LHF progress report

Since our last update in the Spring about changes at LHF, I thought you might like to have a progress report.

Strategic review

Our board are in the midst of a strategic review of our funding priorities.  We hope to be able to tell everyone about the results of the review early in 2009.  In the meantime we will not be considering grant applications except those which are very urgent, but when the programme recommences we will be publishing new guidelines.

LHF remains committed to assisting the agencies which comprise the homelessness sector in London in securing a better future for single homeless people in London by:

• Improving the effectiveness of agencies’ delivery of services to that group (ie. organisational capacity building);
• Stimulating new approaches to service provision;
• Disseminating successful strategies;
• Providing financial support to agencies.

Improving agency effectiveness

Generally, under our improving agency effectiveness heading we like to support innovation, and if a particular methodology works, then we like to ask other organisations to continue with that work.  Recent examples are our work on outcomes measurement, which Triangle Consulting has been enabled by LHF support to make available to the sector.  The time is now right for Homeless Link to take this over, with our support.  We hope the transfer will take place during October.  On October 21st there will be a major outcomes conference with Phil Hope, the Third Sector Minister as the special guest and I would encourage you to attend this event, hosted by Homeless Link and Triangle Consulting and supported by LHF.  More details can be found on our website at www.lhf.org.uk. Similarly, our “Beyond a Helpline” HR advice service, delivered with our support by Broadway, will be transferred – again with our continuing help – to Broadway to take forward.

Stimulating new approaches

Under the stimulating new approaches heading we have over the last two years, as you may know, funded several projects aimed at increasing access for single homeless people to the private rented sector.  We feel we have contributed to knowledge in this important area, and we have been delighted that others, with greater resources than the LHF, are taking up the mantle.  Our board feels that our objective on this has been fulfilled, and so we will scale down our work in this area.  Harmit Kambo, who has project managed this work on our behalf will therefore be leaving the Foundation later this year.  We are extremely grateful for his tireless work on the private rented sector.

Providing financial support

In the area of providing financial support we have continued to assist organisations who are finding new solutions to addressing homelessness and we have assisted the Depaul Trust in developing its work in Eastern Europe where a small investment can substantially improve the lives of many extremely needy people.

We have also made a financial contribution as well as a considerable investment of time to enable the Kipper Project to find a safe haven with Providence Row Housing Association. Assisting organisations that run into difficulties in order that precious services to the homeless are maintained is a function that has become a hallmark of the LHF. I have now had numerous invaluable conversations with many of you about the future direction of LHF and the issues that are ‘bubbling up’ in the homelessness sector.  Assisting ailing organisations, described by one sector leader as our ‘blue light’ work, has been consistently named as an area where you would like to see us continuing to be active. 

I greatly appreciate the time given by people to help myself and the board as we contemplate the future direction of LHF and if there are any further thoughts or ideas that you would like to pass my way then please do so by emailing me at don.wood@lhf.org.uk. 

Future strategy

Within LHF, our current situation is that I am spending time taking the Foundation work forward, including conducting the strategic review and supervising the ongoing work.  I am being assisted by Jane Woolley in this task. As from 6th October, we are moving premises (see home page for details) and our office back-up will be enhanced by Emma Kentish, who works for Derek Joseph, board member and company secretary.  By all working from one location we will improve our accessibility.

Finally, some indication of the direction of our board’s thinking on future strategy.  As stated above, we remain committed to supporting the homelessness sector.  Better knowledge of the sector is essential for it to achieve more, and there have been major enhancements of that knowledge recently by the publication of three reports – New Philanthropy Capital’s “Lost Property”; Homeless Link’s “Survey of Needs and Provision” and our own “London’s Homeless Sector”, undertaken on our behalf by Resource Information Service.  We see these as providing the basis of a new level of understanding amongst the hundred or so London agencies about their collective strengths and weaknesses.  We want to take this further and have already commissioned work which will provide an easily accessible reference of all London agencies, their activities and geographical focus.  We hope to follow that by assembling information about the financial position of the sector.  We will publish all the results of this work.

Our board are very interested in seeing what the LHF can do to further the work that many agencies undertake in the area of transitions, that is the assistance you all provide to people at crucial points to enable them to achieve sustainable, independent and fulfilling lives.  We will be funding programmes aimed at improving the volume and quality of that type of work.  Any ideas on that in advance of our funding decisions would be greatly welcomed.

I will write again in a few months’ time.

Yours sincerely

Don Wood
Chairman

Published in September 2008