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Tees approach to young homeless has lessons for all

A remarkable social enterprise project, about to celebrate its 21st anniversary, is attracting interest as far away as Japan because of its hugely successful approach to helping the homeless.

Community Campus ’87 is a Stockton and Middlesbrough initiative which now employs 36 people, has 30 volunteer workers and an annual turnover of £1.2m. And since the late 1980s when it was launched, it has housed over 5,000 young people and now owns 50 houses on º£½ÇÖ±²¥. Sociologists at the University of º£½ÇÖ±²¥ are now analysing why the enterprise has worked so well so others can consider replicating it elsewhere. ‘We want to elicit the success factors of Campus ’87 - and consider the constraints on its future effectiveness,’ said Rob MacDonald, Professor of Sociology and a key member of the University’s Youth Research Group.

Professor MacDonald said the idea for Community Campus came from young professionals disillusioned by working in the social welfare field and wanting ‘to do good and get back at Thatcher’. And although Campus ’87 is now much more business orientated, it hadn’t lost its people-centred approach he said.

Fellow researcher Judith Brown agrees, saying: ‘Community Campus ‘87 is one of the North East's most long standing social enterprises and is an excellent example of how to combine business principles with strong moral and ethical values. It is a real inspiration and when a group of Japanese academics came to º£½ÇÖ±²¥Â  last  year to look at social enterprises they were very keen to see Campus ‘87.’

Carl Ditchburn, Campus ’87 project co-ordinator, says: ‘Looking back over the last 21 years, I am astounded by the vision, resolve, dedication and courage  that has enabled us to build and sustain the size and scope of the current activity. I believe Campus has thrived on the sense of involvement and ownership of the young people we house and the leadership role they play in an organisation that is making a difference to the life chances of hundreds of young people across º£½ÇÖ±²¥.’

The report, Growing up with Campus, by Professor MacDonald and Judith Brown is due out in November. It will also be available on-line from carl@cc87.co.uk

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