Spring 2013

Strength through partnership

Good to meet you...and thanks for taking the time to learn more about us.

We see the value in fresh thinking and the opportunities this proactive mindset creates. In our opinion, the best way forward is for organisations to work together to achieve great things. We’ve also learned from many years spent working in the public sector that the needs of the community should feature prominently in changes to our built environment.

Our role is essential as part of the delicate balancing act of ensuring communities are heard during the planning process. We all want progress, but it’s not always easy to achieve. That’s where our understanding and ability to see things from all sides is a significant advantage to those who aim to drive ambitious projects forward.

Whether it’s the scaling up of a fun, social business with a serious message or giving a voice to community representatives, we demonstrate the best is achieved in partnership. We hope you enjoy this introduction to Cearns & Co and can see how we could make your project a success for all involved.

Edward CearnsDirector

• Seven years’ public sector project management experience

• Managed the risk for £100m of public liability for a Local Authority

• Overall project manager, Northstowe (new town)

• Researched, compiled and launched community fundraising toolkit

• Researched and presented paper at Manchester University’s international multi-faith space conference

• Masters degree in religious studies

• Coordinated branding, marketing and logistics for project launch stakeholder event in local community

• Qualified secondary school teacher

How do people describe Cearns & Co’s approach?

Supporting the faith communitiesCearns & Co worked with the East of England Faiths Council (EEFC) on an interesting and challenging project to help faith representatives have a voice in the planning process of a major Cambridge development.

After the announcement of a notable new University of Cambridge development to the north west of the city, the Faith Reference Group appointed Cearns & Co to advise local faith groups on the planning process. Working together with developers and community representatives, Cearns & Co devised a scope to inform all parts of the community.

The £1 billion development aims to sustain the long-term future of the university and will provide accommodation for over 5,000 people and 100,000 square metres of research facilities. Critically, local amenities will also make up a significant portion of the development. Cearns & Co facilitated the faith representative group’s involvement in the North West Cambridge settlement.

Ed Cearns worked directly with EEFC’s director, Jenny Kartupelis, on the project. She said: “I have found Ed’s knowledge, experience and guidance invaluable in understanding the complex issues and implications of the planning process. This has helped community groups engage effectively with the scheme.”

Cearns & Co also created a groundbreaking guideline document outlining best practice for working with faith groups. The ‘People, Places and Partnership’ guide, commissioned by Jenny Kartupelis, reached a significant audience through extensive distribution in print, as well as a download on the EEFC website. The guide provides insight and expert guidance on the relationship between stakeholders and how to manage this for combined success.

Strengthening the company’s profile in this sector further was an invitation to co-research, write and present a paper at the inaugural international multi-faith conference at Manchester University in 2012. Ed made a significant contribution to the paper, evaluating the experience of developing new communities in the Cambridge subregion.

Cearns & Co was also invited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of EEFC in summer 2012. Humanitarian icon Terry Waite was the key speaker at this event and the invitation was testament to Ed’s valuable contribution to the organisation’s activities throughout the partnership.

Pants to Poverty!Cearns & Co is proud to have supported Fairtrade underwear brand ‘Pants to Poverty’ in 2012.

Through investing in Pants to Poverty’s special bond scheme and joining its value chain community of farmers, factory workers and retailers, Cearns & Co featured at its first pop-up shop. Located in Sloane Square for the month of December, Cearns & Co’s logo adorned the front door of the shop as it came to life in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Pants to Poverty’s innovative approach to fashion caught founder Ed Cearns’ eye. He says: “We wanted to support a social business that embodies the values of Cearns & Co. We are a niche business and wanted to support something that reflected our culture and could capitalise on our expertise.”

All pants on sale were stylish, organic and available for both men and women. The charity works with over 12,000 cotton farmers, supporting Fairtrade, organic crop ownership. Manufacturing empowers 600 garment workers to earn a real living wage, effectively saying “pants to poverty”. The pop up shop was uniquely dressed for the occasion, with the underwear ranges intermingled with cotton fabrics, seeds, film spools and photography, taking customers on a journey across the mountains and rivers of India.

Cearns & Co made a concerted effort to extend its corporate social responsibility offering in 2012. It additionally offered planning, organisational development and partnership management expertise to the socially innovative business to build on its good work.

In 2013, Cearns & Co will be strengthening its relationship with Pants to Poverty as it champions the engagement with bond holders and other members of the value chain community

Having stretched its networking legs over the last 12 months, Cearns & Co has attended a lot of events to connect with the local business community. One that particularly impressed founder Ed Cearns was Ely Cathedral Business Group, which is making waves in the local community.

Cearns & Co was a headline sponsor of the ‘Celebration of Business 2012’ event, alongside John Lewis and Januarys consultant surveyors. The week-long exhibition attracted hundreds of visitors. The objective was to put all that is good about local business under one roof to be shared by the local community.

Ed Cearns said: “We were so proud to be a sponsor of this event. Our business is all about localism, and it’s really encouraging to come together with other businesses to celebrate positive impact in the community.”

Embracing Ely

Tasked with refocusing the Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership (GCGP LEP) website to ensure the user experience fulfils its potential, Cearns & Co quickly put its public sector expertise into practice.

Working in partnership with local brand communications agency Method, Cearns & Co organised a mediated partnership between the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The LEP is focused on driving sustainable economic growth in its 13 regions. From Oakham in the north, to Royston in the south, local businesses, education providers, the third sector and public sector are working together to drive the local economy in these regions around the economic hubs of Cambridge and Peterborough.

The website is to be used as a tool to encourage other businesses to locate to the LEP areas, so user experience was an important element of the project. After conducting focus groups to establish the right strategy for engagement, an interactive regional map was created for the homepage. Users are able to explore each region in depth and see examples of businesses thriving in the area, as well as gain an overview of the region’s economic strengths.

Cearns & Co also assisted in the development of a cohesive identity to represent the public, private and voluntary sectors coming together to work towards a brighter future. With assistance from Method, Cearns & Co helped to create a strong visual icon to represent communities successfully sharing ideas and knowledge to bring the LEP areas to life.

Ed said he was really excited about being involved with the LEP and working alongside another business to add value. “While it’s great that Cambridge is growing so quickly, it’s essential that the other LEP regions are able to prosper too,” he says. “The focus groups found that users wanted to get a rounded view of the area and see examples of businesses thriving in the regions.”

Back to our public sector roots

How to: engageThe Cearns & Co team specialise in encouraging community engagement and joined up thinking to kick-start projects.

Founder Ed Cearns shares some of his top tips to help you manage your communities:

• Give people a choice of ways to engage with you.

• Make sure you involve the media from the start of the project.

• Don’t be afraid to acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers.

• Ownership is critical. Be honest about what people can and can’t affect.

• Make sure you celebrate and reflect upon project completion.

• Consider the location and timing of engagement; a tasty breakfast always goes down well.

• Make sure you share the engagement timetable with your stakeholders to let people know when they can connect with the project.

• Think broadly and widely about who the project affects. You would be surprised how many groups can be touched or impacted by your project.

Cearns & Co has taken an integral role in driving the ‘Cambridge Conversations’ initiative. This is a forum for people who operate outside the traditional political arena to have a voice.

The team used its event management experience to provide a better organisational structure to the scheme. Facilitating a workshop to open up discussion, Ed Cearns quickly became a key contributor.

Ed says being involved in Cambridge Conversations gives the company an opportunity to demonstrate its expertise in strategic direction. “Even though in its infancy, Cambridge Conversations is already proving popular. It’s liberating to be able to facilitate the coming together of so many factions and use our know-how to aid change,” comments Ed.

Meeting on a biannual basis at Emmanuel College, the events are attended by representatives from a variety of sectors including public, private and voluntary and the general public. The November

2012 meeting built on the theme of the ‘common good’, which was highlighted as a major point of interest in the previous session. The group identified ways to extend the conversation to the rest of society, resulting in a new campaign.

‘It’s time to talk’ is set to hit Cambridge in spring 2013. Ten inflatable sofas will spring up in various locations across the city to entice the public to sit for a moment and talk about something that matters to them.

Each Cambridge Conversation event covers key issues facing the local area, and speakers to date include MP Julian Huppert, Maurice Glasman, Ely Cathedral Business Group Chair Tom Green and founder of The Independent Andreas Whittam Smith.

Cearns & Co has enabled different voices to be heard and have a potential effect on decision making at local level. With audiences reaching 100, the impact is already being felt in Cambridge.

Cearns & Co strikes up conversation!

What does a relationship with Cearns & Co look like?Each project and client we work with is unique. Therefore Cearns & Co takes a bespoke approach on every occasion. To get an idea of the type of approach we may take, we have developed a typical process journey:

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2

3

4

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7

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Initial meeting over coffee

An informal meeting is held to explain

how Cearns & Co can help.

Research

We want to truly understand the project and

factors to consider.

Project brief

Once the full scope is agreed, we’ll compile a

detailed brief.

Forming a team

Who do we need on board to make the venture

come to life?Allocation of tasks

We source the right trusted partners to deliver the brief.

Checking in

Regular review enables hurdles to be identified

and deadlines met.

Developing a relationship

with stakeholders

We find out who will be affected by a project and needs a voice.

Identifying an event to celebrate

An upbeat event to toast the project end will leave the

community feeling positive.

Review and future planning

We can still continue to play a part in your project after it’s completed. Long-term sustainability is key for

any venture.

T +44 (0)844 272 0915M +44 (0)7974 837063E edward@cearnsandco.com

@edcearnswww.cearnsandco.com

“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”

Richard Branson

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Helen Keller

“Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”

Steve Jobs

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

Desmond Tutu