1963 - 2003 - Celebrating 40 Years of Social Enterprise
It's hard to imagine! Trinity Community Partnership - 40 years old in July 2003! But 40 years later, the challenges now are just as fresh as those in July 1963. We can always find people ready to take the next opportunity we can put their way. Some people may need extra support and encouragement, others need just a hint and they become fully absorbed in community activity, in their own way, bringing their own unique set of experiences and skills. This is what it has been like for 40 years. We have been giving children, young poeple and adults opportunities to shine, especially those who would not normally get the chance.
In today's terms it's called social inclusion. It is done best when undertaken with flair, and then it is called social enterprise. Is it about equal opportunities? Yes! But now we celebrate equality and diversity, celebrating the strengths of diverse cultures, yet creating opportunities for choice for us all. By all we particularly mean those who experience disadvantage - children, young people - (especially those involved through the criminal justice system), disabled people, people from minority ethnic groups, people experiencing poverty, those lifving in remote rural areas disadvantaged by poor transport, and older people.
At Trinity Community Partnership we pride ourselves on not just talking about social inclusion and social enterprise. We practice what we preach. We make things happen. Women are 66% of our managers; disabled people are 25% of our staff, and are represented at all levels of management, including at Board level; we employ learning & physically disabled people, and people who have experienced mental ill health; people from minority groups are 5.5% of our staff; we employ modern apprentices; we employ older people; and we employ over 120 volunteer staff alongside our 95 paid staff. This is why we won the Remploy Leading the Way award at national level in 2002.
In 40 years thousands of peple have passed through our doors. We feel we can guarantee that everyone who has passed through has had a life changing experience. Everyone who has passed though has also left a footprint, having touched or been touched by a relationship or experience. Many people will come back many years later and enjoy remembering the time when they met a boyfriend or girlfriend, played for the football or netball team, helped a friend, went on a residential training course, became a volunteer, leared a new skill, got a job, or helped celebrate or 20th, 30th and now our 40th anniversary.
This has all happened because a lot of people, over 40 years, have made an invaluable commitment as part of a living, working team - volunteers and paid staff, and particularly trustees of Trinity Community Partnership - a charity, a company, a Development Trust that works with people ... and yet, we have only just started! So much is still to be done.
Come and join us - Have a life changing experience of your own.
Geoffrey Jackson (Chief Executive Officer)
(Extracted from Trinity Partnerships Annual Report)
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