8 October 2010

Pact’s social enterprises are underway and an outdoor campus is being developed at our Hazlett Road property in North Taieri in Dunedin.

Social enterprises have been a new area of focus for Pact this year, with a lot of planning and behind the scenes work to get them up and running.

The Pact Board of Trustees had a planning day recently and reiterated its support for social enterprises. Board members agreed that greater emphasis on occupational training and the establishment of micro enterprises that generate income for clients/employees is now seen as being a core business for Pact. They are also keen for Pact to explore for-profit business that can employ clients and generate revenue.

There are three Dunedin locations with social enterprise activities.

At the Hazlett Road property, vegetable gardens and a tunnel house have been put in and Pact’s clients have been going out to work at the gardens.

Service development and quality assurance manager Glenn Murtagh says there is more to the social enterprise plans at the property than just the gardens and tunnel house however.

"We’ve utilised the unused area at the back of the property and we’re going to develop this into an outdoor activities area."

Already the double garage on site has been converted to a woodworking workshop (this has moved from 420 in town). There will also be a tearoom and some sheds for all the tools and a tractor.

There are some other sheds that will also be used for client activities.

"We don’t know what yet – as this be driven by clients," Glenn says.

Ideas include using the sheds to chop the split firewood (from recently felled trees at Pact’s Pine Hill Road property) into kindling to bag up and sell.

Another idea was to pick up a car off Trade Me and have a group of clients fix it up and sell it.

"It’s trying to steer people into small cooperatives to generate some income for themselves. All these sorts of things are possible. It won’t be for everyone but if two or three are interested that’s enough to make it worthwhile. And we have a lot of expertise in our client base. A lot of our clients at 420 are tradesmen who are more than willing to share their knowledge."

There is also a compost area at the property, which has some earning potential.

Glenn says two or three clients could come out to the property two or three times a week and turn the compost over and then bag it and sell it when it is ready.

It won’t all just be about work. There are plans to develop a pleasant outdoor setting, with picnic tables and to convert an area into a mini-putt course.

The annual Pact Christmas barbecue could be held there.

"So there will be something fun to do out there as well. People may just go for a picnic and have a game of golf. But while they’re out there they can wander around the gardens. They can see what they might like to do and then we can start developing."

Glenn says community support clients are welcome to have a plot at the property.

"They can work their little bit of the garden with some support that’s there.

Meanwhile, over at the Pine Hill Road property, the chickens have arrived at the chicken coop. Pine Hill clients and staff take responsibility for shutting the door on the chicken coop at night and letting the chickens out during the day. Food and water is provided either from clients coming from The Armitage or from those at Pine Hill Road.

The third property is one Pact is leasing in Formby Road in Outram. Clients from a variety of Pact centres, programmes and services went out in the last week of September working hard, planting potatoes.

With all of the social enterprises, Glenn says there are three goals. For some clients the goal will just be to participate. For others it will be acquiring skills. For another group of clients the aim will be pre-employment or even employment.

"The more we can develop for them the better. It’s about providing that something to do during the day so they’re not just sitting around home all day and then sitting around home all night."

Glenn says if there is something clients want to do that is not being provided they should speak up.

"Just because we’re not providing it, it doesn’t mean we can’t. We have the ability to be flexible."

With Hazlett Road, Formby Road, Pine Hill Road together with the campus hub at The Armitage, Options, The 420 Centre and programmes run by health lifestyles coordinator Carina Perner, there is now a tremendous number of activities for Pact clients during the day. Carina is working on putting together all the programmes available into one document so clients can see what is on offer.