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About us

Who we are
Who we are We are a highly driven and forward-thinking organisation strategically positioned in key sectors of the community and arts sectors to deliver high quality opportunities for creativity, learning and development to people at every stage of their lives. Based in North London, we are a leading provider of innovative opportunities for creativity, learning and development.

We channel our activity through several areas: Play Activities and Childcare Training and Qualifications Cultural Services Consultants and Advisors for Local Authorities and National Bodies

Mission statement
We set out to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities through the provision of high quality, creative and innovative activities, projects, programmes and services.

Key organisational objective
•  To provide a diverse range of direct, high quality services for children, young people and adults, which embrace creative and innovative approaches

•  To drive forward workforce development through provision of high quality qualifying, entry level and continuing training courses for people who work with people; especially in the community services sector

•  To work in partnership with a wide range of organisations to deliver consultancy and support services in our areas of expertise

What we do
We work within diverse communities and organisations, providing sustainable and effective local services for families and practitioners to reflect Government agendas. We also work with a number of bodies to support cross-sector development and inform strategy at local, regional and national level.

In every aspect of our work we use art as a tool for engagement, communication, consultation and change. We nurture creativity for the development of art as an end product, facilitating collaboration and community involvement. As face-to-face practitioners and leaders of change, we are making significant contributions to national agendas for play, early years and childcare.

Our national sector development work has attracted industry recognition from several bodies and we are currently accredited by six organisations:

SkillsActive
Investors in People
Edexcel
City & Guilds
CACHE
ILM

Who we work with
We work in partnership with a range of local authorities, awarding bodies, community organisations, trusts and charities.

We specialise in building durable and effective relationships with our partners to enable collaborations and crucial opportunities for sharing knowledge and expertise.

Why we're good at what we do

Infrastructure
We rely on the right people and the right systems to ensure that our users experience consistently high quality services, across our diverse programmes. Our processes are built upon concrete policies and procedures that are forward thinking, inclusive and informed by practice and experience.

We share cross-sector knowledge and information, making for highly effective and responsive service delivery. Our experience as a service provider informs our approach to leadership and support for second tier organisations across the public and private sectors.

Bridges and Platforms
We have established a network of strategic partnerships all over England, working with local authorities, trusts, private organisations and communities, which means that we are strategically placed in the arts and community sectors to provide key opportunities for new projects.
Our work focuses on working in partnership and sharing knowledge and expertise to provide real opportunities for creativity, learning and development.

And we are always on the look out for new people to work with to further our overarching aim to improve quality of life.

Skills Base
Our workforce is a comprehensive resource of creative, experienced and qualified practitioners. We like to think of our staff as a toolkit for our work, combining diverse skills and training across the arts and community sectors.

We work with people who share and promote our values and standards. From planning to delivery, our people make our programmes innovative, flexible and unique with their specialist knowledge and practical experience. We have a commitment to ensuring our staff are experienced practitioners in their field of expertise and we support their continued professional development.

'Mapalim is a very impressive organisation that clearly believes in the importance of supporting and developing its entire staff... the assessor would like to congratulate Mapalim on its commitment to effective management and development of its staff.'

IIP inspection report, August 2006.

Valuing People
At the heart of our organisation is an understanding that people are central to everything we do. As such, we make sure people are at the centre of every process, from our staff, to our partners, our clients and users - we are in the business of people-centred services.

We go a long way to recognise and celebrate identity, approaching everyone as an individual. Our programmes for communities and practitioners are specifically designed and delivered to meet the individual needs and preferences of people of all ages.

We learn by listening to the views and experiences of everyone we work with - children, young people, adults, as well as our staff, and we use this feedback to inform the shape of our organisation.

Contact us if you have an idea for a project or activity that you think would benefit your community or organisation.