Promoting Social Inclusion by Enabling Individuals and Developing Communities
When and why was ECI set up?
ECI, formerly known as Exeter Community Umbrella Ltd (ECU), was set up in
1993 as a registered charity and company limited by guarantee to provide an
umbrella charity for local community projects working in Exeter. At that time,
Palace Gate Project (a community and project development agency set up by
local churches in 1991) was initiating a number of church-related and other
community work initiatives across Exeter which had no proper legal framework
or overall structure to relate to. The Exeter Diocesan Board for Christian
Care (a church social action agency) organised a meeting between a group of
people representing some of these different initiatives to plan the development
of an umbrella organisation.
When ECI was set up, three already-existing projects became part of the umbrella. These were Palace Gate Project, Turntable Furniture Project and Exeter Homes Committee (a rent and deposit guarantee scheme).
What has been achieved so far?
Since 1991 when Palace Gate Project was set up, the following are some of
the highlights of what has been achieved by Palace Gate Project (until 1993),
and later all the projects of ECI:
- 7 major new projects established as part of ECI (Turntable Furniture, Exeter Homes Committee, St Petrock’s Centre, St Sidwell’s Centre, CARD PORCH Project, Flying Start Children's Centre and Farm Hill/Kinnerton Way Project)
- 2 other major projects established as sub-projects of Palace Gate Project (Palace Gate Counselling Service and Exeter Homemaker Project)
- 6 projects supported to become independent of ECI (Exeter Homes Committee, St Petrock’s Centre, Exeter Homemaker Project, Turntable Furniture Project, Palace Gate Counselling Service and St Sidwells Centre)
- Over 100 other local community groups, initiatives or networks supported
- 839 households helped to gain tenancies by Exeter Home’s Committee’s rent deposit scheme
- Over 1,300 people have received counselling
- 17 partnership initiatives established with our support and involvement (including Clothes Store, Drop-In Service, Christmas Care, Elderly Day Care, Clothes Voucher Scheme, Exeter Credit Union, LINKS Project, Meaningful Occupation Project, Devon Furniture Forum, Diverted Giving Scheme, Exeter SMART Move, etc)
- 470 households supported in maintaining their tenancies through Exeter Homemaker Project
- Over 30,000 food vouchers issued to help homeless people get a good meal without begging
- Over 2,500 homeless people have been provided with food, clothing, nursing support, advice, training and help with accommodation as part of over 115,000 individual client sessions at St Petrock’s
- Over 600 families on low incomes each year have been provided with furniture at Turntable
