law
“Our operation is based on a social enterprise model. We earn money where we can and spend it where we need to. We don’t do anything that we don’t think will contribute to our mission,” said Hand.
Childcare provision currently accounts for around 55% of its activities. “If you want to make a difference and help change people’s lives then the early years is a great place to start,” he pointed out.
Rapid response
YMCA Fairthorne has opened two new community centres in the past two years and a further eight are planned. “Our business strategy calls for quite an aggressive property acquisition programme and that’s where we rely on Paris Smith, who have also provided a useful legal perspective on our business plan,” said Hand.
The firm works on a mixed property portfolio of freehold and leasehold properties. “We advise on the purchase and disposal of leases, as well as making sure properties can be used for all the services YMCA Fairthorne wants to offer,” said Vaughan.
Completing deals for community centres in New Milton and Andover put YMCA Fairthorne under intense time pressure. “For New Milton, we had to allocate central government grant aid in a time frame that gave us less than 12 months to build and open the centre,” said Hand. “The positive experience with Paris Smith gave us a very good template for getting future community centres off the ground.”
Finalising contracts to build the community centre in Andover provided Hand with a “stressful day” that Paris Smith helped him overcome. “We needed to order the frame for the building but didn’t know if we owned the land or had planning permission or a bank loan in place. It all came right by the end of the day. It was good to know we had Paris Smith there with us every step of the way,” said Hand.
“It’s good to be considered a trusted member of the YMCA Fairthorne team,” said Vaughan. “It makes it easier to discuss issues and projects with them, as well as liaise with other professional advisers, so we can help deliver projects on time.”
Actions speak louder than words
Paris Smith has proved its value to YMCA Fairthorne time and again.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – JULY/AUGUST 2019
Daycamps at Fairthorne Manor – Felix (in the middle in his wheelchair) wanted to go to daycamps like any other child and managed to get many of his school mates to come with him. YMCA offers places for children who require 1:1 support, called our ‘buddies’
Housing support – a tenant being provided support by a YMCA member of staff to complete job/support applications
“Actions speak louder than words. Nick delivers what he says he will when he says he will,” noted Hand. “We feel they always do a good job.
Another way our relationship is strong is in our social interactions. We invite Nick and his team to our events and they make the effort to attend. It’s not just about business for them, they care about us as a charity and as a client,” he added.
For Paris Smith it’s a simple matter of pride. “We’re very proud of the work we do in the charity and education sectors. YMCA Fairthorne is an important part of that and we were delighted when they appointed us,” said Vaughan.
Networking and the Charity Forum
The Paris Smith Charity Forum has around 350 members from across the region. The firm arranges an annual event along with regular seminars throughout the year. “We believe it is the biggest gathering of charities in the south,” said Vaughan.
“The Forum is a useful opportunity for us to network and there are always good speakers on topics like fundraising, volunteering and finance,” said Hand.
The going is getting tougher for many charities, observed Vaughan: “Government funds are more difficult to obtain. There are more hoops to jump through and the sector is becoming more heavily regulated. The Charity Commission expects charities to act like businesses in areas such as health and safety and on employment issues. That’s why Paris Smith set up the Charity Forum to provide support for local organisations like YMCA Fairthorne.”
parissmith.co.uk
businessmag.co.uk
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