Islington Giving’s Catalyst Programme awards up to £500 to individuals on low incomes to pay for opportunities that create joy and unlock new possibilities. It’s a simple, effective programme run by local partners chosen because they have strong relationships with the people they work with.
Ginny Sell, Programme Manager for Hillside Clubhouse describes how the Catalyst programme works for their members.
How it works
The grants clearly support our core work of enabling members to access work as well as supporting recovery and general welfare.
We were given a budget of £10k over 2 years to pay for items or experiences chosen by our members. Grants can be simple, practical things such as a passport to use as identification or payment for a course to be able to get into a real job. But it could also be something less ‘goal’ oriented too, art materials to lift the mood, gym membership with some decent kit to wear to feel more confident about going, or a cheap mobile to be able to keep in touch with the council and family.
A support worker once described the Catalyst grants as having that little something extra in your back pocket when something may not seem possible to just nudge it on and make it happen.
The benefits
Clearly these grants have made a significant improvement to wellbeing and can also affect how member and staff relationships develop too. Members are often surprised that grants can be so easy. It might be as simple as having the right equipment for a course or access to social activities never tried before. It might be the difference between getting a job or not, it may be the difference between staying well or possible disaster.
The size of the grant isn’t relevant to the size of the possible impact.
I think the smallest grant given was £10 and the largest has been the full £500 topped up by the member for what they really wanted.
The collaboration continues through to looking things up together or going out and finding the best resources or best prices. This makes the grant more than just cash. Members can be helping themselves whist being helped.
The challenges
We are aware that some members may apply for what they see as legitimate rather than what they really want or need. Staff are encouraged to be broad in their discussions rather than being too leading or suggesting things they know to have been funded before.
It is all about the individual!
We have found keeping applications and reviews of progress simple but honest tends to work best. Having a conversation rather than a form filling exercise is more genuine and a less ‘clinical’ feeling.
The impact
Because of Catalyst grants;
- Members are in full time employment
- Members have benefitted from training
- Members have learned new skills and hobbies
- Members have felt valued and important
- Hillside Clubhouse has been able to achieve that important bit more with members
Here are some quotes from our members about the difference that Catalyst grants made to them;
‘It makes me happier and takes me out of ‘being in my head’ all the time.’ £50 for art materials
‘I have found a joy for doing something again.’ £273 football season ticket
‘I want to be able to speak to grown ups again. I want to be able to look after my family again rather than be a baby sitter.’ £160 bike maintenance and business courses
With much thanks to Ginny for allowing us to adapt this from her speaking notes from the Catalyst celebratory event in May 2019.
Find out more about Catalyst from this report.