As Sutton Coldfield’s longest-standing charitable body, SCCT (Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust) has a heritage of supporting local people and families since Tudor times. As the oldest charity in the Royal Town, an important part of our role is to lend support to the many smaller voluntary organisations and charities which make such a massive contribution to life in Sutton.
Image: Dr Lee Gregory, SCCT Chief Executive Tina Swani, and Chair of the Trustees Keith Dudley with the Social Needs Review.
This is why we have decided to make our full Social Needs Review report (2023) available to the public.
The data in the full report, collected by researchers at Birmingham and Nottingham University, represents perhaps the most comprehensive piece of academic study ever carried out into Sutton Coldfield life.
The Review used testimonies and questionnaire responses from 600 residents across all wards of Sutton Coldfield, in addition to 50 telephone interviews and information collated about 246 community organisations to build a remarkably detailed report about living standards across Sutton.
It also takes into account community satisfaction, the standard of living and social capital. We conducted different focus groups throughout the research process, creating a rich and balanced set of data.
The Review is the most detailed research done into Sutton Coldfield in a quarter of a century.
It’s already informed SCCT developments, including our Five Year Plan – now it’s time for other organisations and charities to benefit from this valuable research.
We know that right now many of the charities and voluntary organisations across Sutton are concerned about their financial future and will be considering applying for new forms of funding. For example, for many groups there are questions over ongoing funding from Birmingham City Council and other regular income sources.
We believe that the data in the Review could prove valuable to local voluntary organisations, when they are applying for funding, which is why we are making it widely available.
For example, whilst Sutton Coldfield is a wonderful place to live, the Review shows there are pockets of real hardship and deprivation in all wards – a reality which can be overlooked due to the assumption that poverty cannot exist in ‘affluent’ areas like Sutton.
We hope the Review is able to dispel this myth and give Sutton Coldfield’s incredible charities the data they need to access vital funding. Organisations have already given us positive feedback about the summary report of the Review, which has been available on the SCCT website since 2023.
Releasing the full Review will hopefully empower local organisations to continue delivering their excellent services and ensure that any individual who is struggling in our wonderful town never goes unnoticed and unsupported.
Tina Swani, Chief Executive, Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust, April 2024
