The school helping their community, in good times and bad

Kajima Community

Kajima Community work with schools to optimise facilities and generate additional revenues through community engagement. Both their lettings software and range of lettings services are designed to help market facilities available to hire, open doors and establish schools as part of the local community - whilst generating profits to be invested back into the school. Kajima Community also directly manage community-use across a number of their self-built sites and other venues.

Website: www.kajima.co.uk/community Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Image courtesy of supplier. Image courtesy of supplier.

Haverstock School in Camden was re-built by Kajima in 2004. This was done with a central focus, by the local authority, to make the school a true community institution; operating as an integral part of the local area and fostering a sense of community cohesion. In the 13 years of close collaboration since, the school’s community access has been managed by Kajima Community. The results have been spectacular...

Supported by Kajima’s school lettings software, BookingsPlus - which streamlines the letting process, bringing together bookings requests, administration and invoicing on one easy-to-use platform - Kajima Community has helped community users access the school’s facilities outside school hours. The success of this partnership is clear: Haverstock School is a busy hub of community activity in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays. It’s used by a diverse range of groups, from sporting clubs to adult education classes and cycling proficiency courses.

Image credit: Sport England website.

The school’s central role in the community, in part due to its lettings programme, has directly benefited its students and fostered a sense of responsibility for the wider community. For the past three years, the partnership has enabled Crisis at Christmas to use the school as a shelter for 250 local rough sleepers. Plus, following the tragedy of Grenfell Tower, the school hosted members of the Camden community who were evacuated from their homes whilst fire safety reviews took place.

Image credit: Sport England website.

Given the school’s location and excellent facilities, community use is able to generate quite a substantial net income year on year. Part of this is used to subsidise the initial costs of the buildings and facilities; the balance is split 50:50 with the school. Proactive management by Kajima Community has built on these opportunities and brought in additional funding from third parties. Power League, a regular user of the school’s sports facilities, funded an upgrade of the all-weather pitch to support its busy five-a-side football league. The high-quality playing surface can be enjoyed both by pupils and local people.

Image credit: Sport England website.

Paul Edwards, senior league manager at Power League, credits Kajima Community with nurturing a highly collaborative “Community use is able to generate quite a substantial net income.”partnership between the club and Haverstock School: “Kajima Community is an inspiring partner to work with. Having facilitated our initial relationship with the school, it brokered the agreement between Haverstock, the Council and Kajima for the funding and operation of the new pitch. Its efforts have resulted in a long-term, mutually beneficial commitment from all parties, the advantages of which radiate out to club members, Haverstock pupils and the wider local community.”

Image courtesy of supplier.

The fact that schools are public facilities, and therefore a resource to which the wider community should have access, is a value shared by both Haverstock School and Kajima Community. The close working partnership that they have established has meant that, over time, Kajima Community hasn’t just shared Haverstock School’s values; it has actually helped to shape them.

Image credit: Sport England website.

Bring out the most in your school community by visiting www.kajima.co.uk/community. Alternatively, get in touch with the Kajima team via [email protected] / 01604 677 764.

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