Acumen is based in North East England and promotes social and economic regeneration through learning, enterprise and employment.
Impetus support package
Investment period: 2008 - 2009 (Phase 1* investment)
Phase 1* funding: £25,000
Total value of expertise: £35,000
Background to the investment
Acumen had grown rapidly in the last three years, having developed
an integrated model of supporting adults who are long-term
unemployed on a journey back to employment. Our goal is to support
Acumen to further develop its model so they can become a leading
player in the area of employability.
Key Objectives
The key objective was to help prepare Acumen for its scale-up to
become a leading national player in the area of employability. This
involved:
- defining the organisational structure and addressing gaps in the
senior management team
- implementing more robust financial systems and reporting
- refining the delivery model
* Phase 1 is an initial investment period to develop the
plan for growth. It is usually followed by further investment over
a longer period.
After review, both parties felt that Acumen could continue its
development without further support from Impetus.
There has never been a greater need for giving than now. I would urge donors to be strategic in their giving, and look for opportunities where they know their money is having the greatest possible impact.
Dame Stephanie Shirley
UK Ambassador for Philanthropy