Supporting people in our local communities is at the very heart of what we do, from pregnancy, early years and youth work to working with adults and older people. In 1994, 14 residents of the Thornton Estate in the heart of Hull decided to band together and tackle the social problems that plagued their community. They decided that enough was enough and through a blend of hard graft, hope, help, goodwill, compassion and ambition they changed their community for the better and for good. Eighteen years later, that organisation of 14 determined and committed people is now the 260-strong Goodwin Development Trust; it is located in 36 different sites throughout the city of Hull and has an annual turnover of £12m. That 260-strong workforce, along with an army of volunteers, is dedicated to improving the Quality of Life within the city’s communities by identifying and addressing the needs of local people and by working in partnership with public, private and third sector organisations.
