Helping consider possible futures with Age UK (Portsmouth) #volunteers required

Pro Bono O.R. – enabling managers to make more effective decisions

Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme operated by The OR Society that places professional analysts in short term projects with third sector organisations in the UK. 

Projects require skilled professionals who work in operational research, analytics or related professions.  If you have the skills required for a project, we’d love to hear from you.

Please find details of a new project below that we are seeking a volunteer(s) for:

Additionally please visit the Pro Bono O.R. webpage (useful resources tab) which includes our free O.R. toolkit.  These tools could be useful not only for those working on our 3^rd sector projects but O.R./analytical professionals looking to develop their all-round “O.R. toolkit”.

Age UK (Portsmouth)

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives:

To help older people and their families, and carers of older people to be well informed, advised and supported so that they can make real choices and have control over their lives.

Main activities of the organisation: 

We help support older people to remain independently  in their own homes for as long as possible; we offer older people a range of services from gardening, hairdressing, chiropody, information and advice etc. providing a friendly face, a helping hand and companionship to mitigate against social  isolation.

Project summary:

Project: Helping us to consider possible futures in a systematic way: We have come to the point when we need to evaluate various options for our future.  Do we want to/should we grow the organization, and, if so, what form might the growth take?  A determination of possible futures, and an evaluation of them, would be extremely helpful to us

Time commitment: approx. 4 days

Location: Portsmouth (PO1 5RZ). Two 1/2 days at the Centre and 3 days of analysis and report writing

Please read project scope  and if you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return to me along with your CV by midday on Thursday 20^th October.

If you would like to volunteer on a project but are not able to commit to the full time requirement please let me know as it may be possible to pair you up with another analyst.  Lastly if you would like to work on a project as part of a pair or with the support of a mentor please indicate on your application and we can facilitate this. 

I look forward to hearing from you and once again thank you for your help and support.

For further information about the scheme please visit: http://www.theorsociety.com/Pages/Probono/Probono.aspx

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#ProBonoOR helps Age UK Dacorum secure £66.5k Big Lottery Bid

Back in September 2015 Pro Bono O.R. was contacted by Dave Pearce (CEO of Age UK Dacorum) to enquire if we could find a volunteer to act as an advisor for an application they were submitting to the Local Sustainability Fund. Age UK Dacorum required support to develop and implement (if the bid was successful) a business change plan aimed at improving its long term financial sustainability.

Dave initially registered with Pro Bono O.R. and was then put in touch with one of the Pro Bono O.R. scoping committee.  They discussed the requirements in more depth and outlined a scoping document that was then sent to the Pro Bono O.R. volunteers. There was a very tight deadline for the support Age UK Dacorum required and as such we knew it was going to be difficult to find a suitable volunteer. However to everyone's delight a suitable volunteer was found and Dave and Ken started work immediately.

Initially Ken worked with senior managers to:

(i) help [identify] select and firm up on one or two key organisational or business developments expected to improve sustainability, by:

• working with them to identify barriers to sustainability and options for change
• reviewing the logic, rationale and evidence for change proposals; identifying gaps, risks and issues; and concluding which is/are the most feasible, and fit in best with LSF objectives and likely funding level

(ii) helping to plan the change(s) identifying the main actions, timings, resources required, estimated budget, risks and rationale, in a way that assisted them to complete the LSF application form effectively.

After months of waiting Age UK Dacorum were informed this week that their application was successful and they will be awarded £65,000.  We are all delighted with this news as this grant will have an enormous impact.

Now Ken plans to work with Age UK Dacorum as an external advisor to provide support and challenge through the implementation stages of the plan. 

For more information about Pro Bono O.R. please visit our website.

Volunteer required for project with Age UK #ORblog

Pro Bono O.R. – enabling managers to make more effective decisions

Pro Bono O.R. is a scheme run by The OR Society that provides skilled volunteers to work on short term projects with third sector organisations in the UK. 

Projects require skilled professionals who work in operational research, analytics or related professions.  If you have the skills required for a project, we’d love to hear from you.

Please find details of a new project below that we are seeking a skilled volunteer for:

Age UK Dacorum

Information about the organisation:

Charitable objectives: To support older people and their carers.

Main activities of the organisation:

Service provision – Befriending, carers support, day centers, friendship teas, memory support clubs (COGs), telephone support, handyperson.

Project summary:

Project: Long-term sustainability: To help Age UK Dacorum develop and implement a business change plan aimed at improving its long-term financial sustainability.

Time commitment: approx. 5 days (to be completed by 25^th October 2015)

Location:  Hemel Hempstead Mixture on onsite and remote working.

Please read the project scope and LSF application form if you feel you are able to offer your assistance please complete the application form and return to me along with your CV by midday on Wednesday 30^th October 2015.

This project is suitable for an individual volunteer. 

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to get in touch.

I look forward to hearing from you and once again thank you for your help and support.

Kind regards

Felicity McLeister

O.R. Pro Bono Project Manager
Direct Tel +44 (0)121 234 7826, Main Tel +44 (0)121 233 9300

If you are not already a member of The OR Society and are interested in joining please visit https://www.theorsociety.com/ or send an email to carol.smith@theorsociety.com

Additionally you may be interested in becoming a member of our Third Sector Special Interest Group (ORiTS). For more details visit:  https://www.theorsociety.com/Pages/SpecialInterest/ORThirdSector.aspx

Other webpages that may be of interest:

http://probonoor.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.theorsociety.com/Pages/Probono/Probono.aspx
http://www.LearnAboutOR.co.uk
http://www.ScienceofBetter.co.uk