Background
Wider role has been a success in tackling problems in our most disadvantaged communities. Now that money is short and may reduce further it is even more important that we maximise the impact of wider role activity and get the best possible value for the resources invested in it.
The Scottish Government, in partnership with Employers in Voluntary Housing, are running a series of workshops and related activity to promote best practice in wider role. These workshops and related work will provide an opportunity for housing associations to share their experience on wider role projects.
Workshops
A workshop on performance management was held on June 4 2010 to explore the monitoring and evaluation of wider role projects. Delegates heard presentations on Hillrest Housing Association's Making Money Work project and Aspire2gether Tenant Welcome Project's experience of Social Return on Investment.
A second workshop was held in Glasgow on June 24 that offered practical advice and guidance on how to prepare applications to grant funding bodies. Attendees also heard a presentation from The Big Lottery Scotland who gave an overview of The Big Lottery Scotland programmes running between 2010 and 2015.
Earlier in the year, workshops were delivered that focussed on three Registered Social Landlords' wider role projects. Projects highlighted included Port of Leith's TOIL project, Linkwide's Older Peoples Advice Project (OPAP) and Elderpark's Youthpoint project.