Our Approach

The Winch believes in the potential and power of our community and the individuals in it. We believe every child deserves to flourish, regardless of background or circumstances.

Our drive has always been to positively include people who feel like they don’t have a place where they belong or where they can be themselves, We listen to the hopes and needs of people we were founded to serve. We work over time to build trusting, human relationships. The Winch employs many young people and adults who have faced challenging circumstances, to help us better understand our local experiences and to respond in the best possible way.

We recognise that we need to do more than provide high quality services for individuals, as transformative as they might be for those that access them. We know that it is usually groups of individuals or specific communities that face collective disadvantage or entrenched inequality. We must therefore respond by seeking change with and alongside groups unfairly held back from success. Our Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy (JEDI) commits us to securing change for those facing marginalisation and disadvantage.

Our new five year strategy is called From Cradle to Community. This reflects the history, values and ambition of the Winch.

We work alongside young people to develop their strengths, skills and sense of belonging. We connect people in our neighbourhood to create and to open up opportunity together. We promise to act as a champion of children and young people, to see their potential and to build their confidence in pursuing their ambitions. We will support them as they navigate their way through overlapping challenges. We commit to being alongside them through the difficult times and in the joyous moments. We will stand with them at critical transitions like changing schools or as home life shifts. We work with them to tackle the causes and consequences of inequality and to change systems that harm or hold back children’s lives. We want to end the cycle of disadvantage before it affects future generations of children, families and local residents.

Our 4 strategic goals are:

Work alongside children and young people to develop their strengths, skills and sense of belonging. 

We will invest in a long-term, relational approach with children, young people and families. We will build on the positive strengths in in our community, giving local talent a home. We will create spaces where everyone can feel safe, included and belong. We will provide opportunities for children and young people to explore and develop the skills they want and need to thrive.

Connect people to create more resourceful communities. 

The Winch community has a wealth of know how and networks, and the generosity to share these with others. We will connect people to create kind, self-sustaining groups like Connecting Parents – a group led by parents, for parents to run events, workshops and trips. We will work collaboratively with local residents and the organisations, to create new opportunities or remove barriers to existing ones, so that every child can succeed regardless of their circumstances.

Support communities to lead change

We will work towards long-term, positive change. In the face of the spiralling cost of living crisis, we believe that the need for a fairer, more equal world is increasingly compelling and will benefits us all. We will nurture and support local residents to take the lead in shaping our futures. We will nurture a sense of community togetherness, in which we all work together to create neighbourhoods in which children, young people and residents can flourish.

We adapt, learn and grow

If we have learned anything in the last three years, its that we can’t always predict where the next crisis will come from and how it will affect our community. In the face of new and persistent, old challenges, we must work therefore adaptively to deliver our mission. We will continuously evolve and improve how we work. We commit to building learning into how we operate as an organisation.

From Cradle to Community, our new five year strategy is available here:

Underpinning all of our strategy is our commitment to safeguarding everyone we work with: