Track Record

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Made Open Ltd help local authorities, health trusts, charities, and businesses to build sustainable communities, strengthen their networks and design better services. Made Open clients choose to work with them because they too are committed to improving health and wellbeing, developing communities, or creating sustainable futures.

We worked closely with Made Open in 2019 and 2020 to develop a successful funding application to the National Lottery Fund.

“The value that Marsha Miles Consultancy has added to our client relationship with Age UK Mid Devon has been significant – they helped to match Age UK’s needs and goals with our software solution; helping them to raise finance and bridge gaps. All of this has been achieved with a quiet efficiency, a great sense of humour and a genuine commitment to both our causes.”

Roadwater Shop and Café is managed by a  community benefit society. It is located in West Somerset where it is ran by a small team of staff and volunteers. The vision for Roadwater Community Village Shop was to create a sustainable and accessible shop and build a community hub to provide an informal environment serving the everyday shopping and social needs for residents and the wider rural community.

“Amongst other help and advice, Marsha and her team provided significant support drafting and then helping us pull together a complete and detailed Business Plan in good time for a successful application for social investment. Their help was always friendly, responsive and delivered in an efficient manner.” – Robert Wetheridge – Chair of Committee

Elim Connect is local Church affiliated with the National Elim Church, it works with disadvantaged and homeless people in Mendip, Somerset to help them to change their lives. 

We have worked with our client since 2016 providing a successful Bid Writing Service. In addition to this we have secured funding through the development of a Business Plan and Financial Costings utilising investment from the Reach Fund. This led to a social investment to start a new horticultural project CIC. 

“High level skills, great communication, creativity and wide knowledge of the voluntary sector are just some of the reason we are happy to be contracting Marsha and her team. They are great people, skilled at networking and stimulating creative thinking. I highly recommend this consultancy.” Stephen Fowler, Senior Leader.

Somerset Skills and Learning CIC is a provider of adult education, apprenticeships, and community learning. 

In 2020 we were approached to join the assessment panel for one of their community development funding panels. We conducted this work on a voluntary basis as part of our CSR. 

“Marsha is committed to supporting community-based organisations to effectively meet the needs of individuals and the communities in which they live. Marsha recently supported SS&L in their application assessment process for their Stronger Communities fund. Her insights and contributions were invaluable in ensuring the funds were directed to where they were needed most and I would welcome the opportunity to work with Marsha in this capacity again.”

New Leaf Workplace Wellbeing provides counselling and coaching services for SMEs in Somerset, Devon and beyond. We focus on growth and change in a caring, fully supported environment.

“In 2017 we started to collaborate as part of an Action Learning Set. We also collaborated on some PQQ for a local counselling tender we wanted to consult with Marsha on whether it was worth us applying for this tender. She saved us hours of work and did a review of the business which proved invaluable and gave us helpful pointers on what changes we needed to make to make us more eligible. In 2018 she worked again with New Leaf helping us understand and navigate the European Rural Development Programme for England this was big piece of work which took over a year till completion. She was just brilliant with this work, methodical, thoughtful, understanding and most of all keep us in touch with everything and we won the bid which was amazing as it was our second attempt. I will always choose Marsha first for any work and I consider her an integral part of New Leaf’s Associate team”.

Age UK Plymouth has supported older people in Plymouth since 1942 and is a well-established, trusted, and valued organisation in the area. 

‘There mission is to care for and work with older people and their carers in and around the City of Plymouth to improve their quality of life through the promotion of choice, opportunity and independence’

We have worked with our client since 2017, providing a Bid Writing Service (retained) raising over 220,000k to date, developing a business strategy and providing executive coaching.

“During the three years of working with Marsha Miles Consultancy Age UK Plymouth has benefitted from their professional services and guidance by the development of a programme of funding applications with evidencing documentation which has enabled the Charity to secure funding for core, project and capital purposes. Their holistic approach, attention to detail and understanding of the voluntary sector has been invaluable in supporting Age UK Plymouth to provide vital services to older people across the city”. Simon CEO Age UK Plymouth

Social Prescribing is a way in which an independent health care project can be used to benefit patients within a primary care setting. We have developed a range of projects, in partnership with Ryalls Park Medical Centre and community-based companies and charities.  

“Marsha is the epitome of professionalism. Her knowledge of the VCSE sector is second to none. Marsha does everything within her gift to make projects happen, these projects truly transform people’s lives.” Daniel Vincent - Managing Partner Ryalls Park Medical Centre.

 www.ryallsparkmc.nhs.uk

South West Integrated Personalised Commissioning Program 

Marsha was part of the South West regional team from 2016 to 2019. She continued this role as an associate for the Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group for a further 12 months.

www.swscn.org.uk/improving-quality/integration/

Cleveland Fire Brigade delivers a number of community services in addition to the statutory duty of fire safety and rescue.  They needed to improve some of their internal processes before submitting a fresh funding application to the Youth Development Fund for their Youth Employment Initiative and other projects.  MMC worked with them to deliver a significant piece of work which included a completed outcome data review, development of a new outcome framework tool, bespoke staff training around scaling for success and embedding a theory of change, regular coaching and bid writing support.  https://www.clevelandfire.gov.uk/