2015/16 marks the Foyer’s 20th year in business.
An appropriate time for us to reflect on what has changed, what we’ve achieved and what we’ve learned to shape what we do in the future.
The Foyer was launched in 1995 with a clear charitable mission and a vision to provide a safe place to stay for young people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness, enable people to move towards and into work, improve access to health services and promote healthy lifestyles and to be enterprising; develop and operate businesses to support our work.
While we have grown significantly and broadened our reach and impact, our core activities and services remain aligned to the founding vision - it’s who we are and where we are effective.
Sadly the need for our services continues.
What I think has changed is the role, relevance and significance of social enterprises like the Foyer in the fabric of our communities and in our broader economy, particularly in delivering essential public services.
In key areas of public policy and service delivery, social enterprises have moved from the periphery to centre stage.
This is evident in health and social care and employment support alongside social housing, art, culture and economic development.
Charitable bodies rely on a range of sources for their income; individual and corporate giving, grants from charitable trusts, public bodies and major charitable funding from the Lottery, to name but a few.
As a social enterprise, the major part of our income, now some £4.3million, is from sales and service agreements/contracts.
Many contracts are payment by results, not just in our commercial business ventures, Foyer Graphics, Foyer Works and Roadwise Driver Training.
We are a serious undertaking with all the same regulation and compliance requirements that impact on private business, the accountability and value for money of the public sector with the added compliance of charitable regulation.
The third sector in Scotland is a major employer with 138,000 employees and a value to the economy of £4.9billion.
The Foyer is a significant local business, employing some 100 people plus an additional 16 Roadwise franchisees.
As a social business, it is vital we have sound and robust governance.
This is a key area where the wider business community can, and does, play a vital role as board members.
Many of our board members come from an active business day job within various industry sectors.
All are volunteers so it is hopefully not a big ask of busy people as it brings much welcomed commercial and business acumen to help ensure a sound and sustainable organisation.
Their involvement is a way of giving back, providing some community benefit and helping others in a way their day jobs do not necessarily afford.
A win, win for the individual and the Foyer.
Last year we worked with 2,345 people through the Foyer and delivered services to around 650 customers through our businesses.
We housed 116 people, 695 people gained qualifications through our education and training services to be more work ready and 873 people moved into employment, training or volunteering.
Being in employment is often the most important and lasting change we can help effect.
That’s where businesses come in – you are the employers.
These are the people you need now or in the future in your business.
Government may contract with us to help make someone more employable but we are merely part of the supply chain for your future staff.
Help us to help you.
What works is ensuring what we do to help someone be work-ready is align our work with your needs in industry and business.
Over the years we’ve recognised how we need to understand your entry-level work force requirements and to tailor what we do to that need, even involving you in the design of our programmes.
Consequently we have focused at different times on key areas where there have been skills shortages, e.g. construction, care, retail, hospitality, oil and gas services.
Recruitment can be a costly business so engagement with us can be a win, win, win for the individual, the business and the Foyer.
Over the years we have sought to be enterprising in our approach by establishing businesses.
In 1999 we launched our first business, Foyer Graphics, a very successful and highly regarded design studio.
For a number of years we successfully operated the Foyer Restaurant & Gallery and the Foyer at HMT under contract with Aberdeen Performing Arts.
We also ran a Ben and Jerry’s franchise.
Our acquisition of Roadwise Driver Training in 2012 led to the first driving school in Scotland to operate as part of a social enterprise and our property maintenance business, Foyer Works, continues to develop well as a social firm.
Our business ventures are not why we exist but they undoubtedly add considerable value, giving us much greater recognition in the wider community beyond our core services and critically allowing you, ‘the customer’, to engage with us on a business-to-business basis.
All profit from our commercial ventures supports the wider work of the Foyer.
When things are tight for individuals and businesses, charitable giving and support can suffer, so engaging with us by buying from our businesses will maintain good individual and corporate social responsibility as well having a direct relevance to your needs.
As we all think about the community we want to be part of in Aberdeen City and Shire over the next decade and beyond, let’s ensure we recognise the worth and vital role social enterprises can and will play.
We have already stepped up to the plate - it’s all about finding the win, win, win!