Our approach

Our work generally involves operating in and with partnerships and networks – which may be local, national or transnational. We utilise a mix of creative, practical and presentational skills. The work may involve the delivery of learning programmes or facilitation of team/partnership activities.

Because we are a small business, our method of working often involves putting together – or joining – a team of experts in tackling larger and more challenging projects.

We like to work closely with our clients so that we fully understand their needs and can carefully tailor our inputs. Every client and commission gets an individual response.

Company capabilities

  • The focus of our work is regeneration, ranging from strategic to project level, including:
  • Policy formulation and interpretation in Plain English
  • Design and production of frameworks and documents
  • Designing new and innovative projects – especially those involving learning and business support activities
  • Developing funding packages and applications
  • Designing systems for monitoring and appraisal
  • Evaluation
  • Research and analysis
  • Design, development and delivery of learning activities, including qualifications and assessment materials, student and tutor guides
  • Project and partnership co-ordination
  • Project management

Particular strengths and interests

Areas where we have a particularly strong track record and interest include:

  • Making sense of a complex mass of sources and ideas
  • Communicating messages in Plain English in a variety of media
  • Evaluating the effectiveness, outputs and impacts of projects
  • Supporting people to develop their project management and evaluation skills
  • Co-ordinating projects involving multiple partners
  • Business planning and making the business case
  • Effective learning and training activities and materials
  • Working with local communities and partnerships to help them develop useful projects
  • Identifying and presenting best practice, including case studies

Clients

Our clients have included:

  • Awarding Body for the Built Environment
  • Area regeneration partnerships in the North East and London
  • Business Links in the East Midlands, London and the North East
  • Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
    (formerly the Department of Trade and Industry)
  • Department for Children, Schools and Families (formerly the Department for Education and Skills)
  • Department for International Development
  • Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
  • English Heritage
  • European Commission
  • European Partnerships in the East Midlands, North East and Scotland
  • Government Office for the North East
  • HCA Academy (formerly the Academy for Sustainable Communities)
  • JCB Limited
  • Local authorities in the North East and South West
  • Local strategic partnerships in the North East
  • NA Consultants Limited
  • Natural England (formerly the Countryside Agency)
  • Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Limited
  • North East Productivity Alliance
  • Northumberland InfoNet
  • One NorthEast
  • PATH National Ltd.
  • Penguin Books
  • Rural Community Councils in the North East
  • Sure Start local programmes in the North East
  • SES (formerly Social Enterprise Sunderland)
  • The National Trust
  • The Royal Town Planning Institute
  • The Construction Industry Council
  • Training organisations across the UK
  • Universities in the North East, South West, Wales and the West Midlands