For every pound spent on the community dividend scheme, Central England Co-operative generates a social return of £22.21.
This has been calculated following the award of 116 grants totalling £266,959 over a 12 month period to community groups and organisations across the society’s trading area. On average, 118 people benefit from each grant, and 81% of grants are given to groups working with children or young people.
Members can apply or nominate community groups, schools and community projects for grants of between £100 and £5,000.
Typically around half of the grants are given for community activities or community events, followed by health and fitness activities. A smaller number of grants are given for education or training and reducing crime.
The report found that a main consequence of the grant was that more people within the community had benefited from the organisation’s activities, services or facilities.
It also had a positive impact on how frequently they shopped with the society, with 45% shopping more. While 41% had continued to shop about the same, the remaining 14% did not answer this question.
For the organisation receiving funding and the local community the main outcomes focused on improving the sustainability of good causes; raising the organisation’s profile; helping to secure other funding; being able to support more beneficiaries; and providing educational and physical wellbeing outcomes.
The SROI indicated £22.21 of social return is generated for every £1 spent on the Community Dividend. This generates an added social value of £6.22m for local people, organisations and communities. As well as the figure of £266,959 being given in grants, £13,090 is also allocated towards staff time in administering the scheme.
One organisation to have benefited is Help Harry Help Others, a cancer support charity set up following the death of Harry Moseley who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour when he was aged 11. Harry’s legacy continues with bereavement support facilities at a drop-in centre in Birmingham, which offers a ‘home from home’ environment to patients and anyone touched by cancer. Last year the centre was awarded a grant of £3,500 to pay for new equipment for patients and their families to use.
Georgina Moseley, Harry’s mum, spoke of the grant’s impact. She said: “We were in a desperate situation. We needed support and equipment and we were finding it very difficult to find the means to pay for it all.
“We were so pleased when we were told about Central England Co-operative’s Community Dividend Fund and then even more pleased when we were told that we were eligible.”
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