Sutton charity reveals five-year plan based on major social research paper

Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust (SCCT), which traces its history back to Tudor times, based its plans on the biggest piece of research into life in the Royal Town for a quarter of a century, to decide what issues to focus on in the future.

The Charitable Trust, which provides almshouses and gives out annual grants of £1 million, based its plan on the Social Needs Review, an exhaustive research document on life in Sutton, carried out by Dr Lee Gregory of Nottingham University and his research team.

More than 3,000 Sutton households and 600 residents were involved in the landmark study, which aimed to capture and reflect changes in the town since a similar research project in 1993.

The trust's origins dates back to 1528, when Bishop Vesey persuaded Henry VIII to grant a Charter in 1528 establishing a Warden and Society (Corporation) to govern Sutton Coldfield.

The Corporation was obliged to use rental and other income to provide poor relief and improve the locality. The provision of almshouses for the town's poor became one of the trust's major contributions, which it continues to do to this day. Its Lingard House estate, in Walmley, currently comprises 18 flats and 28 bungalows providing warden-supported independent living for elderly residents.

The charity held a Working Together event, at the Trinity Centre, on Tuesday, invited local charities, volunteers, schools, churches, support groups, food banks, sports clubs, arts groups and political leaders to learn about the five-year plan and then provide their own feedback and thoughts on its ambitions.

SCCT chief executive Tina Swani, who presented the five-year plan, was ‘inspired’ by the response to the event and by those who attended.

She said: “The response surpassed my expectations, in that it really showed the power of bringing people from your local community together for one purpose to enhance the quality of life for all in Sutton Coldfield.

“After all, we are all here to do that, and it was inspirational to have so many like-minded people together in one room, to share our plans and to hear their thoughts.

“One of the things we have taken away from this is a desire to do more of this kind of event – bringing together those who are doing their absolute best, at grass roots level, to support the community in Sutton Coldfield, and who have so much to share in terms of resources and expertise.

“Clearly, by working together, we can all be more effective and ultimately do more good.”