Community investment strategy 2025-27

 

Scope of the strategy

CKH considers that Community Investment is an important element in meeting our strategic vision of creating opportunities that change lives. This strategy sets out how CKH will deliver support to our communities and what support will be provided to help achieve our strategic vision of creating opportunities.

Following the last community investment strategy some changes to the Communities team structure have been made with many of the previous health and wellbeing activities now sitting within the resident support strategy. Also, the volunteering and digital inclusion themes which stood alone in the previous strategy are tightly linked in with our employability and training theme. In recent years we have focused our direct delivery of community activity within Peterborough, to maximise our impact. Moving forward with this new strategy we will also be exploring ways that we can work with partners to externally deliver projects in communities outside of Peterborough where CKH have housing stock.

 

Objectives

At CKH we recognise the importance of having thriving communities and easily accessible opportunities for all. Our strategy is driven by the needs of our local communities and aims to provide support which will help our communities improve their quality of life. 

Our community investment offer is now well established, and our objective is to build on our previous success and continue to deliver impactful outcomes for the community and our residents who access our services. 

This strategy has four main themes of activity:

Employability and Training

• To provide tailored one-to-one employability support through our Careers Clubs in various community venues across Peterborough which result in positive job outcomes. This includes monthly group careers toolkit events which focus on specific employability skills.
• To provide a specific programme of support for young people aged 14 -25 aimed at giving them employability skills and delivering positive job and training outcomes including those who are NEET (not in employment, education of training). The programme includes the Introduction to Work initiative with Jobcentre Peterborough, The Nene Park Ranger programme, one-to-one tailored support and employability work in secondary schools.
• To hold an annual youth employability conference at ARU Peterborough working with various partners to offer an inspirational event for NEET young people aged 18-25 which includes activities such as mock interviews, one-to-one mentoring, skills assessment and key note speakers.
• To recruit CKH residents who take part in the under 25 employability programme into pre-apprentice roles within the business.
• To provide a specific programme of support to help parents get back into work and training, including regular training courses, specific online courses aimed at parents looking for work in schools and targeted work at local children centres.
• To offer supported sessions of online training accessible from community hubs to include food hygiene, health and safety, manual handling and Learn My Way basic IT course, providing digital inclusion support. In person first aid courses and referrals to other external training courses are also available.
• To provide volunteering opportunities at the Westwood Hub on reception to help volunteers gain experience and boost their CVs.
• To provide work experience opportunities to young people from local secondary schools.
• With funding from Paydata, pay for external training qualifications for participants we are supporting into employment and who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford the fees.
• Chair the Tackling Worklessness in Peterborough (TWIP) group which brings employability partners from across Peterborough together to network and tackle barriers to employment with the aim of reducing unemployment in the city.

 

Inspiring the Next Generation

• To provide an annual programme of Tall Ships residential sailing voyages for eight secondary schools, with an environmental challenge included as part of their voyage.
• To run an annual summer family fun day at Ferry Meadows, open to all CKH resident families.
• To partner with Barnados to run song and rhyme time sessions for pre-school children at our venues and to support young parent support and antenatal groups at the Orton and Paston children centres.
• To provide a youth club at the South Bretton Family and Community Centre run by Families First.
• To support  the Little Bears stay and play group for pre-school aged children in Godmanchester in partnership with the Cambridgeshire Family Centres.
• To work with The National Childbirth Trust to provide a stay and play group for parents and pre-school aged children and a dads support group at the South Bretton Family and Community Centre.
• To enable speech and language therapy clinics for pre-school age children to take place at the South Bretton Family and Community Centre.
• To provide support to Park Farm Pumas Football Club to help them upskill and train their club football coaches for the benefit of the children they work with.
• To support a breakfast and after school club for the children and parents of Nova Primary Academy from our South Bretton Family and Community Centre.
• To enable local Rainbows, Brownies , Guides and Rangers group use of the South Bretton Family and Community Centre.
• We will explore working with further partner agencies on delivery of activities outside of Peterborough.

 

WestRaven Cross Keys Homes Community Café and Garden

WestRaven is a charity in the Westwood and Ravensthorpe area of Peterborough with a community café and garden, as well as a youth programme. We have supported the charity since its inception as a Big Local project. The charity’s objectives include developing the skills of the local community, providing facilities, support with the prevention and relief of poverty, promote social inclusion and to act as a resource for young people, including developing their skills and capabilities, advancing their education, relieving unemployment and providing recreational activities.

CKH employ the staff who work in and manage the venues and projects together with the support of volunteers. Cross Keys Homes has representation as one of the two charity trustees and there is a separate WestRaven Community Group for local residents which provides community insight and support. The community café and garden are at the heart of the local community and provide a central focal point for the community to gather in. The venues are a safe place where vulnerable residents in the community including the elderly, the disabled and young families can access affordable meals, community activities and support. 

 

WestRaven Cafe

• Provide warm hub and food support for the community. This includes a free food fridge where unwanted food from supermarkets can be taken for free and a community pantry selling cupboard staples at a low cost. The café provides reasonably priced meals including roast dinners on a Wednesday. When funding allows the café also offers free food bags, hot drinks, children’s breakfasts, monthly pensioners meals and food support for the homeless.                                                                       
• Enable social activities, events and courses to help increase social inclusion and advance education. This includes regular activities and events run by the café as well as groups provided by external partners providing health and well-being support, educational training including cooking courses and children’s activities.                                                                                                                             
• Provide volunteer roles and opportunities in the café including for those with learning disabilities, with support from local colleges. The necessary training and support including employability guidance is provided to all volunteers as well as the required DBS checks.
• Apply regularly for external funding grants to fund café support and activities.

 

  WestRaven Garden

• Provide the community with access to a communal garden including nature and growing areas which the community can access and benefit from. The growing of plants and fruit/vegetables to be sold, provided to the community café for use in cooking or to be given to the local community as part of the free fridge. 
• Enable social activities, events and courses to help increase social inclusion and advance education. This includes regular activities and events run by the garden as well as groups provided by external partners providing health and wellbeing support, learning opportunities and children’s activities. Also, use of the garden by local school groups including forest school activities.                        
• Provide volunteering roles and opportunities in the garden including for those with learning disabilities and health issues. The necessary training and support including employability guidance is provided to all volunteers as well as the required DBS checks.
• Apply regularly for external funding grants to fund garden improvements and activities.

 

WestRaven Youth

• Provision of regular groups during term times for parents and pre-school aged children including a dance class, stay and play group, play café and a little wanderers group for outdoor play at the garden.  
• Provide activity and food camps for children of both primary and secondary school ages during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays for children eligible for free school meal. The camps include hot meals each day, enriching activities and trips out.   
• Provide February, May and October half term activity workshops for primary and secondary aged children at the café and garden which are open to all.
• Apply regularly for external funding grants to fund youth activities.

 

Community Hubs

We have three community hubs including the new CKH Skills Hub which is launching in the New England area of the city in September 2025. These are used as a base for our staff and as a location for delivering support which meet our objectives and include activities delivered by ourselves and by our partners. We also utilise other venues in Peterborough including the Orton and Hampton Libraries, CKH Customer Central, Elizabeth Court short stay accommodation and the Barnardo’s children centres in Paston, Orton and Welland.

  CKH Westwood Community Hub

• To be an employability and training hub providing access for the community to tailored employability support and training courses.
• To provide community access to computers and the internet including for job searching purposes and to gives access to printing at a small charge.
• To provide drop in advice and guidance to the community and residents with access to a phone where residents can speak other CKH services, such as repairs.
• To be a base for CKH communities’ staff and a location other CKH staff can use for meetings and working from when required.
• To be a venue for external partners to run groups and courses from. This includes partners providing support with employability and training, health and wellbeing and youth projects.

  South Bretton Family and Community Centre

• To be a community space with a focus on support and activities for children and families.
• To be a venue that CKH and external partners use for groups and courses, including groups which provide health and well-being support and activities for children and families.
• To be a base for CKH communities staff and a location other CKH staff can use for meetings and working from when required.
• To be a venue for a breakfast and after school club for the local primary school Nova Primary Academy during term time.

CKH Skills Hub

• To be a venue that CKH staff and external partners use to run groups and courses including groups which provide support on health and wellbeing, employability and training and support for children and families.
• To be a base for CKH communities staff, including Support Plus, and a location other CKH staff can use for meetings and working from when required. 

 

Out of Peterborough

• We will look to explore working with partners on areas outside of Peterborough where we have housing stock using easily accessible community venues.
• We will look to work with trusted partners delivering projects on the themes of employability and training, health and wellbeing and inspiring the next generation. 

Principals of the service

The community investment service will be open to anyone living in our communities, both resident and non-resident, who wishes to access our range of support. We aim to promote our community investment services to CKH residents at every opportunity. Referrals to our services can come through self-referrals in person at our hubs, over the phone, by email or directly through our website. We can also accept referrals from CKH staff and external agencies.

Anyone receiving employability and training support will receive a one-to-one information, advice and guidance session and complete an individual learning plan. The support will then be tailored to their individual needs, and if they are under 25 or a parent they will be signposted into those specific programmes.

We focus on delivering our services in community-based venues, including our own community hubs as well as other community venues including libraries and children centres. We work closely with partners and other CKH teams and use partnership working as an approach to delivering positive outcomes for our communities.

 

Our Community Investment Service will:

Communities Team

• Provide opportunities to support residents and local communities into employment and training, maximising the use of Westwood Hub and utilising other community venues city wide.
• Provide employability outcomes and training support to CKH residents promoting tenancy sustainability and opportunities for our residents.    
• Support young people with employability support including young people in schools and those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) with a targeted programme of activities that address barriers to employment, employability and training (EET).
• Support parents back into employment or training with a programme of support aimed at providing tailored support and reducing barriers to work.
• Work on projects, including with partners targeted at families and children aged 0-18 which help inspire the next generation.
• Maximise the use of South Bretton Family and Community Centre as a hub for activities/ partners that benefit the community including children and families.
• Deliver Tall Ships voyages annually in partnership with local schools, creating a unique opportunity for the development of young people and CKH residents.
• Develop and grow the new CKH Skills Hub in the East of the city delivering support and activities, utilising partner engagement.

 

WestRaven Community Café and Garden

• Ensure the effective compliance, efficiency and financial management of the WestRaven charity is carried out providing quarterly reports to the trustees and work to improve processes and ensure WestRaven charity meets its charitable objectives.
• Generate external funding for WestRaven carrying out funding bids which increase opportunities and support the local community, ensuring grant conditions are complied with and all funding obligations met.
• Ensure the WestRaven community group runs monthly and provides feedback and ideas from the local community. Continue to recruit new community group members to ensure the group reflects the local community.
• Provide a range of youth activities for the local community including the running of the Holiday Activity Fund (HAF) school holiday food and activity programme.
• Enable the café to provide food and warm hub support to the local community and be a community focal point with regular events and activities held at the cafe.
• Enable the garden to be a welcoming outdoor community venue providing an opportunity for people to access a safe outdoor space and to take part in the growing of food and regular workshops and events.
• Provide volunteering and work experience opportunities at the café and garden for the local community including those with learning disabilities to gain opportunities and skills in a supportive environment.
• To ensure that WestRaven garden and café sites are safe for all users and staff with monthly health and safety checks carried out and any necessary remedial actions or repairs completed in a timely manner. 

 

Our Community Investment Team

The team consists of staff in various roles and with various responsibilities, our staff have specific skill sets and experience appropriate to their role which allow them to make a significant contribution to our overall work. There is a large variety of roles within our team and staff are based at our different community hubs.

  All in the team are skilled at forming and maintaining relationships with those we work with and internal and external partners, as a core part of our work to achieve the best outcomes for our communities.

 

Equality and diversity implications

We remain committed to ensuring that the Community Investment programme is accessible to all of those in our community including residents who receive our support and access our services. We will work robustly with individuals to best understand and meet their needs and put in place a range of different approaches to ensure we can provide a full service to them.

CKH is also required to meet our obligations within the Equality Act 2010 and policies and procedures will continue to reflect both our legal requirements and best practice to ensure employees meet the needs of residents who have a protected characteristic identified within the act.

 

Responsibilities

The Director of Operations has overall responsibility for the Community Investment Service and the Assistant Director of Operations has responsibility for implementing the strategy and associated action plan, and operational management of the service.

 

Related documents/references

• Equality Act 2010.
• Safeguarding policies and procedures
• Domestic Abuse Policy and Procedures  

Monitoring and review

The strategy and action plan will be monitored, and performance measured by our Resident Experience Panel. Performance information relating to the community investment programme will be presented annually to the Resident Experience Panel for scrutiny and review.