BIG INTERVIEW: Caroline Cayzer, chief executive, GFS Platform

Cayzer, who joined GFS Platform, or the Girls' Friendly Society as it used to be known, as chief executive in December has been entrusted with nothing less than directing the organisation from the brink of collapse.

GFS has seen its income cut drastically as a result of falls in the stock market during the past few years, which has led to a decline in the income from many charities' investments. This has meant a radical refocusing of activities, and the change in name is just the start of it.

"Having a business background helps," says Cayzer, who previously worked in change management roles for housing associations and before that in the mechanical engineering sector. "Making a profit is fun, but using it to help people in need is more satisfying," she says.

GFS is one of the oldest established youth charities in Britain. It was founded in the 19th century by the Anglican Church to create a support and friendship network for young women, some as young as 14, who had left home to find work in cities as domestic servants.

"Although isolated and vulnerable, at GFS, young women and girls had a voice in the running of their charity since its early days. They still do," explains Cayzer. "It was pretty groundbreaking, since women didn't even have the vote then.

"That's why we incorporated the word platform in our new name, because it signifies a place to be heard. Our young women have a voice in how we run the charity, which gives them the confidence to speak out on issues that affect them, whether it's at our board meetings, to landlords or to an MP."

The charity's work has not changed much since then. Teenage pregnancy, low income and housing are still serious issues, along with such things as low confidence and self-esteem among teenage girls.

As part of its work, GFS has been running a supported housing programme, with eight hostels across the UK for homeless young women or teenage mothers, and it supports up to 500 young women in its various projects.

But this is about to change. The chief casualty of the repositioning the organisation has undertaken since the start of the year has been the loss of its social housing arm, which made up two-thirds of its work.

"We made the decision to move away from social housing because of lack of funds," says Cayzer. "We are now too small a provider to keep up with the maintenance of the properties and are being overstretched. Like all charities, we are answerable to each and every funding stream, and have to provide monitoring processes on top of delivering our services.

"Changes in funding regulations mean that we need to be more on the ball about raising funds. My role is to find out more about our existing and future needs and to match them with the funding we can get."

The properties, along with their tenants and dedicated housing staff, are to undergo an open bidding process to find other registered social landlords to take them over.

"We are adamant that we will only transfer to socially responsible landlords who care about the young women who are living there, and who shouldn't see any change in their tenancy agreements," says Cayzer.

But although housing staff will keep their jobs, job losses at GFS's South Kensington headquarters in London are expected. The charity will now concentrate its resources on its community projects and parish work, and hopes to build partnerships with other organisations.

"The 11 September situation has affected charities across the board," says Cayzer. "We found that as well as our investments losing value, our donors were affected and donations were reduced."

And short-termism in funding has been the bane of project development.

"The Government needs to provide a longer-term view of charities and housing associations, because needs will continue. It would be ideal if funding was in 10-year batches, not three," says Cayzer. "The challenge now is to spend money well to help more people and not be held back by rules and regulations.

"My dream is that we'll be as efficient and effective as the best run business, but the aim is to provide the best possible care with compassion."

FYI

- Formerly known as the Girls' Friendly Society, GFS Platform was set up in 1875 by Mary Townsend with the support of the Anglican Church

- Its core age range is girls and women aged 15 to 20

- Its work includes the Great Yarmouth project for teenage mothers; 15 to 30s activity clubs and parish-based youth work

- Dioceses hold pre-teen children's activities, creches, daycare and antenatal care and basic skills education

- The supported housing project has two properties in London and one each in Birmingham, Great Yarmouth, Borehamwood, Reading, Swindon and Bristol

- GFS Platform is part of a worldwide network of branches that meet every four years.