About Us
Who are we?
History
The Group Board.
Patrons
Group Executive Team
What we do?
Our Mission
Values
Welcome to The Vine Trust Group - The Present and the Future
Who are we?
With foundations set firmly within the Christian Faith, The Vine Trust Group is best described as a Community Development Trust that is actively engaged in economic, environmental and social regeneration. The organisation is structured to run an inclusive mix of services and facilities, which respond to the needs of the communities in which we serve, with the Christian Ethos as the cornerstone behind all activity.
We are actively involved in partnerships and alliances with the community, voluntary, private and public sectors. As a development trust we occupy the space where the business, public, community and voluntary sectors meet. There are three distinct subsidiaries within The Vine Trust Group that enables the group to carry out its mission.
History
The Vine Trust has been in operation since 1989, emerging as a direct result of the farsighted vision of local churches. The aim was to implement a system where others had failed, to create an environment in support of the youth of Walsall who were increasingly seen as a burden to society in general.
The project began with the purchase of the notorious Vine Inn Public House on the outskirts of Walsall Town Centre, which had stood derelict for a number of years following a chequered history involving drugs and prostitution.
The facility was transformed to become a positive base for young people with the purpose of working with the 'hardest to reach young people' including: non-attendees at school, excluded pupils and young people on the edge of the drugs culture, to name but a few. The overall aim was to help young people improve their circumstances and move them into a more fulfilling way of life through encouragement and support. After miraculously raising the funds to begin this epic journey 'The Vine Trust' was born.
The location and the look of 'The Vine pub' was both unique and innovative and it has proven to be conducive in attracting 'hard to reach' young people since it began and has established itself as an effective and non-threatening venue for education, work and leisure activities.
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The Group Board
The Board of Management has overall strategic control of The Vine Trust Group. In order to ensure effective control, the Board has delegated control of policy implementation and performance monitoring to other Committees of the Board and the Board members of our subsidiaries.
The Board and Committees operate in an open and accountable way. We embrace the fundamental need to set high standards of conduct and probity and this is embedded within the Code of Conduct for Members and Staff. In order to ensure that Accord maintains a high level of governance, we have a Governance Committee consisting of staff and Board/Committee members, which meets on a regular basis to monitor and further improve our governance.
Brian Powell
Our Chair, a former church minister who has been a Trustee of The Vine Trust since 1992. He is now retired from a number of engineering businesses, however, still remains a support worker for Walsall Youth Offending Service. He also acts as Chairman of the Governors for a special needs school, trustee and company secretary for the 'House on the Corner' community project. A trustee of 'Bentley Beginning Family Centre', member of the 'Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education' in Walsall schools. He was also a former director of 'Walsall Voluntary Action'.
Jeremy Sargent
A civil servant, first appointed as a trustee in 2008, he is an Anglican Church member and responsible for fair trade and social justice.
Joseph Tipper
Has been a trustee of The Vine Trust since 2000, with a special responsibility for Social Enterprise. A businessman working in the manufacturing industry for over 30 years and branch Chairman of Walsall and West Bromwich 'Gideons International' as well as a member of a local church pastoral team.
Mark Harland
Is a marketing and business consultant holding contracts including Cadbury and Jaguar, and a Director of a number of social charities including Walsall Street Teams (sexual health charity), as well as formally being a Minister at Walsall Community Church.
Jacqui Reid-Blackwood
Lorraine Attwood
David Lomax
A retired Deputy Head of a Secondary School, Dave now serves as a Governor of 2 of our schools
Mercian Trust Board Click here
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Patrons
Rt. Hon Stephen Timms MP
The Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP is currently the Member of Parliament for East Ham and the Shadow Minister for Employment. He is also the Labour Party's Faith Envoy. He is a former Cabinet Minister having served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2006 to 2007. He is also the Vice-Chair of the Labour Party, and vice chairman for faith groups.
Bishop Gregory
Bishop Gregory is the current Bishop of Wolverhampton. He was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge. Ordained in 1988 he began his career with a curacy at St John the Baptist, Margate was then a senior Chaplain at the University of Warwick, and finally (before his elevation to the episcopate) Team Rector of Coventry East. Walsall, the home of the Vine Trust is in the bishop’s Archdeaconries.
Bishop Roger Sainsbury
Co- founder of the Vine in 1989, Roger was the then Rector of St Matthews Parish Church, Walsall, eventually becoming Bishop of Barking. Roger Sainsbury, who is chairman of Portishead Youth Centre’s redevelopment committee, has been involved in youth work for 50 years, chairing along the way the National Youth Agency. In retirement Bishop Roger Sainsbury, is Chair of Churches Together in England Urban Affairs Group and President of Frontier Youth Trust, said:
“Youth unemployment is one of the biggest challenges we face in our nation today and unless it is tackled in a positive way the implications, particularly for our urban areas, are very serious. It is vital we listen to the voices of young people and that is why I believe this youth unemployment research is so important.”
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Chief Executive
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Kevin Davis
Kevin is the Group Chief Executive Officer and has been with The Vine Trust since 1997. In that time he has overseen the expansion of the group, which has resulted in a large increase in staff, scope of activities and turnover. Kevin is a prolific Social Entrepreneur with an intrinsic talent for conceptualising and communicating vision, he has an ability to empower consensus, across the Public, Private and Third Sector for the achievement of common goals. Kevin serves his local community as a Third Sector champion with particular success in the development of CSR and faith inspired organisations.
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What we do?
Our mission is
‘Preparing young people for life and godliness'
Transforming society, through sustainable, youth focused partnerships.
Our Vision
‘Our work with young people, will be a catalyst for Christ centred, community transformation’
Our Aims
For communities who desire a better future for young people, our Education, Enterprise, Employment, Engagement and Ecclesiastical divisions, work in partnerships so that communities are transformed
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