Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol
Annual Report & Accounts 6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009
Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol Annual Report and Accounts 6th April 2008 - 5th April 2009
CONTENTS Sustainable Wales....................................................................3 Staff, Volunteers, Trustees, Advisors, Patrons.....................4 ANNUAL REPORT 2008-09 Chairman's Comments............................................................5 Director’s Report......................................................................6 Financial Review......................................................................9
Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol
Annual Report & Accounts 6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009
Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol Purpose To enable Welsh individuals, households, organisations and communities to reduce their environmental impact and live more sustainably by facilitating behavioural change through the innovative provision of information, education and practical opportunities, which in turn will indirectly influence policy change towards sustainable development. Aims • • •
To promote one planet living. To lobby for policy change to achieve more sustainable lifestyles. To support the local economy.
Objectives • • • • •
To encourage and increase use of local, green, ethical and fairly traded goods and services by society. To reduce waste of resources and level of waste disposal whilst providing support for durable products, reuse and recycling. To save energy and promote renewable energy to combat global warming/climate change and further encourage development of a low carbon economy. To promote policy change which supports sustainable development. To encourage citizen involvement in local decision-making and community action, increasing well-being, skills, confidence and self esteem.
Actions • • • • • • •
To promote, educate and advance awareness of sustainable development via various media activities, PR/marketing, information/resource production, public events and festivals. To offer information, advice, support and facilitation to help Welsh citizens, organisations and networks work towards sustainable development through their activities, projects, policies and practices. To organise training, workshops, seminars, conferences and events. To encourage and develop community-based activities that are replicable. To collaborate to influence other sectors. To involve volunteers, local people, artists, practitioners and politicians. To fundraise via grants, sponsorship, consultancy and training fees.
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Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol
Annual Report & Accounts 6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009
STAFF Margaret Minhinnick Verity Dighton
Director Office Manager
PROJECT STAFF Sian Dando Natalie Sargent Angharad Dalton Joseph Newbury
Wales RNC (Part-time) Project Development/Grants (Part-time) Bridgend SD Officer Plastic Bag Free Bridgend Campaign
VOLUNTEERS Catrin Dalton Etienne Cronje Steve Pullen Richard Giddons (Exeter University) Catherine Felton (school placement) Rob McGhee Rebecca Austin Sara Jenkinson Lindsay Jason Bragg Peter Morgan Lucy Minhinnick Eamon Bourke Robert Minhinnick James Nee Members of local Chamber of Trade 5 RNC Volunteers
TRUSTEES John Drysdale Frank O’Connor Philip Marks Simon O’Rafferty Jan Walsh Steve Harris Richard Thomas
Chairman
ADVISORS Robert Minhinnick Alwyn Jones Gareth Clubb Ken Moon
Richard Thomas Philip McDonnell Lee Turner
PATRONS Jonathon Porritt Edward Goldsmith John Barnie Dafydd Iwan John Humphries Angharad Tomos Hilary Llewellyn-Williams
Writer, broadcaster, environmentalist, former chair UK Sustainable Development Commission Founder, former editor ‘The Ecologist’ and writer Former editor ‘Planet’ magazine and writer President Plaid Cymru, writer, musician, broadcaster Former editor ‘Western Mail’ Writer Poet
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Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol
Annual Report & Accounts 6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009
CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS It is a pleasure to report on another busy and successful year for the charity in its attempts to encourage our society to be less profligate and to develop a more thoughtful attitude to the world we are creating for future generations. 2008/09 has culminated in the near completion of one important pilot project – 3 years of ‘Sustainable Solutions Bridgend’ funded by the Big Lottery, and completion of 15 months of ‘Plastic Bag Free Bridgend County’ funded by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG). Both these campaigns required community development skills, creativity and excellent communication. Relationship, and to some extent ‘capacity-building’ work has predominated. This has entailed forming networks of interest, providing information and resources, planning events and offering support, all geared to the promotion of sustainable living. This has definitely left a legacy of new awareness within the borough of Bridgend in which our two Development Officers operated. Campaign experience gained working within all types of communities, developing face-to-face activities, promoting good practice, all with considerable media profiling, mean we have a great deal to offer other communities in terms of blueprints for replication. The part-time work undertaken for Waste Awareness Wales/WAG for the Wales Real Nappy Campaign (RNC) has helped maintain our support for families, local authorities and the NHS, as well as developing a more professional relationship with credit unions across Wales. The specific knowledge and creativity displayed by our officer is vital to the campaign’s success. SW has contributed to many important committees. Our director remains a board member for Cynnal Cymru, member of the WCVA’s Environment Wales Grant Committee, and also the WCVA’s Climate Change Advisory Group. She is also a member of Glas Cymru – the ‘not-forprofit’ company running Welsh Water. It is good to see new partnerships developing which extend SW into other areas, such as the arts. Contact with the ‘social-care’ movement comes via opportunities provided by contracts and fees. Crucial 'behavioural change' activity will need this type of support alongside grants for many years to come. SW's achievements during this eleventh year would not have been possible without our grant and consultancy contracts, the commitment of my fellow trustees and the support of our advisors and industrious volunteers. The impressive outcomes of our work are a direct result of the dedication of all our staff, and I wish to thank everyone for all their efforts.
John Drysdale
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Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol
Annual Report & Accounts 6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009
DIRECTOR’S REPORT Local Work: 1.
Sustainable Solutions – Bridgend. Big Lottery Fund Funded
Year 3 of 3. The aim was to increase sustainable living via increased awareness, development of partnerships, practical action and community engagement across Bridgend county borough, whilst maintaining links with councils and networks. 'Community Connections,' our attractive, still readable, magazine was beautifully produced, demonstrated quality content, and covered social, cultural and environmental issues. Distribution was time-consuming but the magazine possibly reached more than the projected 45,000 readers if we consider that each issue had a 12 -15,000 print run, and was / is available on our website www.sustainablewales.org/blog/?page_id=101. Public engagement was achieved by offering a series of public events and green festivals (over 1000 people attended our Christmas market), maintaining the information centre based at our premises, offering advice, talks and training, and attending many community events held by other organisations. The project exceeded its target of working with 77 local organisations and 40 social enterprises, collaborating with many community groups, and helping the development of ‘Tools For Self Reliance,’ the monthly ‘Bridgend Farmer’s Market,’ ‘Porthcawl Chamber of Trade,’ ‘Sussed’ and its volunteers. It also initiated the ‘County Fair Trade Group.’ We believe we have set a ‘green’ agenda for this borough and left a legacy to enable further action. We hope to expand and deepen this approach via a new Big Lottery Fund bid application, and are working on a final seminar entitled ‘A Resilient Local Economy?’ 2.
Plastic Bag-Free – Bridgend. Welsh Assembly Funded
The disposable plastic bag is an icon of our convenience culture. These bags are the most ubiquitous consumer item on the planet, numbering in the trillions. They are, of course, made from petroleum or natural gas and contribute to climate change. The high profile for this campaign across the UK is especially important to us in Wales where we will see the introduction of a charge, or levy, within a couple of years on single–use bags. Working within several chambers of trade allowed us a valuable insight into how small businesses consider this issue. Media opportunities have been significant and have included BBC TV and radio as well as the Western Mail and South Wales Echo. The Welsh Assembly has also requested our advice. Our campaign had c.95% involvement of local traders and close to a 30% reduction in distribution of plastic bags during the employment period of our Development Officer. Environmental behavioural change needs monitoring and a community-based approach, such as SW's, is we feel, essential. A final bilingual ‘how to do it’ guide is now available on our website www.sustainablewales.org/blog/?page_id=11
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Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol
Annual Report & Accounts 6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009
Consultancy and Contracts Wales. a.
Real Nappy Campaign. Welsh Assembly Government Funded
It is estimated that 200 million disposable nappies go to landfill every year in Wales. The post promotes the use of reusable nappies (RN) throughout Wales, offering impartial information and advice to parents, nurseries, local authorities, community groups and the health sector. Talks, website scripts and leaflets have been provided for all local authorities and three were helped to develop a RN incentive scheme; 3000 leaflets were designed, printed and distributed highlighting the role of Credit Unions; all hospitals and birthing centres have received a display board and receive talks at their classes from RN Agents. The campaign’s DVD was re-edited by SW with 200 copies produced. One hundred calendars were printed featuring twelve RN wearing babies! The updated website received 6860 visits, 24 enquiries and 46 calls to the hotline. Meetings have been held and events attended throughout Wales. Increasingly families are responding to this waste issue and we look forward to working with more midwives in the coming year. b.
Climate Change Training. Welsh Assembly Government Funded
The Cardiff ‘Climate ExChange’ community information day involved over 30 organisations - the aim being to engage the ‘unengaged.’ The Voluntary Sector Minister Kevin Brennan MP and Graham Benfield, Chief Executive of the WCVA, amongst others (with Minister Jane Davidson AM appearing on film) attracted a large audience throughout the day. The range of activities was very varied (e.g., film room, live debate, information stalls, presentations, surgeries, workshops, round-table group discussions) and those attending seemed to enjoy the informal marketplace-like atmosphere. Compliments included “ … well done on a good day, all your hard work paid off,” " the event was extremely well organised, and we really enjoyed it!” “ … glad to see/hear about so many organisations beginning to do real stuff on the ground.”
Assistance SW has continued to support the work of SUSSED, the Porthcawl-based green and ethical shop, over the year, providing free office space, administration costs, staff and accounts management. SW has continued its cultural work, with the 'Sea Holly' film/photographic/music/spoken word project that was staged at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in November '08, and at our 'Commune' event with four live bands in March '09. SW feels such cultural work based around 'sense of place' and community memory is a vital area for our efforts, and central to ideas of sustainability. Alongside our project activity, SW is proud of its job creation, plus the training and work experience it provides for volunteers - locally and across Wales. Many are undergraduates or graduates looking to gain experience and evidence of work for their CVs.
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Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol
Annual Report & Accounts 6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009
Financial review The charity has maintained sufficient reserves to enable it to complete the work for our final conference, ‘A Resilient Local Economy?’ We will also maintain the Real Nappy Campaign for 2009/10, organise a pilot CO2 ‘Living Lighter Campaign.'
Grant Applications and Project Development Over the forthcoming year we will try to secure further funding from the Big Lottery Fund and other agencies for work covering climate change, waste reduction, sustainable development policy training, and environmental and ethical purchasing.
Thanks My thanks must go also to our partners this year who have included Science Shops Wales (Glamorgan University), Bangor University, UWIC Cardiff (Business School) Seren Books, Llais Cymru; to our staff and consultants who have achieved so much this year, giving 100% effort in all they do and of course to all our dedicated trustees, advisors and volunteers.
Margaret Minhinnick Director
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Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol
Annual Report & Accounts 6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the year ended 5 April 2009
Note
Unrestricted Funds
Incoming resources Incoming resources from generated funds: Voluntary income: Donations and grants Activities for generating funds: Fundraising Affinity scheme Bank interest received
Total incoming resources
Resources expended Charitable activities Governance costs Management and administration
Total resources expended
(2)
Net incoming resources Transfers between funds Reconciliation of Funds Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
(10)
Restricted Funds
Total Funds 2009
£
£
£
£
51,657
119,795
171,452
194,225
2,363 46 386
-
2,363 46 386
669 66 1,383
54,452
119,795
174,247
196,343
56,481
106,078
162,559
191,856
871
16,486
17,357
13,561
57,352
122,564
179,916
205,417
(2,900) 40,978
(2,769) (40,978)
(5,669) -
(9,074) -
6,109
57,472
63,581
72,655
44,187
13,725
57,912
63,581
Movements in funds are disclosed in Note 10 to the financial statements. All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.
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Total Funds 2008
Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol
BALANCE SHEET
Annual Report & Accounts 6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009
Sustainable Wales Cymru Gynhaliol
Annual Report & Accounts 6 April 2008 – 5 April 2009
as at 5 April 2009 2009 £
Note
TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
(7)
CURRENT ASSETS Cash at bank & in hand Debtors and prepayments
(6)
CREDITORS: amounts falling due within one year
(8)
2008 £
£
2,527
£ 3,685
58,691 2,002
58,986 23,820
60,693
82,806
5,208
22,810
NET CURRENT ASSETS
55,485
59,996
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES
58,012
63,681
58,012
63,681
44,187 13,725 100
6,109 57,472 100
58,012
63,681
NET ASSETS
(9)
FUNDS: Unrestricted funds - General Restricted funds Trust capital
TOTAL FUNDS
(10)
An Independent Examiners Report was carried out by Alwyn Thomas Chartered Accountants, Glenaub House, Old School Road, Porthcawl, CF36 3AW Dated: 15 October 2009
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