Organisation Overview

Foresight (North East Lincolnshire) Limited operates throughout North East Lincolnshire to meet the needs and requirements of disabled people, their families and carers. Our Mission Statement is “To provide the way forward for the disabled community of North East Lincolnshire and surrounding areas. Empowering individuals to a new beginning, a brighter future and a full and enjoyable life.”

The organisation is active in influencing policy through partnership and network working. Foresight is well represented on various steering groups and committees including local government, primary care trust and the voluntary sector forum.

The organisation promotes active citizenship assisting to remove the barriers to social exclusion. We encourage participation through volunteering and strive to offer a professional service of the highest quality, underpinned by communication and consultation with our service users and working in partnership with other agencies involved with service delivery.

Foresight works to improve the quality of life for its service users, building confidence and combating disadvantage. By the provision of new opportunities, raising awareness and partnership working we address the stigma and myths surrounding the disability and break down barriers enabling individuals to lead a full and independent lifestyle.

Foresight is totally user led in the provision of facilities and activities and we currently provide a wide range of learning, training, leisure, sporting and social activities all specifically adapted to meet the needs and requirements of the disability. To further support and complement this we offer information, advice and guidance surgeries on benefits, independent living, job search, careers, all aspects of health e.g. opticians, doctors, dentists, community and home safety and other related issues in order to provide a ‘one stop shop’ to meet the needs and requirements of our service users.

Until recently Foresight has worked as a traditional charity, raising funds and grants to pay for the costs of service delivery. This way of working proved effective as the organisation was growing however as demand for Foresight’s services have spiralled it has become clear that in the longer term working this way was not sustainable. Foresight in close consultation with a variety of agencies and statutory organisations are moving towards a service delivery model based on tenders and mainstream contracts and through Local Area Agreements.

Our History

From its inception in 1999 Foresight has grown from a group of enthusiastic volunteers with a mission to assist blind and partially sighted people to lead more fulfilled lives, into a well respected mainstream support organisation addressing the varied and complex needs of its clients.

Demand for the services of the organisation is such that Foresight has already grown out of its first home and moved into new improved premises. Whilst the organisation was delivering a limited range of services under a variety of grant funded schemes these premises were adequate and indeed accommodated 10,000 visits last year.

Foresight however, realised some time ago, that if it was going to continue to grow and sustain itself in the future it needed to move away from grant dependency towards becoming a deliverer of mainstream services.

During extensive market research with its client group Foresight uncovered a massive range of needs and untold areas of distress that were not being addressed by the statutory authorities.

After long negotiations with the local authority Foresight were able to successfully tender for its first contracts to deliver services. These have proved so successful that the local authority have procured additional services from the organisation. Foresight has also applied to a number of external bodies for funding assistance on new projects and these are due to come on-line in the very near future.

The only obstacle now in the way of the organisations expansion and sustainability is the building it occupies. It is not large enough to accommodate the increasing numbers of clients, is not adaptable to meet the specialised needs of its clients and it cannot accommodate the new services Foresight wish to offer its growing client base. This will shortly be addressed as we establish a new base for the organisation that is fit for use and this will be a major strand of the organisations move towards sustainability and away from grant dependence.

During its phenomenal growth Foresight has benefited from the wide experience of its Trustees, who have supported the staff and volunteers in growing the business in a sustainable and measured way and this experience will stand the organisation in good stead during its next phase of growth.