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In the next five years The Big Life group will build on the work it has achieved by focussing on improving the quality and profitability of its businesses. It will share its experience nationally and develop case studies and models for replication. It will open up the group to new social businesses who need support and nurturing. It will exit out of markets where it has developed a service, but the mainstream public or private sector is now filling a gap.

The following are the objectives and targets we have set ourselves for 2007 - 2012.

1. Creating Opportunities for People to Change their Lives

We will deliver a menu of opportunities for people to overcome barriers and improve their lives. Opportunities will be targeted at people facing most exclusion and we will tackle discrimination in all forms. We believe everyone has something to contribute and that an exchange of services is an essential part of building self-respect.

Targets:

• 225 people participating in the group every year, including:
  • 178 volunteers 47 trainees/students
  • By 2012, 50% of staff in community services will live locally
  • By 2012, staff with disabilities will make up 6% of the workforce
    
    
• 3,200 people using services in the group every year including:
  • 700 vendors selling The Big Issue in the North
  • 500 people accessing counseling or complementary treatments
  • 2,000 people supported through casework (such as IAG, ILM, work placement, QOL, Sure Start placement, Summergrove resident, CCBT, Guided self-help clinic)
  • 70,000 people using our centres or services
    
    
• 80% of people using our services showing an improvement in Quality of Life:
  • 100 clients or volunteers gaining employment
  • 450 clients accessing training
  • 100 people helped to access statutory services (such as a GP or housing services)
    

2. Doing Good Business

The Big Life group is in the business of changing lives. In the next five years we will demonstrate that business can be both profitable and provide social benefit. The breadth of businesses within the group will provide a comprehensive range of opportunities to people who traditionally are excluded.

Targets:

• Achieve £8m turnover
  • The Big Issue in the North £2m
  • Aisha Childcare £1.5m
  • Big Life Employment £1m
  • The Big Life Company £1m
  • Big Life Services £2m
  • The Big Issue in the North Trust £.5m
    
    
• Achieve £240k profit per annum by 2012
  • The Big Issue in the North £100k
  • Aisha Childcare £50k
  • Big Life Employment £30k
  • The Big Life Company £50k
  • Big Life Services £20k
  • The Big Issue in the North Trust £20k
    
    
• Achieve £350k cash asset
  • The Big Issue in the North £250k
  • The Big Life Company £100k
  • Aisha Childcare and Big Life Employment positive net assets
    
    
• Bring two new businesses into the group by 2012
  
  
• Develop one new user led business by 2012
  

3. Improving What We Do

We will never be good enough. The people we work with are too important to give a mediocre service to. We will continually work to improve what we do. We will invest in our staff and organisation to ensure that it is as effective and efficient as possible. We will focus on quality, encouraging customer feedback and evidencing effectiveness through research. Over the next five years we will invest in the infrastructure of the group to ensure that staff have the resources they need to deliver an efficient and effective business.

Targets:

• Achieve 4 Quality standards:
  • ISO9000
  • DANOS
  • Uspeak
  • Investors in Volunteers
    
    
• Maintain and improve staff commitment to the group’s aims and objectives, with 85% saying they would recommend the group as an employer by 2012
  
  
• All staff to have access to the intranet with 50% accessing monthly by 2012
  

4. Changing the World

The Big Life group believes it can make a real difference in the world.We can influence other agencies, government and individuals to do things differently by working in partnership with them. We can use our profile and The Big Issue in the North magazine to raise issues. And we can lead by example. In the next five years we want to make a real difference to the lives of marginalised people by making public procurement open to social enterprise; influencing public policy; and demonstrating how public and private businesses can change lives.

Targets:

• Share the learning and demonstrate the effectiveness of the group’s services and business nationally by participating in two national pilots and publishing four evaluations or research papers by 2012
  
  
• 70% of commissioners to recognise the group brand as delivering high quality services to marginalised people in a business like way
  
  
• Run five campaigns with other agencies which will help tackle discrimination and champion the rights of our client groups; call for the opening-up of public procurement; and influence public policy

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