Impact Report 2020/21

Overview

The ClementJames Centre is an award-winning charity that empowers the
community to release its potential in one of London’s most disadvantaged
areas.

Our vision is for everyone in the community to release their potential and
live fulfilled lives. We achieve this through education, employment and
wellbeing support in a safe and compassionate space across our four key
programmes:

Children & Young People’s Education
Helping young people to learn, flourish and achieve their potential. We
provide academic support, mentoring, intensive literacy and numeracy
support and aspirational activities.

Employment Support
Helping people to gain meaningful and sustainable employment. We
offer tailored advice and support, mentoring and work skills
activities.

Adult Learning
Supporting adults to improve their English, Maths and ICT skills.
We offer a wide range of Functional Skills courses and intensive
literacy and numeracy support.

Wellbeing and Advice Support
Empowering people to overcome barriers and challenges and to engage
with their own wellbeing. We do this through the provision of
Information, Advice and Guidance, and Wellbeing Support and activities.

Children and Young People’s Education

We help children and young people to learn, flourish and achieve.

This allows them to feel fulfilled and have the opportunities to build the future that they choose. We provide academic support, mentoring, intensive literacy and numeracy support and aspirational activities. The IntoUniversity programme was piloted at the centre in 2002 and in 2007 a new charity, IntoUniversity, was launched to expand the programme nationwide.

The Challenge

Over 6,000 children live in poverty in Kensington & Chelsea, 45% of whom
live in just 3 northern wards. Young people from Britain’s poorest backgrounds face a considerable educational disadvantage. A child living
in poverty will, on average, do less well at school, have poorer physical and
mental health, and will generally have reduced life chances compared to
wealthier children.

Taking Action

We provide sustained academic support, motivation and encouragement to give young people a fair chance of realising their full potential. We provide 7 – 18 year olds with a combination of:

• After-school academic support
• Undergraduate student and corporate mentoring
• Specially-designed study weeks (FOCUS Weeks)
• Careers workshops run by industry professionals
• A summer Carnival Arts programme
• One-to-one literacy and numeracy support

1,516 individual students benefited from our young people’s education programmes in 2020/21.

Our IntoUniversity Programme can demonstrate evidence of:

• Improved academic performance
• Improved chances of getting into university
• Improved confidence attitudes to learning

Our Impact: Children & Young People’s Education

We offer a long-term, multi-stranded programme to children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We believe that it is most beneficial to start working with children in the primary years in order to have the greatest impact upon their futures. We continue to offer academic and pastoral support through to post-college applications and beyond.

• 88% of children and young people who received intensive one-to-one literacy and numeracy support made a year’s numeracy progress in just nine weeks
• 64% of Academic Support students said they are ‘more likely to go to university’
• 77% of Academic Support students reported better grades at school
• and 75% reported improved confidence
• 136 students benefitted from mentoring and buddy schemes

IntoUniversity North Kensington school leavers 2020

• 78% have a university place
• 9% employment/apprenticeship/further study
• 6% undecided or looking for employment
• 5% taking a gap year
• 2% did not fall into any of these categories

Children and Young People’s Education During Covid

With Covid-19 restrictions returning at the start of the academic year in 2020 and two further lockdowns announced in November and January, our Young People’s team continued to rise to the challenges that the pandemic presented. Having already successfully adapted to the pandemic for most of 2020, the team was equipped to continue with their provision throughout varying levels of lockdown. This enabled them to continue to reach the most vulnerable children in our community, providing support in the face of disruptions and issues presented by the pandemic.

Weekly Pastoral Check-ins

Children’s mental health has been particularly affected as a result of
challenging home-learning environments. We made phone calls to support our students who were most in need, providing help with homework and
checking in with how they were feeling.

Online Curriculum

The online curriculum continued for both Primary and Secondary Academic Support when disruptions meant provision couldn’t go ahead as normal. When able, ‘bubbles’ were created in Academic Support meaning that while students attended less regularly, they were still able to access valuable, in-person support.

During quarantine I was getting weekly phone calls from IntoUni….one time (my education worker) asked me if there were any topics I needed help with and I told her we were doing Shakespeare and I didn’t really understand it….Before I wasn’t that confident at all but after I actually understood.

IntoUniversity Student

Community, Carnival and the Arts

Our students normally celebrate the Notting Hill Carnival with us every year to learn and celebrate the history of the local area. Although carnival was cancelled again this year, we kept its spirit alive with an online summer holiday Carnival Arts programme based around the arts, costume design, and the history of carnival.

One-to-One Support

Our literacy and numeracy one-to-one sessions were still able to continue via video call when necessary. A connection made with ‘Ready Tech Go’ provided laptops or tablets to those who didn’t have them, so that everyone was able to access sessions. When guidelines allowed, students most in need were the first to return for sessions in-centre.

…His amazing tutor….was like a big supporting system in my son’s life
throughout lockdown….He proved his teachers that he can do it where
before they doubted him if he could carry on the subject he chose.

Parent of One-to-One Student

Malaeka’s Story

It’s always good having that extra help, like you’ve got your teachers, but just knowing that there are people out of school that can help you academically has really helped me.

Malaeka

Malaeka started coming to The ClementJames Centre after IntoUniversity delivered a Secondary FOCUS workshop at her school. She shares how attending sessions at the centre has increased her knowledge surrounding university and her future options.

“Before I came to IntoUniversity, I didn’t know much about it [university]. Coming to IntoUniversity has definitely educated me a lot. I’ve also made loads of new friends as well, which is also why I keep coming back, and I learnt loads of different revision techniques and better ways to do work. For me it’s really important to increase my chances of going to university in the future by knowing more about university and different degrees and GCSE options as well. University is not something I would ever learn about anywhere else, it’s not something we would ever learn at school.

IntoUniversity helped me to learn how to work in groups. I’m not like this anymore, but I remember before I didn’t have a lot of patience working in groups….Being part of Student Council and being a part of Holiday FOCUS helped me with teamwork….When I came to Holiday FOCUS I didn’t know anyone else there. By the end of it, I started not just to be good at working in groups, but I also made friends as well. Mentoring has really helped me with speaking to people who are not just my age group….[my mentor] also helped me with finding revision techniques, which actually helped me a lot to be more confident going into my exams.

I enjoy that at Academic Support there are fewer people, and I have more freedom to do whatever makes me feel calm and able to revise and I can focus. It is not like my classroom, where people shout and throw stuff and I get easily distracted. I think I benefit the most from Academic Support, because I go weekly rather than just a one-time thing. I think I benefit most from the consistent support.

IntoUniversity has shown me the importance of school. Before I started coming to Academic Support, I used to have a mindset that “I can’t revise after school” and I would make excuses as to why I didn’t need to do it for every single subject….IntoUniversity shows me about how different subjects are actually useful when I’m older, like for different jobs that I might want to do in the future. For example, when we did the Spotlight Session [Careers in Focus on Social Change], we were learning about different people like Martin Luther King and [my education worker] gave us examples of different GCSE’s and how they could link to different jobs in the future. That really helped me.

Coming back to school in September was good, but it was different….After the calls [that IntoUniversity made], that helped me to realise that it was actually a bit serious to be going back to school after 6 months and that I needed to prepare for it. I remember [my education worker] encouraged me to make a timetable to get organised to go back to school and that really helped me.”

Taha’s Story

Taha has been coming to Academic Support and holiday programmes since 2018. He discusses the skills he has gained from attending and his plans to become a game designer.

“[I come to Academic Support because] I get my homework done on time and [get] help with homework. I have someone that can help me and I can learn through the extra support that is given. I keep coming back to IntoUniversity because it is the easiest place to get homework done without distractions. When I am at home I go downstairs to grab water and snacks. At homework club, I forget about it and do the homework. Also, when I struggle with a question or I don’t understand, I’ll have someone read out the question and make it simpler.

It has helped me by learning how to be more independent….It is easier to do
homework as I have the necessary equipment that I don’t need to go out and buy. If I have an extra task I can do it at IntoUniversity as I have the necessary equipment. I have developed my communication and listening skills because I talk to people and listen to what people say and try to do it [as] well as I can. The sports programme helped me improve my skills because we had to work as a team and win all the sports.

During the carnival programme, I met a [friend]….We were painting the banner and cleaning it up a little bit. The programme helped me to improve my social skills. I learnt the history of Notting Hill Carnival and [made] costumes and learnt the back story and why it was made. I will do the Carnival Arts programme again.

[I most enjoy] the programmes happening during the holiday. I learn a lot of independence. I usually do not walk home by myself but I’m learning independence walking home with my friends. Also, how fun the activities are and…you have fun while learning. I like the sports programme because we got to go to the Chelsea stadium. That is the first stadium I have ever seen and been to. I have a lot of great memories there, seeing the shirts, press room – it was really cool! During the carnival programme I have learned how to be more social and aware. During the sports programme I have learned how to be more energetic and [about] team work.

I have learnt about university and the different types of university I can go to. Different types of skills. Learning how to do homework in a specific period of time. I am hoping to become a game designer….[and make] a company that will be successful one day. During Academic Support, once I finished my homework I would have spare time on the computer to do coding. My mentor has helped me out a lot to create future plans and I’m hoping to improve my maths and computer science grades with my mentor to help me with game design and software making.”

Employment Support

We help people gain meaningful and sustainable employment.

This enables our clients to improve their quality of life, security and independence. We do this through tailored advice and support, mentoring, and work skills activities.

The challenge

Unemployment is a major issue in Kensington and Chelsea, with the
unemployment rate rising to 5.5% between April 2020 – March 2021. 3,400 Kensington & Chelsea residents do not have any qualifications. For those in this position, the employment rate is almost half that of those with level 3 qualifications. In our local ward alone, 76% of households suffer from at
least one form of deprivation around income, education, health or housing.

What is distinctive about our employment programme?

When we evaluated the need for the programme back in 2010, we found that pre-existing provision was insufficient for long-term unemployed residents and those with multiple barriers. 11 years on, the wide range of services offered at ClementJames puts us in a unique position to offer
comprehensive support for those seeking employment from a practical, pastoral and educational perspective. Our weekly appointments are on a one-to-one basis and last 50 minutes, allowing staff to fully understand each individual client’s barriers to work, as well as any other personal issues
that may be affecting their search for employment. We have established partnerships with local employers and corporates who provide opportunities, mentoring and Interview Skills Days for our clients.

Taking Action

The programme is designed to appeal to local adults and young people who are seeking employment or training opportunities. We:

• Assess each person’s barriers to work
• Identify job and training opportunities, including through links to local employers
• Develop confidence and identify transferable skills
• Assist with job preparation, applications and interviews
• Run Interview Skills Days with corporate volunteers
• Deliver workshops in schools and colleges
• Provide volunteer mentoring

Our employment programme can demonstrate evidence of:

• Improved chance of gaining employment or training
• Improved confidence
• Improved interview skills

Our Impact: Employment Support

• 242 individual clients benefitted from Employment Support at ClementJames
• 54 survivors of Grenfell Tower fire and bereaved relatives received one-to-one support at Grenfell United
• 41 clients benefitted from seven successful Interview Skills Days where a team of corporate volunteers worked on a one-day challenge to develop skills, build confidence and cope under pressure
• 13 clients received volunteer mentoring
• 52% of clients (of 139 clients seen 5 times or more for 1:1 support) found work or training despite the difficult employment landscape during the pandemic
• 49 young people at risk of permanent exclusion from education attended a series of employment-based workshops and received one-to-one support

Thanks to all the incredible support and guidance from the team at The ClementJames Centre … I landed my dream job working in communications and feel excited and eager to kickstart my career again. For anyone feeling hesitant about reaching out for help, I would 100% recommend the services The ClementJames Centre provides.

Employment Support Client

Amal A’s Story

Without support from ClementJames it would have been quite hard for me to achieve my goals.

Amal A

Amal A started coming to The ClementJames Centre to receive Employment Support. She describes how ClementJames has supported her in finding a route to achieve her goal of becoming a primary school teacher.

“Before coming to ClementJames I wasn’t very confident in looking for work as I’d never had a job before. I didn’t know how to track applications, how to get through to the interview stage or how the system worked. It was all a blur to me and I felt hopeless. The one-to-one support really helped open the routes to employment for me by putting me in touch with agencies, helping me update my CV, write cover letters, explaining job
descriptions, interview techniques and much more! My advisers helped me understand ‘the system’ and I started to feel like I had hope. I’m much more confident to apply for jobs and go to interviews myself now. The routes to employment are definitely clearer to me and I know that if I’m not successful in one interview I still have support to carry on and look for another opportunity.

My long-term ambition is to train as a primary school teacher and complete my PGCE. I like working with children, it is my passion….The route to get on the PGCE course is not easy, particularly as English is not my first language. I initially planned to do the PGCE as part of a masters degree, but you needed experience as a teaching assistant which I didn’t have. So, my employment adviser helped me to figure out the best route to getting onto the PGCE course and I’m now doing the Level 2 Teaching Assistant course and will be starting my first placement in a primary school soon!

I need[ed] English and Maths GCSE for the PGCE so I did a course at Westway and worked really hard to achieve these over the last couple of years. While doing this course I also used to meet with a volunteer at ClementJames for help with my writing. This was amazing….I also attended the Conversation Group before lockdown which really helped me improve my language skills. I now have my GCSE qualifications and I feel much more confident writing in English now thanks to the support I received.

The ClementJames Centre has also helped me a lot in terms of practical support. It was quite difficult balancing studying with looking after my family and looking for a job. [They] helped me apply for support with childcare costs which was a real help….it has been great to have the support alongside help with looking for work.

I am very happy to say that just last week I got my first job at a school working with a child who has autism. The school is extremely happy with the work that I have done….They have now offered me work five days a week starting next term. I can now say that I have achieved my goal of working at a school….I now know what skills I have to offer an employer and am happy to have found a job where my skills can be appreciated and I can continue learning.”

Sheena’s Story

As a more mature person it felt quite strange to be ‘starting again’ at this point in my life, but my adviser had such a positive attitude it made a real difference to my outlook on things.

Sheena

Sheena came to The ClementJames Centre in December 2020 having felt ignored by previous advisers. She explains how “ClementJames was different”, recognising her passions and supporting her ambition to become self-employed.

“I really feel that engaging with The ClementJames Centre was a turning point in my life. Before finding ClementJames I had accessed support from another centre….I felt like my previous work experience and teaching skills were being ignored and I wasn’t really being listened to in terms of what my interests and passions are and where my skills lie. ClementJames was different.

I attended the digital Interview Skills Day online on Zoom….We worked with volunteers to practice our presentation skills, [did] problem solving activities and had a mock interview followed by helpful feedback….I finally felt listened to in terms of what my skills are and I got some really valuable advice. They used a really imaginative approach and the session was very interactive and insightful.

Following this workshop I then signed up for one-to-one Employment Support. My adviser really listened to what I wanted to work on and together we made a plan towards setting myself up as self-employed. First, my adviser helped me to redesign my CV so that it specifically reflected my artistic and teaching background and she helped me to recognise how my skills and previous experience could be incorporated into my new CV. The fact that she accepted that I was an artist first and foremost and that’s what I wanted my CV to reflect was so helpful for me.

My adviser also helped me get set up on the New Enterprise Allowance Scheme: part of Universal Credit which means I get extra support to set up my own business….I have to produce a business plan and send it to my adviser to start the process and I’m really motivated and looking forward to getting started! My idea for a business plan combines my love of teaching with making fine art into a business. I’d like to teach seasonally throughout the year and create audio books teaching people how to draw.

Having my work history and achievements recognised from the outset made an immediate difference to me. After coming to employment one-to-ones for a while, I was asked by my adviser if I would like to speak at the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the centre. In the past I would never have said yes – speaking in front of 80 people was a huge thing for me and I didn’t have the confidence to do it before – but now the courses I’d taken part in and the one-to-ones had reaffirmed my belief in myself and I knew I could do it.

ClementJames is a really positive place, full of positive energy – it’s a good place to be.”

Adult Learning

We support adults to improve their English, Maths and ICT skills.

This gives our students the confidence and knowledge to help them succeed and strengthens their place in the community. We offer a wide range of Functional Skills courses and intensive literacy and numeracy support.

The challenge

Due to limited English language skills, many local adults are struggling to interact with their community and feel isolated or dependent on others. Some are also intimidated by formal learning environments or have had negative learning experiences in the past. In Kensington & Chelsea, 1/5 of
households have a first language that is not English. This is the fourth highest proportion in the country.

Taking action

We provide a range of adult learning provision including:

• Daytime and evening accredited Functional Skills courses
• Community Learning courses
• Sunday classes for Domestic Workers
• Functional Skills ICT Classes
• Literacy classes
• One-to-one literacy and numeracy support

What is distinctive about our Adult Learning programme?

We offer an appealing and welcoming learning environment in a community setting that attracts hard-to-reach learners. All of our students come from low-income households for whom free, high-quality learning programmes are crucial to improving their language skills. We provide both academic and pastoral support and offer a wide range of volunteering opportunities at the centre.

Our Adult Learning programme can demonstrate evidence of:

• Improved English, Maths and ICT skills
• Improved chances of gaining employment
• Improved chances of getting to further education

Adult Learning 2020/21 in numbers

• 178 students completed a course throughout the year
• 26 courses were delivered this year
• 89% of our learners on our accredited English courses achieved their accreditation
• 86% of our learners on our non-accredited English courses achieved the outcomes of the course
• 80% of learners on our accredited Maths courses achieved their accreditation
• 90% of learners on our non-accredited ICT courses achieved the outcomes of the course

Adult Learning During Covid

As the term began, our Adult Learning team continued with hybrid delivery but reacted quickly to lockdown; by the spring term, all classes had been moved online.

We were able to offer a full timetable of 26 courses in English and ICT, reaching learners at home on their tablets, phones, and computers via video call.

One-to-one sessions provided additional support and the use of WhatsApp enabled us to reach those without access to laptops. Students were really happy that they were able to use an app they were familiar with and use on a daily basis to improve their English.

We even made it back into the centre in time for summer and celebratory trips to The British Library and Kensington Palace!

I would like to say thank you for these wonderful couple of months…in addition your happiness and energy each Monday make me happy to start my week…thank you…to give this opportunity to learn.

Adult Learning Student

• 89% of students completing courses throughout the year achieved the course outcomes

Nisa’s Story

Nisa first came to ClementJames after moving to London with her husband and young son from Indonesia. She describes how attending gave her the skills and confidence to speak English.

“At first I found being in a new country where I didn’t speak the language very overwhelming and I found it difficult to find activities to get involved with. I couldn’t go anywhere by myself and didn’t have the confidence to try speaking in English.

In September I started English classes….My teacher is very, very good – she is just fantastic! She explains things so clearly. She advised us that it’s ok to slow down and take your time when you are speaking and listening in English, which really helps! Now that we talk a lot here with all different levels it has really helped my English. I know I can always ask if I don’t understand something, or ask someone to repeat something. This has made me more confident to speak.

My English has improved so much since coming to ClementJames. My husband is proud of me and I can speak to the nursery teacher over the phone as I feel confident enough now….If I hadn’t come to ClementJames I think I would just be sitting at home by myself with the TV. I wouldn’t have made friends and I would have to ask my husband to get groceries for me. My brain felt like it was freezing when we first arrived, but now it’s working again and I’ve made lots of friends on my course and they inspire me! I’m so much more independent now, it’s been so good for me to come here.

In September, I also attended the Creative Connections Day with my friends, which was great. There was a workshop about confidence, a play and letter writing which was all great practice for my English!…I hope to get a job soon too. I studied architecture in Indonesia so hearing the talk inspired me to look for a job.

I thought I couldn’t survive here but now I know I can….ClementJames gave me such a warm welcome when I first came here. If they hadn’t then maybe I wouldn’t have come back, but I’m very glad I did.”

Wellbeing and Advice Support

We empower people to overcome barriers and challenges and to engage with their own wellbeing.

This enables our clients to pursue their goals. We do this through the provision of Information, Advice and Guidance, and Wellbeing Support and activities.

The challenge

People in the poorest fifth of households are more likely to say that they are finding their existing debt a burden, as mental health continues to be one of the most common reasons for long-term sickness absence. The borough’s
performance on mental health is among the worst 20% of local authorities and, shockingly, men living in Notting Dale have a life expectancy of 17 years shorter than their neighbours living a 15 minute drive away in Courtfield. What is more, for the past decade Kensington & Chelsea has been in the bottom 5% of UK local authorities regarding residents’ sense of belonging to the community. As many students and clients face a range of barriers affecting their ability to achieve their potential, it is not enough for us to limit our services to education and employment support.

What is distinctive about our Wellbeing & Advice Support programme?

Our Wellbeing and Advice Support programme is designed to provide tailored support to young people and adults who require further help to overcome the barriers they are facing. Some people we support are facing personal problems that affect their ability to study or find employment, for example, problems at school, debt or inadequate housing. By offering Information, Advice and Guidance we can get to the root cause of issues and resolve them quickly, preventing situations from escalating and causing further stress.

Some of our centre users suffer from low-level mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, and many are quite isolated. Given our trusted position in the community, The ClementJames Centre plays a key role in reducing the stigma around mental health and supporting our students and clients with strategies for self-help. By delivering a range of appealing wellbeing activities across the year, we provide our clients and students with space and time to meet new people, build confidence and resilience and learn about the importance of self-care.

Our Impact: Wellbeing and Advice Support

We provide impartial information, advice and guidance to help people overcome a range of issues affecting their lives. This ranges from help with housing and benefits to changing schools and writing grant applications.

Information, Advice & Guidance: Advice topics 2020/21

• 27% Benefits
• 12% Debt & money
• 19% Housing
• 6% Immigration
• 8% Education
• 9% Grants
• 6% Consumer, Legal & Rights
• 13% Other

• 274 adults and young people received Information, Advice & Guidance
• 287 advice issues were resolved
• 53 referrals were made to specialist providers

Wellbeing

We also provide a range of wellbeing support and activities for our clients to engage and connect with the wider community and their own mental health.

For adults:

• Women’s Confidence Programmes, including a six-week course, annual conferences, and a programme run at Grenfell United
• A Nutrition and Gardening Course and community gardening workshops
• Communal Reader & Conversation Groups
• Weekly Wellbeing Clinic, offering ear acupuncture and guided meditation
• Creative self-expression workshops
• Offsite trips

For children and young people:

• A Young People’s Creative Programme
• Weekly Art Therapy
• A Children and Young People’s Counsellor

Last year:

• 219 clients participated in wellbeing activities
• 32 clients attended the weekly Wellbeing Clinic
• 6 children received long-term support from our Children and Young People’s Counsellor

I feel so supported and lucky to have found…ClementJames. I have benefitted enormously from acupuncture and can’t wait to attend gardening group

Client Feedback

Wellbeing During Lockdown

Once again, our Wellbeing team had to tackle the unique challenge of reducing social isolation throughout periods of social distancing. With two lockdowns and harsh restrictions over the festive period, it was essential that our Wellbeing services continued to provide a safe and compassionate space. Provision was moved online when necessary, enabling a continuation of support throughout the year regardless of the restrictions in place. Here’s how it worked:

• We offered telephone coaching & an ear acupuncture take-away needle clinic
• Hosted an online ‘This Is Me’ exhibition on our website, accompanied by a virtual ‘cook & connect’ event
• Held a virtual Wellbeing Insights Day: a day of wellbeing workshops for young people & adults
• Held our annual client festive celebration virtually, with 100% of attendees saying they benefitted from the event
• Delivered weekly Conversation and Reader Groups online
• Women’s Confidence Programme, Women’s Big Day In & Women’s Self-Care Day were all delivered online

It has made me feel that although I live in a large city, I am close to lots of people.

Being with other people, it give me a sense of being alive, connecting with all these topics is amazingly helpful.

Creative Connections Day Attendees

All of our services have been rated as good quality by at least 90% of clients.

Nisa’s Story

Nisa, who received Adult Learning support, continues to explain how receiving Wellbeing Support at ClementJames complimented the English classes she attended.

“I heard about the Conversation Group at The ClementJames Centre so I joined to try to improve my English and to meet new people in my neighbourhood. I wanted to feel more confident so I could talk more to my neighbours.

In July the groups were happening online due to Covid. I really enjoyed the
Conversation Group so then I joined the Reader Group online too. I can be quite shy and am not always a social person, but the team made me feel relaxed and didn’t make it awkward, which being online can be sometimes. They always gave us great poems and stories to read and the staff explained and demonstrated things really well if there was something I didn’t understand. They were very good at motivating people in the group and very encouraging. We always had time to share what we thought which can be hard if English isn’t your first language. I found it so interesting to see people from different cultures and different ages.

When I first arrived here I felt ‘l don’t belong here, this is not the place for me’, but now I feel more at home here and feel much better about myself. I can go anywhere by myself or with my friends as I’m much more confident. People here will help me feel better about myself every day. In the Conversation Group they ask us “what is a good thing that is happening in your life?”. It is great to be able to share with other people and share your experiences and connect with people.”

Shakeela’s Story

Shakeela first came to The ClementJames Centre to attend after-school homework club when she was younger. She was recently reintroduced through a Grenfell United referral.

“My adviser…told me about the Women’s Confidence Programme run at
ClementJames so I signed up and took part in that….It was a six-week course focusing on confidence building, communication etc. I really enjoyed this, it was so nice. The facilitators were all amazing and the group all got on really well. It was a real step in the right direction in terms of confidence and wellbeing. It just felt good to talk and get things out in the open and off your chest.

I recently attended the Women’s Self-Care day at the centre too. This was a lovely day and I found the workshop about sleep hygiene really interesting. I feel really good after attending sessions at ClementJames. Particularly with my employment adviser I feel very supported. Being able to attend various workshops for support in different areas has been great. Everyone here is really lovely and they just get on with everything and get things done.”

Organisational Outputs

Total funding

for the 12 months ending 31st August 2021

£1,257,239
2019/20: £1,196,916

Total expenditure

for the 12 months ending 31st August 2021

£1,206,675
2019/20: £1,190,957

Total funds

brought forward at 31st August 2021

£633,072
2019/20: £579,423

Total expenditure by project area (%)

• 5% Raising Funds
• 1% Governance
• 25% Children & Young People
• 23% Wellbeing & Support
• 1% Capital
• 18% Adult Learning
• 27% Employment Support

Funding by source

• 64% Trusts and foundations
• 15% Statutory
• 16% Donors and events
• 5% Corporate

1,516 children and young people used our services

967 adults used our services, despite the Covid-19 lockdown and subsequent limitations on in-person delivery

Evaluation

External Evaluation

National Foundation for Educational Research

The National Foundation for Educational Research conducted a qualitative evaluation of the IntoUniversity programme.

The evidence in this report supports the conclusion that the IntoUniversity programme has a positive, transformational impact on children and young people in terms of their academic success, attitudes to learning and social skills: all of which are key elements of helping children and young people to aspire and achieve.

It was clear that the IntoUniversity programme had played a key role in helping children and young people in clarifying, supporting and strengthening their aspirations and achieving their goals.

Accreditation

The ClementJames Centre has achieved the Advice Quality Standard for Information, Advice and Guidance – a nationally recognised accreditation.

Our Information, Advice and Guidance service is registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) and is able to give Immigration Advice at Level 1.

ClementJames is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest.

We are also registered with the Fundraising Regulator, who regulate charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Charity Times Awards

We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Charity Times ‘Charity of the Year’ Award in 2014 (Winner), 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the Charity Times ‘HR Management Award’ in 2021.

Building on Success

After working with the local community for over 40 years, The ClementJames Centre needs more space in Sirdar Road to continue to deliver education, employment and support services within our community.

We are delighted that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea granted The ClementJames Centre planning permission in December 2020, enabling us to extend our buildings, enhance our beautiful community gardens and support thousands more local people each year.

This is what we propose:

Our beautiful garden and welcoming premises at The ClementJames Centre provide a sense of calm and safety in our busy and, at times, stressful lives.

We have been looking ahead for some years, as the centre has reached its capacity. With long waiting lists and ever-growing demand locally, we are looking to extend our facilities to provide greater support to our community. Our building plans involve a new Learning Annexe and a Winter Garden, created by covering an under-utilised area of the site. We know how important our Community Garden is to our users and the local community; we are planning better use of the space whilst maintaining the tranquil and peaceful garden which is integral to the centre.

Learning Annexe and Winter Garden

Learning Annexe

The focus of our project will be a two-storey facility which will be attached to our existing learning building, replacing the current single storey studios. The building will provide:

• 5 new teaching/workshop facilities
• A new reception and office
• New toilet facilities
• A lift providing access to all areas

Retaining the feel of our beautiful garden space has always been integral to our plans. We are also introducing a covered walkway with a planted roof (commonly called a green roof) linking the Learning Annexe with the existing learning buildings and the Winter Garden. This will allow people to enjoy the garden throughout the year.

Winter Garden

Our plans also include an enclosed winter garden, occupying the area between St Clement Church and the north facade of the existing learning building. Our proposal is to cover this under-utilised space with a roof allowing the garden below to be used all year-round for meetings and gatherings.

The timber and glass roof and indoor open plan space will enable us to hold large group activities and events throughout the year, as well as providing opportunities for informal meetings, whatever the weather.

More Support & More Opportunities

The new space will enable us to provide:

• Additional classes each week for adults and young people
• More one-to-one employment, education, and advice appointments
• Specialist employment and wellbeing workshops
• Level access to both our existing building and the new building
• Space for partner organisations and specialist agencies to deliver their services on site

Each year this will mean we can support up to:

• 300 local people gaining employment or training and 400 young people in education with improved goal setting and increased employability
• 600 adult learners improving English, Maths, and IT skills, gaining qualifications
• 2,300 young people with raised aspirations, increased confidence and improved academic achievement
• 1,500 local adults with increased confidence, reduced isolation and greater ability to cope with challenges

We are delighted that Freehaus’ sensitive and thoughtful design for our centre has been recognised by the New London Architecture Awards as the 2021 ‘Unbuilt’ winner.

The simplicity and elegance makes this an excellent space

The International Jury, Eleanor Sharpe

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Hats off to CJ because everyone working there are hardworking people who give it their all and always go the extra mile for you. They are friendly, supportive and sympathetic and they are always ready to listen to me when I am in distress. I don’t know what I would have done without CJ.

ClementJames Centre Client

To find out more, please contact:
The ClementJames Centre
95 Sirdar Road, London
W11 4EQ

020 7221 8810
reception@clementjames.org
www.clementjames.org

Follow us on:

Twitter: @ClementJames
Instagram: @theclementjamescentre
Facebook: @theclementjamescentre
LinkedIn: The ClementJames Centre

Registered Charity No. 1009253; Company Registration No. 2677427