North East spotlight

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Unity provides banking solutions and supportto various organisations throughout the NorthEast who make use of the region’s biggestasset - its people.

As a specialist bank for socialenterprises, charities, credit unions andtrade unions, Unity Trust is uniquelyplaced to help the organisations workingto address issues facing the North East.

Over recent years, the region’s economyhas diversified, with significant growthin the se r v ice sec to rs , pub l i cadministration, education and health.Despite this, it remains the poorest ofthe English regions, with gross valueadded (GVA) per head – a measure ofcontribution to the economy - 20 percent below the UK average.

The voluntary and community sector inthe North East employs 47,000 peopleand is supported by the work of

143,600 volunteers. Whether breakingdown existing barriers or creating newopportunities, a strong, sustainable andthriving voluntary and communitysector is vital to the future of the region.And Unity is proud to be able todemonstrate its commitment to thissector by backing those seeking toimprove the lot of the disadvantaged inthe region.

In this edition of North East spotlight,we highlight some examples of howUni ty has worked wi th thecharity and voluntary sector to helporganisations finance developmentprojects and take care of their day-to-day banking - freeing up their time toconcentrate on what they do best.

“Throughout our conversationswith Karen Gorman, Unity’slocal development manager,they ’ve been f lex ib le,providing knowledge anduseful advice.”

Sage Centre Gateshead

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Twelve years after a group ofemployees acquired former British Gasland in Newcastle to use for sports,Blue Flames – a Community AmateurSports Club – is toasting its newindoor sports hall, officially opened inFebruary 2008.

The hall cost around £1.7M to buildand furnish and was funded by a£1.16M loan from Unity Trust, as wellas grants from bodies such as SportEngland. “We were previously with ahigh street bank but were advised thatUnity looked more kindly on loans forsporting facilities,” says Tom Scarry,Blue Flames’ operations director. “Ourexisting bank didn’t say no, but theyweren’t keen. We found Unity to beenthusiastic and supportive, eventhough we were a small club looking fora big loan.”

Blue Flames provides affordable sportand recreational facilities for people inthe local and wider community, cateringfor less well-served groups. The cluboffers taster sessions in a variety ofsports and, thanks to close relationshipswith local organisations, has accessto qualified coaches. It is working to

develop links with local schools,ethnic minority groups, disabled andoccupational therapy groups who oftenfind it harder to track down sportingfacilities appropriate to their needs.

The new hall will help Blue Flamesmeet these needs, as wel l asproviding conference facilities to help itcontinue to generate income. It alsomeans that Blue Flames is now home toEngland Netball in this region, providingtop class facilities to host the 70 teamsin its leagues. Jeanette Collins, RegionalNetball Manager, comments: “Thepartnership between Unity Trust, BlueFlames and England Netball is a perfectexample of how sports developmentcan be encouraged and supported.”

Unity has also contributed to the clubbeing listed as one of only 19 Pre-Games Training Camps in the NorthEast. Whether or not any Olympicteams join the thousands of otherpeople making use of Blue Flames’facilities, Tom and his team know thatUnity will be on their side. “Throughoutour time with Unity, they’ve alwaysbeen exceptionally helpful,” he says.“Unity has not only given us access to agood banking service but also helped usget information about other issues too.I think we’re lucky to have chosen them.”

Supporting and encouragingsports development for thewider community

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Blue Flames – Community Amateur Sports Club

“We found Unity to be enthusiastic and supportive, eventhough we were a small club looking for a big loan.”

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Creating award-winningopportunities for young people

Helping to break down barriers

Loans from Unity Trust will assist TeesValley-based Community Campus ‘87as it continues its award-winning work- offering support, training, skills andknowledge to help young peopleaccess and maintain their own homes.

Unity provided the organisation with a£500,000 loan to enable it to buy tenproperties. Another loan of £500,000made jointly with Futurebuilders, will helpit develop a building in Middlesbrough,replicating its successful conversion of theformer Heaven nightclub in Stockton.

With the organisation receiving a record408 referrals in 2007, the loans will helpmeet a significant need in the area.

“Young people can be marginalisedwhen it comes to housing, often due tocircumstances beyond their control. Thismight be supply of housing andcompeting demands, and also theirpersonal ski l ls, knowledge andexperience” explains Lawrence McAnelly,the organisation’s development manager.“We want to create opportunities foryoung people.”

To help finance projects that willaddress this challenge, CommunityCampus ’87 turned to Unity Trust. “Itssocially responsible nature and valueswere the decisive factor,” explainsLawrence. “They understood whatwe’re about. Unity could see that ourproposals made good business sense,but they were also sympathetic to oursocial and environmental objectives.”

Unity offered the organisation a flexibleloan, giv ing Lawrence and hiscolleagues the freedom to choose howto invest and providing an initial periodof six months before they had to beginmaking repayments.

As a result, Community Campus ’87 hasbeen able to purchase two properties –

converting them from shared ownership toself-contained two-person studioapartments. It is planning to purchaseanother two and is looking at options todevelop other revenue streams.

The development of a building in theTees Valley, funded in part by a jointloan from Unity and Futurebuilders,offers one such opportunity. In 1999and 2000, Community Campus ’87bought the former Heaven nightclub inStockton and transformed it to housethe organisation’s support services,youth project, computer room, KeySkills Project and overall managementand administration. It’s now hoping torepeat this success in Middlesbrough.

“Unity has given us the power to spendwisely and effectively,” says Lawrence.“Throughout our conversa t ionswith Karen Gorman, Unity’s localdevelopment manger, they’ve beenflexible, providing knowledge and usefuladvice. It’s rewarding and uplifting tosee a bank put their faith in us andinvest in our future. That faith will helpus continue to give people opportunitiesto be heard and respected.”

A mortgage from Unity Trust helpedthe Blind Society for North Tynesidepurchase a building from the localcouncil in 2007. Now the charity ismaking the most of its permanenthome to help people of all ages acrossthe region.

“Unity Trust has helped us have a homewe can call our own,” says TomCharlton, the society’s chief executive.“Karen Gorman, our Unity developmentmanager is great: helpful, friendly andalways in touch. She’s based near to usand is there when we need her.”

From its new home, the Blind Society forNorth Tyneside offers training and supportto around 1,000 members. During the2007-08 financial year the society madeover 5,500 home visits to help visuallyimpaired people. Demonstrating howvisually impaired people can work as wellas their sighted counterparts, the society’stwo visiting officers travelled over 10,000miles to help support members acrossNorth Tyneside.

“The service is for everyone who comesinto contact with blind or visually impairedpeople,” Tom explains. “We also trainbusinesses in blind awareness issues.We’ve helped organisations such as theNHS, Job Centre Plus, the Local LawCourts and we’ve helped in thedevelopment of trainee doctors. “We wantpeople to understand that employing ablind or visually impaired person doesn’tmean having to change the way theirbusinesses is run. The best help we cangive to employers and the general public isto raise knowledge on issues related toblindness. From PC software ortelevision magnifiers to liquid levelindicators for a cup of tea,we can help peoplefind simple solutionsthat break down amultitude of barriers.”

Having previouslymoved be tweenrented of f ices , apermanent homemeans the charity can

offer more training – it’s soon to startdel ivering national ly recognisedqualifications. Tom and his team havebegun making use of the building toprovide a Braille and large print printingservice. Now established, this isprogressing into providing a commercialprinting service, which they hope willgenerate additional income for thesociety to improve the level of service itcurrently provides.

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Making a positive differenceto people’s lives

Can we help with your banking or loan finance needs?Contact your Regional Development Manager,Karen Gorman for a no-obligation chat.

0845 140 1000or visit www.unity.co.uk

Karen GormanUnity Trust Bank plcPO Box 98Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, NE25 9WQTel: 0191 2511539Mobile: 07711 412879Email: karen.gorman@unity.co.uk

Newcastle based Skills for Peoplesupports people with disabilities,especial ly those with learningdisabilities, to speak up and take morepower and control over their own lives.The chance to acquire the buildingnext door to its existing headquarterswas too good an opportunity to miss.

“Someone recommended that weapproach Unity Trust,” says Liz Wright,chief executive. “They were prepared tolend us 100 per cent of the purchaseprice of the property, enabling us to geta mortgage of £340,000. Based on aturnover of around £750,000 this could

have seemed daunting. But we got onwell with Karen Gorman our Unitydevelopment manager who was friendlyand helped us through what can be acomplicated process.”

Skills for People made an offer on thenext door property in March 2007, andcompleted the purchase later in the year.

The new building will help further theactivities of a growing team that worksmostly in the North East, and increasinglyaround the UK. “We have a reputation asa welcoming and friendly organisationand our new building enhances this,”

says Liz. “It will offer everyone involvedwith the organisation an accessible, easyto use and pleasant workspace in whichthey can feel at home.”

In order to decide how best to use theirnew premises, the staff, directors andvolunteers met at the Mansion House inNewcastle to think about ‘The Big Idea’for the future of the organisation. “Therewere many ideas about how we makesure that our organisation reaches morepeople locally, and to spread ourmessage nationally,” says Liz. “Many ofthe people we support are talentedleaders who look forward to havingspace to lead our work into the future.There were so many ideas that we willnow carry out an options appraisal.”

“With current government policyreflecting our aims, there are lots ofopportunities for us to have a positiveimpact on the lives of people withlearning disabilities,” explains Liz.“Whilst things have improved, there isstill a long way to go. Skills for People iswell placed and has the connections tocontinue to make a real difference. Ournew building will help us achieve this.”

Want to find out how Unitycan help free-up your time?

Call 0845 140 1000

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