Strategic Planning Support
We have supported the Community Council for Somerset (CCS) since 2015; helping them develop their strategy and plans and to secure funding.
We have supported the Community Council for Somerset (CCS) since 2015; helping them develop their strategy and plans and to secure funding.
CCS is a community development charity, particularly concerned with rural communities in Somerset. They have a dynamic team who really care about making a difference and have had to re-invent themselves in response to cuts in public sector funding for rural community councils. This case study outlines how we have helped CCS develop and implement its change strategy since 2015.
“CCS first engaged the services of Almond Tree Strategic Consulting Ltd in Autumn 2015. Julian’s areas of expertise are many and varied – supporting CCS with strategic planning/development and bid/tender writing (to the tune of almost £1.4m). He is a critical friend, offers insightful and relevant commentary and his understanding of the sector is second to none. It is an absolute privilege to work with Julian.”
strategy development
In 2015, thanks to funding from the Lottery funded Big Assist programme, CCS commissioned us to help them develop a core narrative (or case for support) for their work. They were facing severe cuts in local and national government funding for rural sector charities and time-limited funding for their flagship Village Agents service.
Having developed a compelling core narrative for CCS, we were asked to help them develop a fundraising or income generation strategy, which we were delighted to do. The result was a strategy that sought to shift away from reliance on big (and small) core costs grants to a model of delivering a range of projects (big and small), each of which makes a contribution to core costs through full cost recovery; in effect an income diversification strategy.
bid writing
Since 2016, CCS has retained us to support their fundraising through prospect research (trusts and foundations) and bid writing. We have helped them identify and secure funding from a number of sources, including winning large contracts commissioned by Somerset County Council and the NHS, funding for projects to support older people and to develop a Rural Somerset Crisis Fund to help people in crisis situations through small grants. We helped CCS raise millions of pounds resulting in income growth from under £200k pa in 2015 to over £3m in 2023.
REFRESHING THE STRATEGY
CCS hs subsequently engaged us to help them review and refresh their strategy and associated plans, in 2018, 2021 and 2022, including providing support for implementation planning and strategic appraisal of a number of income generation options (such as growing earned income through a subsidiary social enterprise).
We are delighted to have had a role to play in CCS's successful income diversification and growth.
If you would like to talk to us further about the support we could offer your charity or social enterprise, please contact us at julian@almondtreeconsulting.co.uk for a free initial telephone consultation.