## **Annual Report 2021/22**
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Provided by
Rickshaw rides at the Shrewsbury Cycle Hub
Low Carbon Day
Low Carbon Day
Moira and David Matthews D Howard, Georgina Morris, Phil Walker & Mike Bourke
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**A Message from David Howard, Chair**
## **WE NEED A NEW MODEL**
If ever there was a time to change our thinking, it is surely now. The fragile state of the world – political, economic, and ecological – is clear to see. Global tensions and restlessness are mirrored in crises at home, where short-term thinking undermines the possibility of positive strategies. Retreat into the comforting visions of a past which never really existed is no answer either.
Working to avert the consequences of the climate emergency is demanding; it requires dedication and stickability. As we pay tribute in this report to all those in our community who are committed to make a difference, who channel their energies into campaigning for and modelling a safer future, I
believe that we need to accept now that just working on the environment alone is not going to be enough. The challenges we face require both a wider social and political context, and the engagement of the majority, not just the minority who have the time, money and energy to make a commitment. The stark inequalities in our society – and across the world – where some of us can buy expensive electric cars, while many others are reduced to seeking handouts to keep themselves and their family together, illustrate why what is needed to address climate change does not seem to gain much traction in the wider population. If your priority is survival, then “doing the right thing” by spending on insulation, let alone installing an air source heat pump, is off the radar.
The idea – beloved by politicians - that problems can be solved by yet more growth is economically and ecologically illiterate. The biggest gains go to those already wealthy. And there is no Planet B. If we are to avoid climate catastrophe, we must accept limits. But if we are also to avoid social and political breakdown, we must ensure equity and fairness.
To this end I commend the transformative concept of “Doughnut Economics”, initiated by Kate
Raworth. It presents the idea of a “safe space for humanity”, where we can meet the basic needs of all citizens, while ensuring that we avoid overshooting planetary boundaries.
All across the world Doughnut groups are now working, and networking, to explore how this concept can be put into practice in their own communities. Those active in environmental issues are broadening their thinking; climate and social justice belong together. It is time to work with a new model.
## **Review: April 2021 to March 2022 - Our Key Activities**
We resumed our meetings in the Autumn following relaxation of the Covid restrictions. Our Committee and Board meetings continued with use of Zoom conferencing.
Our first event in September after the initial Repair Café (report page 4) was a new departure and entitled “ **Food for a Healthy Planet** ”. Our speakers explained the impact our food choices can have on climate change and extolled the virtues of vegan and vegetarian food, organic, local and seasonal, and growing your own food. We launched a Cook book at the same time.
We produced a leaflet highlighting easy ways of saving energy. This was widely distributed, including copies to the Food Bank. We have also pointed clients to Keep Shropshire Warm, run by Marches Energy Agency, which can fund free energy efficiency improvements..
We successfully encouraged the Mid Counties Cooperative and Vine and Co (Sandford Hardware) to withdraw the sale of disposable barbecues because of the fire risk posed on our local hills.
With our encouragement, pupils of St Lawrence’s School prepared individual postcards as messages to Alok Sharma, President of COP 26 and these were passed on by Philip Dunne MP.
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## **Review: April 2021 to March 2022 - Our Key Activities**
We purchased a thermal imaging camera which produces two images: a normal one showing the relevant part of the exterior of the building, and an infra-red one which reveals the warmest (whitest) and the coldest (darkest) areas. The camera works most efficiently when the outside temperature is low and the indoor temperature is high. This means taking the images early on cold winter mornings before the sun has warmed the roof and walls, and with the heating on two hours beforehand. Surveys were carried out in 29 homes and the images were sent to the residents with an interpretation and recommendations many of which have been acted upon.
In October we held a Zero Carbon Day which included electric bikes, electric motor bikes and scooters, electric cars, free trips in a rickshaw, courtesy of Shrewsbury Cycle Hub, a renewable energy installer and conservation organisations. Local electric car owners provided free trips in their cars.
In November we invited our local community to a “Climate Conversation” where we split into topic groups and decided what actions were needed to tackle the climate crisis.
Several of our Trustees contributed to South Shropshire Climate Action’s Report and Conference in May 2021 setting out the steps needed to reach net zero emissions in the Ludlow Constituency. One of our Trustees is a member of the Steering Group.
One of our Trustees has a key role with Zero Carbon Shropshire and we are pleased to work collaboratively with these wider organisations.
We continued to offer advice to many people who were able to install new heating systems, other energy efficiency measures and seek grant aid. We resumed our weekly advice sessions at the Health and Wellbeing Centre. We expressed our serious concerns about the government’s premature withdrawal of the Green Homes Grant and its maladministration.
Infra red image showing heat leakage
Our Cookbook with climate friendly recipes
Low Carbon Day
In March we held a well attended meeting entitled “Keeping the Lights On” with a speaker on the strategy for large scale grid storage of electricity and a speaker on nuclear power.
We submitted articles and press releases on many topics to Stretton Focus and the Shropshire media
We used our Social Media to communicate the external world of climate change. It enabled us to comment on proposed legislation and other documents, kept our knowledge base up to date, and stimulated our thinking ! We used it to communicate widely and locally. Website developments continue. 3
Keeping the Lights on -David Howard, Georgina Morris, Phil Walker, Mike Bourke
**Review: April 2021 to March 2022 - Our Key Activities**
## **Our Repair Café - A Success Story**
It is hard to believe that in only a few months the Repair Café has embedded itself as a regular resource in the community, a valued place to have both everyday domestic items and much loved older decorative goods repaired to be enjoyed for longer. As a result, we have saved items from being sent for recycling or waste disposal, reduced carbon emissions by reducing further manufacturing and brought joy to many owners.
The first Repair Café was held in September 2021 following a suggestion by Church Stretton Town Council and several months of planning and preparation. We used a toolkit written by Zero Carbon Shropshire based on the experience of the Ludlow Repair Café. A remarkable number of local repair experts replied to adverts on Facebook and Community Messaging and others responded to requests made by existing members of Stretton Climate Care.
Moira Matthews has very ably coordinated our activities supported by David Matthews.
After visiting various local meeting rooms, and impressed by all of them, we chose the Scout Hut as the venue for our events. It lent itself to ‘craftwork’, had been beautifully renovated, provided a good kitchen and toilet facilities, and offered both easy access and a central location. Terry Davis, the Scout leader, has helped us set up for our events. One bonus of hiring the Scout Hut has been its proximity to Rectory Field. At the initial meeting in September 2021, still under Covid restrictions, with the kind permission of the Church Stretton
Town Council, we were able to serve refreshments in the field behind the Scout Hut, and have continued to do so since during good weather. It is lovely to see happy customers enjoying a chance to socialise whilst waiting for their repairs.
Since September 2021 we have experimented with the frequency of the Repair Café. We had envisaged quarterly events, but the demand suggested we met more often. After a second meeting in October, our planning was interrupted by a Covid surge, and we did not reconvene until January 2022. From March onwards we have met on a regular basis, on the second Saturday of the month. There was clearly a pent-up demand during the first few months which has now tailed off, but each meeting we have at least 20 items.
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**Our Repair Café - A Success Story**
Since September 2021, the Repair Café team have carefully considered some 100 items and have repaired most of them. We make no charge for the work but welcome any donations. Highlights have included the successful repair of a musical box, complete with pirouetting ballerina, an aged gramophone with trumpet, a clockwork train, and ‘Horsie’ the ride-upon stuffed toy. The Hacker radio and the massage table were noteworthy examples.
Generally, however, we are presented with small electrical goods, such as lamps, vacuum cleaners and kettles, the last two often difficult to repair owing to manufacturers’ attempts to ensure that purchasers cannot repair items themselves. Right to Repair legislation is currently going through to stop this frustrating practice. We meet the need for a significant number of sewing machine adjustments and replacement zips. We are now promoting the adornment of visible repairs to clothes to play to the skills of our textile experts! Shropshire Cycle Hub has kindly attended on several occasions to service bicycles.
The key to the success of the Repair Café is, of course, the very real expertise of our trusted repair team upon whom we rely and trust. Many of them have taken home items to spend more time on repairs and have even returned them to owners’ homes. We have been extremely fortunate to have the very generous help of the following repairers: Barry Gwynne, John Bennett, Sandy Ogden, Chris Head, John Ramage, John Garnett, Derrick Tapscott, Jamie Wrench, Sally Farrell, Liesa Shigan, Rob Humperson and Richard Briggs. Our support team has been fantastic with refreshments provided by Valerie Morris and Ann Cooke, money counted by Chris George and queue control and paper work by Jane Wrench. We were also lucky to have the help and cheerful company of Peter Marsh at the first meeting before his untimely death in October. We are grateful for the donation we received
We aim to develop the education aspect of the Repair Café, demonstrating to customers how they can repair items themselves and advertising ways to reuse, repair and recycle. We embark on the next twelve months armed with enthusiasm and a dream team of repairers!
5
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
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I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (Ihe TrusVI for the year ended 31 / 120>
Rosponslbilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are resp)nsible for the preparation
basls of roport of the accounts in accordance wtth the requirements of the Charities Act
20111lhe Acr).
I report in respect of my examination of the Ttust's accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145{5llb) of the Act.
I have Mpleted my examination. I confimi that no material matters have
come to my attention
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the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material
respect..
accounting records were not kept in accordance vthh section 130 of
the Act or
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I have no concerns and hav6 come across no other matters in connection
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proper undelanding of the accounts lo reached.
. Please delete the words in the braGkets if they do not 8ppIy.
Signed:
Date:
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Name:
Relevant professlonal
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October 2018
Charity Name
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**Stretton Climate Care: Organisation and other Facts**
## **Charity Name and Number and address**
Stretton Climate Care is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). Registered charity number 1159816. It was established in 2015, replacing a charity of the same name which was established in 2008.
**Address:** Mayfair Community Centre, Easthope Road, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 6BL email: info@strettonclimatecare.org.uk Website www.strettonclimatecare.org.uk Tel 07528 493181
## **Finance**
We have adequate funds although these have been depleting over successive years and the Trustees have taken action to reduce our annual losses by raising more funds in a variety of ways. It is the policy of Stretton Climate Care to operate with a financial reserve equivalent to at least 9 months of our annual expenditure, and we exceed that. The Committee receives a Report analysing expenditure and income at each of its meetings and controls expenditure accordingly. We do not undertake any significant fund raising and we are compliant with Charity Commission Fund Raising Guidelines and do not need to register with Fund Raising Regulator. We comply with Charity Commission guidelines for our financial controls.
## **Summary of Charitable Objects**
for the benefit of the public in the Church Stretton area: a) the conservation, protection and improvement of the environment b) education about use of energy to reduce or eliminate carbon dioxide emissions c) the relief of fuel poverty by promoting the efficient use of energy
## **Public Benefit**
The Trustees of Stretton Climate Care have had regard to providing public benefit in delivering our services in accordance with advice from the Charity Commission. In particular our main service is to assess and advise on the carbon footprint and energy use of households and provide advice where appropriate on reducing this. This includes information on the choice of transport modes and vehicles. And we have also supported the development of renewable energy in our area. We encourage reuse and recycling and the introduction of A Repair Café has been a success. Our services are provided free of charge to any household in the community and we do our best to give priority to households in fuel poverty. We provide subsidiary activities and services, such as lectures and talks that are either free or subject to a small charge to cover costs. Other activities such as the duck race are intended to attract additional households to our service and although there is small charge for entry to the duck race. Our activities also generate opportunities to advance education about conserving, protecting and improving the environment.
## **Trustees**
The new Constitution provides for the election or appointment of up to 12 trustees. The current 9 Trustees are Michael Bourke (Vice Chair), Marcus Cash, Jon Cooke (Publicity Officer), Chris George (Treasurer), David Howard (Chair), Mike Hymas (Secretary), David Matthews, Lorna Taylor and Jane Wrench. Our Trustees are elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
## **Other Information**
We are dependent upon our dedicated and enthusiastic Volunteers who undertake all the functions of the organisation. There are no employees. We joined Green Shropshire Exchange a Network of environmental groups in Shropshire. We continue to review our data security arrangements in the light of the General Data Protection Regulation. Our Privacy Policy is on our website and we have registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
We have reviewed our Organisation against the Charity Commission’s Governance Code and are addressing a number of issues raised. In particular some Trustees have served for more than 9 years and our Board is not as diverse as it should be.
## **Structure of Stretton Climate Care**
Our Board of Trustees makes the key decisions for the organisation and comprises all our Trustees. It has delegated many of its responsibilities to the General Management Committee which comprises all of our 9 Trustees and Rachel Foster and Sally Farrell.
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## **Our Volunteers**
are an essential element of our organisation.
Without them we could not deliver our services. So here we list the names of those who are not Trustees who made Stretton Climate Care effective during the last two years :
John Annetts, Wally Blake, Liz Bourke, Brian Bradley, Isabel Carter, Ann Cooke, David Edwards, Trish Howard, Victoria Hurn, Andrew Middleton, Moira Matthews, Valerie Morris, David Newbrook, Helen Sansom, Derek & Julie Tapscott, Mark Tocknell, Richard Walker, Ken White & Jamie Wrench (our repairers are listed on Page 5) plus many other occasional volunteers who make our services happen.
**We are very grateful for their actions, support and dedication.**
## **Our Supporters and Funders**
We are very grateful to the numerous individuals and bodies who helped achieve our work, especially our volunteers, funders and donors.
We also received funds and/or support from a number of companies and organisations, including Agilent Technologies, Ambercouch, Burway Books, Chocolate Haven, Energy Zone, Kaboodle, Jemima’s Kitchen, Kate Johnson (deceased), Marshbrook Print, Mid-Counties Cooperative, Rainbow’s End, Salts, Stretton Print, The National Trust & Vine & Co (Sandford Hardware) **We are grateful to all these bodies and people for their support**
## **Our Mission Statement:**
To advance environmental protection and improvement by reducing the carbon footprint of the local area. **Aims and Objectives**
- **To raise awareness of issues concerning climate change and the need for action**
- 1.1 To deliver a programme of lectures on climate change & sustainability matter
- 1.2 Continue “what to do about Plastic” campaign
- 1.3 Improve engagement with children and young adults
- 1.4 Provide updates on technology, policy and issues
- 1.5 Develop effective communication of SCC agenda
- 2 **To promote a culture of climate care through reducing energy consumption, encouraging the generation of local energy, and advancing a more sustainable lifestyle**
- 2.1 To provide a free home energy service
2.2 Pursue a Sustainable Strettons agenda
2.3 Organise an electric car day
- 2.4 Organise Talk on renewable energy and heat
- 2.5 Organise a Talk on vegetarian & vegan cooking
- 3 **To support local people in reducing emissions, and eliminating fuel poverty**
- 3.1 Provide tangible support to fuel poor following Home Energy Check
- 3.2 Provide regular advice sessions at the Health & Wellbeing Centre
- 3.3 Develop practical relationships with other support agencies
- 3.4 Provide Talks to Community Groups
Annual Report Supported by
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