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A week in the life of... a senior community partnerships manager
Brian Hamlin is a senior community partnership manager in The Guinness Partnership’s social investment team. He talks through his week involving the launch of a family centre, a visit to a food pantry and a partnership with a shoe-recycling charity
Monday
I spend the day at the launch of the Hackney Family Centre on our Northwold Estate. It was funded by Guinness, Southern, Places for People and Fusion21, the social enterprise. We have been working on the project for several months with Little Village, Sal’s Shoes and Boiler House, our delivery partners. The centre provides items such as clothes, toys, shoes, pushchairs and cots for young families struggling financially. The centre aims to support 500 local families during its first three years.
It is great to have so many people at the event, including Catriona Simons, chief executive at Guinness.
Tuesday
I attend a meeting of our social investment steering group, made up of colleagues from across Guinness.
Guinness’ social investment strategy has three themes: education, employment and training; alleviating hardship; and inclusive communities. I focus on the latter two. I share information about some exciting new projects we have in the pipeline – including a new partnership with Gleaning Cornwall, which will enable up to 50 tonnes a year of otherwise surplus fruit and vegetables to be distributed to food projects in Cornwall and Devon.
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Wednesday
We support eight food pantries across the country, each operated by a community-based partner. Guinness recently commissioned a company called ICF (DEF) to review our network and its impact.
I was pleased to read its report, which showed the impact goes way beyond food, and includes improving mental health, supporting people’s dignity by providing choice and a shop-like experience, and promotes engagement with vulnerable members of the community. We’ll build the recommendations into our approach to affordable food.
In the afternoon, I meet some of our residents in Rochdale to talk about developing an affordable food offer by creating a shop area in the local library – in partnership with Rochdale Council and Action Together, a local voluntary sector support group.
Thursday
Guinness has been in partnership with Sal’s Shoes, the UK’s biggest shoe-recycling charity, for about three years. Together we have opened distribution points in Crewe, Hackney and Salford, helping over 600 families a year. The distribution points act as shops based in community facilities, except that customers don’t pay.
Later I meet CJ Bowry, chief executive of Sal’s Shoes, to discuss opening two further distribution points – a new one in Milton Keynes and a second one in Salford.
Friday
I confirm arrangements for a new partnership with Off the Record, a counselling charity. With the NHS, it will support a two-year project for 80 families, including training new counsellors.
A week in the life series
Our ‘A week in the life’ series features housing professionals talking through what they do in their job on a day-to-day basis.
Find out about the different challenges housing workers in a variety of roles face in a given week.
We aim to feature staff from housing associations, ALMOs, local authorities and more.
Click here to nominate yourself or a colleague for inclusion
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