Fyne Homes Ltd Mixed and Sustainable Communities Delivering community benefit 26th March 2009

Who are we?  Fyne Homes – formerly Bute HA  30 years old this year!  Started in Bute in 1979 improving the town’s housing stock  Now operate throughout Southern Argyll, around Loch Fyne – hence the name  Governed by a voluntary management committee from Rothesay, Dunoon, Lochgilphead and Campbeltown

Where do we operate?

What do we do?  Primarily we build, maintain and manage housing for rent and LCHO  We have approx 1400 houses in every settlement from Rothesay to Campbeltown  We have an active development programme – 07/08 £8M; 08/09 £4M  All of this has an active community focus

Working with communities

So what did we think about wider role?  It generated much debate at committee meetings  We didn’t think ‘it’s not housing so we shouldn’t do it’  We didn’t think ‘we can’t do this, let someone else do it’  We saw opportunities in communities where wider role investment could create local benefits  So we embraced it

What wider role projects have we grappled with? A flavour of some projects

Bute biogas

ROVER

Environmental improvements

H is 4 A Play about homelessness Commissioned by Argyll & Bute Council’s Community Services ‘A powerful and compelling account of one young person’s experience of homelessness.’ ‘An extremely effective vehicle in raising awareness of homelessness and related issues.’ Written and performed by Naomi Breeze

Bute Extreme Sports Park

and Bute Recycling Centre

Making recycling work  Started in 2002 with links to local recycling group  They collected cans but had nowhere to put them  We had a spare site in the middle of Rothesay  Wider role funds and a cocktail of other funds allowed us to build a recycling centre out of recycled materials  Local group handed the recycling baton to Fyne Homes  Opened for business in April 2004.

Recycling 2004  Agreed a SLA with the Council from day one  Initially covered kerbside in Bute  £40,000 per annum but strict landfill diversion targets linked to weight  2004 target – 50 tonnes – achieved – round of applause all round  However 5 staff required to do this at an overall cost of £80,000  Needed revenue support from the lottery to achieve this

Recycling since 2004  Drive for sustainability – need to move away from grant dependency  Drive for diversification – need to expand what we do  Drive for efficiency – need to do things better

Recycling 2009  Still only 5 staff but use volunteers, local trainees and community service placements  Expanded area of operation into Cowal  Increased income from SLA – now £85,000  Bought new custom designed trucks with INCREASE funding  Increased tonnage to 450 tonnes – 2000 participating households  About to close 08/09 with £20K surplus and no revenue support  A fully fledged social enterprise

Recycling 2009 is more than kerbside  We now have a second hand furniture shop – Revive Rothesay  We now collect waste cooking oil and process into biodiesel to run the vehicles  We have put in place a business plan to expand biodiesel production

How is this now done? Enter Fyne Futures..  FF is a wholly owned subsidiary of FH – company limited by guarantee with charitable status  Formed to run the recycling service and other emerging wider role projects  Separates the risk from FH  FH provides staff and services to FF for which FF pays the going rate  FF governed by board of 5; 3 from FH and 2 independents  FH agreed to provide financial support to FF for 3 years after which it had to be self sustaining

The effect of this on recycling  The recycling centre was transferred to FF at nil value – FF has an asset  Staff were transferred to FF  Annual business plan approved by FH and then FF left to get on with it. So fair amount of freedom to develop.  FH services still there – an invaluable link.

Bute Produce

Growing local food for local needs  Bute Produce is an emerging project  Currently 2 staff and 3 trainees and a big field  Funded by wider role and leader  Aim is to grow local fruit and vegetables for local outlets – schools, cafes, green boxes  Educational and training aspect too  Business plan that allows 2 years revenue funding support and self sustaining thereafter  Again delivered via FF

Current thinking  FF board agreed to bring recycling and food closer together under FF umbrella  Share some costs  Appoint a business manager to support and develop both arms of the business  This plan is about to be put in place

None of this is easy - the challenges  Remoteness  Money  Culture  Staffing

But it does have benefits  Raised the profile of both FH and FF  Community engagement – over 2000 households recycle and we are already putting names on a waiting list for a green box  Jobs – potential for jobs on Bute  These jobs keep app £175,000 directly in the local economy  Indirect benefits too by using local services to support our work

Other projects in the pipeline  Towards Zero Carbon Bute  £213,000 from climate challenge fund to employ a project manager to initiate a number of carbon reducing initiatives on the island  Wood waste review  Travel plans for local businesses  Energy efficiency works  Electric car hire

Community wind park  Part of national RSL pilot  2 turbines in Kintyre  Grid connected and revenue raising  £40K per annum per turbine whilst paying off loan; over £100K after loan paid off  Community chest to disburse community benefit

Why do we do all this?  RSL’s have skills to do it  RSL’s understand community needs and aspirations  RSL’s know how to get money  RSL’s increasingly understand the social enterprise model

And it can be fun……………

Thanks for listening