This year has seen the continuation of ‘Action 2’ of the European Equal Programme ‘Equal Shares for All’ for which Innovate Trust is the lead partner. The programme involves 10 projects, in a development partnership working with six external partners:-

All Wales People First, CEWC Cymru(Council for Education and World Citizenship), Bridgend People First, Vision 21, British Waterways and Social Firms Wales.

This year has seen the introduction of a major 4 year Big Lottery Funded project, funded under the ‘Mentro Allan’ scheme. Innovate again was lead partner in taking the successful bid forward, which has resulted in a new project ‘Venture Out’, which specifically works with disabled adults and children in Cardiff, to encourage them to participate in challenging outdoor activities that use the natural and urban environment in their locality. Hundreds of people will be able to access such activities as sailing, climbing, canoeing and horse riding as part of this exciting project. This project has additionally been supported by the Countryside Council for Wales and the Sports Council for Wales.

The funding of Innovate Trust’s training enterprises was a priority this year, and efforts were rewarded when we were successful in bidding for a three year grant from the Big Lottery. This meant that we were able to re-open ‘Baltic Café’ which had temporarily closed due to funding shortfalls, and means that we have gone along way towards securing the sustainability of Baltic Café and Parkview Café for the foreseeable future.

Additionally our continued funding from the European Social Fund enabled us to start up a new ‘Social Firm’, another opportunity to create an innovative enterprise with sustainability at its heart, specifically to create training and employment opportunities for young people. ‘Greenshoots’ Catering opened in October 2006, and in the first 6 months has seen enormous success. We were additionally supported in this venture by the Equitable Charitable Trust, who granted us three years funding towards this project. We would also like to thank the Cardiff Children and Young People’s Partnership ‘Priority Grant’ Fund, for further supporting us with a grant for the purchase of a refrigerated van, essential for the running of Greenshoots.

Our project ‘Field Days Organic’ based at Amelia Trust Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan has been supported this year by the Vale of Glamorgan Voluntary Action Scheme. This has enabled many great outcomes for our beneficiaries and volunteers.

Esmee Fairbairn continued to fund us this year, supporting the ‘Social Firms Wales’ Development Officer’s post, in partnership with Social Firms Wales. This has enabled them to build up their capacity to the point where this coming year they will be standing on their own two feet and establishing themselves independently, for which we offer them every success.

The Millennium Stadium Charitable Foundation were generous this year in making a grant to us towards the employment of an Employment Advisor to work with children in Special Needs schools, to support them in work experience placements and mentor them in considering their career options.

A new venture this year was the setting up of a ‘Payroll Giving’ scheme for Innovate Trust Staff. This enables staff to make charitable donations through their payroll, a system which enables the charity to additionally claim the tax as a gift, increasing the total donation.

We also gained support this year from a number of Charitable Trust Funds who have been kind enough to make donations towards our cause. These include:

The Millennium Stadium Foundation
The Local Mental Health Small Grants Scheme (WCVA)
The Oakdale Trust
The Free Masons South East Wales Division
HDH Wills Charitable Trust
The Solomon Trust