First Choice Homes Oldham’s (FCHO) Respect Our Community Awards celebrates seven year anniversary with news that it has created over one million pounds of benefits to Oldham communities.
According to Housing News:
Respect Our Community Awards (ROCA) has celebrated its seven year anniversary of helping strengthen and build communities in Oldham and announced that since its inception in November 2007, ROCA has more than tripled every £1 which it and its panel members donates, turning each pound into £3.47 worth of social value.
ROCA, whose purpose is to encourage a sense of community, and to work with people to develop skills that will benefit their community, has been assessed using the Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust’s (HACT) Social Value calculator. The findings show that the total amount of £316,652.23 pledged to over 116 projects over seven years has amounted to £1,100,232.83 social value and benefits to local communities.
The value was calculated by measuring 12 shared outcomes of the 24 completed projects funded in 2013/14. These included:-
- A sense of belonging to the neighbourhood
- Being active in a tenants group
- Regular volunteering
- A reduction in antisocial behaviour
Dave Smith, customer first director at FCHO said: “We knew that the results from running ROCA for the past seven years could only be positive but to have it confirmed that communities in Oldham are getting real social value for money is cause for celebration. All our panel members give so much, not just financially but also their time; these results are a recognition that their commitment has paid off.”
Tim Royales, from Eden Café in Fitton Hill which received £2632 from ROCA said: “The help and support we got from ROCA was invaluable. Through the highs and lows of setting up the coffee shop, the knowledge of the ROCA funding to cover some of our major costs that could not be given in kind was a constant source of comfort.”
Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Cooperatives, said: “The values of ROCA is very much welcomed by the council and supports our co-operative approach in helping communities of Oldham come together. It is clear to see from its success over the past seven years that it has brought a real sense of community involving people from all backgrounds and encouraged people to develop skills that will benefit their neighbourhoods. Well done to First Choice Homes Oldham.”
Dave Smith added: “This is a pivotal time for Oldham with many changes and improvements taking place. We’d like to keep the positive momentum going and attract more businesses to the fund and more community projects to put themselves and their ideas forward so we can make ROCA an even greater force for good in the future.”
The social value report was commissioned to coincide with the 7th anniversary of the ROCA fund.