association

Strategic Review, business planning and fundraising

​​The Association was formed during the independence movement of Bangladesh in 1971 and provides a community space, wellbeing activitie and skills learning. 

Bangladesh Association and Community Project, Rochdale

Strategic Review, project development and fundraising strategy

​BACP was formed as an informal group in 1971 in the wake of Bangladesh’s war of independence with the purpose of bringing together the people of Bangladeshi origin to share and pursue their common interests. 

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Chrysalis Afro-Carribean Family Centre, Manchester

Project planning, fundraising, monitoring and evaluation

​Here at Chrysalis we provide accredited Cultural Parenting skills training along with computer training, ESOL, Sewing and Talk English classes. We are also a Foodback and run awareness raising sessions around human trafficking, domestic violence;,culture and relationships.

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Wai Yin Chinese Women Centre, Manchester

Project planning, fundraising, monitoring and evaluation

​Wai Yin was founded in 1988 by a group of Hong Kong and Chinese women with a community consciousness and a commitment to women’s rights. It has grown to include all genders, ethnicities and backgrounds.

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Harpurhey Neighourhood Poject, Manchester

Project planning, fundraising, monitoring and evaluation

​​Harpurhey Neighbourhood Project was established in 1977 by local residents to support the community and people of Harpurhey through a peer-support environment space where the community is welcomed, and able to be themselves freely. 

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LearnNet Partnership

Cross-partnership project planning, collaboration and fundraising

​​A partnership of 24 community organisations, learning centres and BAME groups across Greater Manchester seeking to access large-scale funding not usually accessible at a local community level. 

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