Previous programmes

The issue

Dementia is a cruel disease. It causes a progressive inability to think and reason, and the earliest signs are loss of short-term memory and personality change.

There are over 700,000 people in the UK with dementia, including 20,000 people under the age of 65. That figure is set to increase to 850,000 by 2020. In all cases family and friends are put under enormous strain. Currently there is no cure.

What we did

Between 1995-2003 over £2 million was invested in nine partners and 22 projects with grants ranging from £20,000 - over £500,000.

What the programme achieved

• Touched the lives of 70,000 people with dementia
• Triggered real change in care services and improved the quality of life for people with dementia – and their carers
• Developed a groundbreaking accreditation scheme for 400,000 home care workers
• Brought about change in the Alzheimer’s Society by changing their focus from supporting the carers of people with dementia to directly supporting people with dementia
• Developed new training for GPs, health professionals and carers to recognise the symptoms of dementia and to signpost ways to support dementia sufferers
• Introduced people to new kinds of dementia therapy
• Filled gaps in service provision. For example in rural areas like North Wales, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
• Helped to develop a new service akin to Macmillan Nurses, although Admiral Nurses are specially trained in the needs of people with dementia.
• Challenged the Government, local authorities and service providers to think differently about how they care for people with dementia.
• Levered over £500,000 to dementia initiatives from other funding sources.

The issue

Charities find it hard enough to get funding to help the people they are set up to support, so when it comes to finding money for developing their own organisations it can be well nigh impossible.

What we did

Our aim was to develop leadership skills within the voluntary sector, thereby improving management effectiveness.

What we achieved

10 grants totalling £150,000 were awarded to 8 organisations.

• Funded research into how not for profit organisations are managed and governed.  Mike Hudson's findings have been published in a book 'Managing at the leading edge.'
• Funded think tank, New Economics Foundation, to develop an on-line social audit tool specifically for use by the voluntary sector.
• Two videos and training packs were created 'Being an effective board member' and 'Being an effective change leader' by a group of voluntary sector leaders for use by the voluntary sector.
• Management Accounting for Non-Governmental Organisations (MANGO) trains and supports non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in developing countries. They specialise in advising on financial management issues.  Our £50,000 grant funded training for staff working in the field and behind the scenes at head office.  This enabled MANGO to reach more NGOs and improved the sustainability of their organisations.
• Provided core funding for careers advice organisation, Prime Timers, who provide advice and support for experienced business executives who are interested in working in the voluntary sector.
• Sponsored a report entitled 'Leadership, Leadership, Leadership' produced jointly by the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations' (ACEVO) and National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).
• Funded initial work to develop a Leadership Hub
• Funded a leadership programme, Common Purpose 20:20 Vision Programme, enabling voluntary sector leaders to attend alongside their public and private sector counterparts.
• Funded an innovative assessment of Chief Executive Experiences and competencies 'On being a chief executive'.

Poor housing, street crime, ill health, unemployment and drug abuse are all problems people living in some of the UK's most deprived neighbourhoods face every day.

Since 2001, Zurich's INclusion Programme has worked with five voluntary organisations tackling these problems head on and aimed to help individuals help themselves.

These include The Scarman Trust, Community Links, Gloucestershire Neighbourhood Projects Network, The Learning Curve and Dove House.

INclusion in action

Our INclusion programme has exceeded all our expectations.

• Zurich funding of £900,000 has allowed our partners to get over £3 million from other funders
• Over 150 staff have got involved through Challenge events, lunchtime reading and numeracy sessions, assignments and Seeing is Believing visits.
• We've reached over 2 million people with positive results that have helped make the communities stronger.

The INclusion programme is helping to transform the way neighbourhoods work. It’s been so successful because of the partners we chose. They have the creativity, motivation and inspiration to make things happen - our support gives them the freedom to thrive.