# **London Environmental Educators’ Forum (LEEF) Charity Number: 1168740**
## **Trustees' Annual Report**
**1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020**
**London Environmental Educators’ Forum**
Trustees' Annual Report for the Period Ended 31 December 2019
## **Reference & Administration Details**
## **Charity name: London Environmental Educators Forum (LEEF)**
Charity number: 1168740
Charity's operating address: ℅ Horniman Museum and Gardens, 100 London Road, London Postcode: SE23 3PQ
## **Names of the Charity Trustees who Manage the Charity**
||**_Trustee Name_**|**_Office_**|**_Appointed_**|**_Retired_**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|1:|**Dr Iain Boulton**|**chair**|**11 August 2016**||
|2.|**Trevor Bowyer**||**11 August 2016**|**September 20**|
|3.|**Catherine Miller**||**11 August 2016**|**February 2020**|
|4.|**Anna Portch**||**11 August 2016**|**March 2020**|
|5.|**Helen Robertson**||**11 August 2016**||
|6.|**Neil Herrington**||**November 2019**|**November 2020**|
|7.|**Richard Pering**||**11 November 2019**||
|8.|**Stuart Walker**||**May 2020**||
|9:|**Shaira Begum**||**October 2020**||
## **Names & Addresses of Advisors**
## _**Name**_
## _**Address & Postcode**_
Bank: The Co-operative Bank P.O. Box 101, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester, M60 4EP Independent None, as income in 2020 did not Examiner: reach the required threshold for external examination
## **Names of Senior Staff with Delegated Responsibilities**
_**Name Role**_ Zaria Greenhill Project Manager
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**London Environmental Educators’ Forum**
Trustees' Annual Report for the Period Ended 31 December 2019
## **Structure, Governance & Management**
## **Description of the Charity's Trusts**
**Type of Governing Document:** Constitution
**How the Charity is Constituted:** Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
## **Management structure**
LEEF is managed by a Board of Trustees drawn from the LEEF network. Our trustees bring a wealth of skills and sector knowledge to their role at LEEF as detailed below and they receive no financial remuneration from the charity in return. The members of our Board of Trustees are as follows.
**Dr Iain Boulton (Chair)** has 19 years’ experience of working in local government within London. He has been an active LEEF member for many years and has been Chair of the LEEF Management Committee since 2010, and now the Chair of its Board of Trustees since 2018.
**Trevor Bowyer** is an experienced environmental educator who has worked in the sector for over 10 years. Currently working at Holland Park Ecology Centre and leading the development and teaching of the Environmental Education programme. Trevor stepped down in September 2020
**Catherine Miller** has over 20 years’ experience of working with London’s community gardens and their various funding and policy environments. She co-ordinated a London network for 12 years and organised training, advice and events including a large annual community festival. Catherine stood down early in 2020.
**Anna Portch** is a long-term environmental educator with a passion for urban sustainability education and primates. She was LEEF Co-ordinator for seven successful years from 2008-15 and is currently Eco-Schools Co-ordinator at Keep Britain Tidy. Anna stepped down in March 2020
**Helen Robertson** is an experienced environmental educator, having worked in the sector for over 18 years, currently as manager of FSC London and FSC Epping Forest.
**Neil Herrington** Neil is a lecturer in the Cass School of Education and Communities at the University of East London, where he tutors on teacher development programmes. He has an interest in place based and sustainability education and integrates these into his work at UEL.
**Richard Pering** is education manager for the Royal Parks: His background is in geography and informal STEM education, notably with the Science Museum and he’s also managed a nation-wide robotics-based learning programme for children.
**Stuart Walker** is former chair and current trustee of the Woodcraft Folk, director of Natterjack outdoors, and forest school, forest bathing and nature-awareness leader and educator. He was appointed in May 2020.
**Shaira Begum** is a long-term LEEF member and freelance educators and social justice organiser, working with protest, civil society, empowering youth projects and supporting justice campaigners. She was among a list of outstanding individuals identified as part of the Climate Reframe project. She was appointed in autumn 2020.
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**London Environmental Educators’ Forum**
Trustees' Annual Report for the Period Ended 31 December 2019
## **Objectives & Activities**
LEEF aims to promote excellence in environmental education and education for sustainable development across London, supporting the development and training of staff, volunteers and others delivering such education. We work for the benefit of the inhabitants of Greater London by bringing together statutory authorities, voluntary groups, other organisations and the public at large, in order to:
‘ . . .advance the education of the public in subjects relating to the protection, enhancement and
rehabilitation of the environment and sustainable development and to promote study and research in such subjects provided that the useful results of such study are disseminated to the public at large.’ (see governing document)
Sustainable development means “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
## **Summary of Main Activities**
What we do:
- Deliver an annual programme of low-cost training events which enable LEEF members, other environmental educators and interested members of the public to learn and share experiences about a range of environmental and sustainability topics in order to improve access to urban green space and the natural world for all, particularly those living in significantly deprived areas.
- Provide networking opportunities for professionals and interested parties to swap experiences and best practice, and to make connections/develop partnerships with other groups across London.
- Operate a Fellowship scheme designed to recognise the skills and experience of senior practitioners, provide opportunities to share their wisdom, and create a mentoring network for less experienced professionals.
- Circulate and conduct research into topics of interest to our members and the wider community with a view to utilising our sector experience to improve policy guidelines in London and other urban areas of the UK.
- Provide a forum for our members to share questions and advice.
- Answer questions and provide advice for a range of related professionals and the wider public on environmental and sustainability matters.
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**London Environmental Educators’ Forum**
Trustees' Annual Report for the Period Ended 31 December 2019
## **Achievements & Performance**
## **Statutory Declaration**
The trustees declare that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the commission in exercising their powers or duties.
## **Main Achievements of the Charity for the Year**
## **The delivery of the highly successful National Urban Environmental Education Conference at the Natural History Museum, 7 February 2020**
This conference, with a capacity of 190 delegates, sold out and feedback was very enthusiastic. We provided an interesting range of keynote speakers and panel discussions and LEEF members offered a variety of workshops for delegates across the Natural History Museum grounds. We were offered exclusive use of the Flett theatre for the event. Contributors were paid for their work, and LEEF benefitted from a Natural England grant of £4500, and a specific Esmee Fairbairn grant of £6500 to support the event. LEEF’s overall financial profit from the event was in the region of £5000.
## **Trustees**
Anna Portch, previous LEEF Coordinator and long-term trustee, stood down in the spring. Trevor Bowyer also stood down in the autumn and Catherine Miller stood down in February. All were longstanding and appreciated trustees. Stuart Walker was appointed, bringing a helpful perspective from the management of the Woodcraft Folk. Shaira Begum was also appointed, and brings useful perspectives from the world of environmental campaigning and social justice campaigning. The trustee body ended the year slightly depleted but with fresh energy and a more diverse composition.
## **Training and networking events**
The pandemic obviously put huge restrictions on how LEEF events were to work throughout 2020. A strong element of LEEF events is about the face-to-face relationships that members develop, and how they feel supported by others similar to them in comparable circumstances. The pandemic imposed on all us unfamiliar circumstances and LEEF responded by developing free online events to suit the times.
We _**delivered 11 training and networking days**_ between January and December 2020, **3 face-to-face and 8 online** . These included:
- **‘Reuse- -Recycle-Repeat-Resolve?** ’ on 3 March 2020, hosted by Western Riverside Waste Authority and attended by 11 LEEFers. The last face-to-face event before the pandemic struck.
- An initial **zoom-based informal ‘check in’,** in April 2020. “How’s your pandemic going?” attended by over 20 LEEF members
- **Monthly LEEF zoom chats** , facilitated, usually with a focus member contributor who offered their perspective on how they were adapting professionally, or other relevant aspects of our work. They were held on 25/06, 23/07, 03/09 and 24/09. They all attracted between 19 and 38 members. All these events were free and membership of LEEF was not followed up over this time as so many members were furloughed and/or had all their income curtailed.
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**London Environmental Educators’ Forum** Trustees' Annual Report for the Period Ended 31 December 2019
- The first face-to-face event we held was **Level 2 Food Safety training with Outdoor Emphasis** , held on 14/09 in Holland Park Ecology Centre. 13 participants came and gained certificates.
- We resumed **online meetings in October,** with zoom meetings on 29 October and November 26. This last was focussed around using online platforms to deliver education and how to negotiate the intricacies of zoom. This attracted 35 participants, and was free. Many thanks to Stuart Walker who offered valuable support with using online means to communicate with LEEF members.
- Our last online event of 2020 was **2 December** , to discuss the content of an education-related conference **‘Conversations at a Time of Emergency’.**
## **Communications**
Emails to members have continued to go out on a regular basis, usually to alert members to the events going on. As online events were free and membership updates were in abeyance, there was a good open rate. The open rate varied between at lowest 29.6% and at highest 61.5%, but averaged at just over 40%, notwithstanding the growth in numbers receiving the emails. This is good news, meaning that the content was relevant to a growing number of contacts. 2020 was obviously an abnormal year, but the mailing list grew by about 90 people, while the open rate slowed to around 39% (lowest 31%, highest 47%). This probably reflects members being on furlough, with unmonitored inboxes, and the covid-related slide in membership renewals.
LEEF gained about 200 new Twitter followers in 2020, and ended the year with 1451 followers. Our Instagram presence is less profuse with 236 followers.
## **Volunteer numbers:**
The February 2020 conference was supported by 12 volunteers drawn from LEEF members, and in some cases their staff, colleagues and contacts. Since the pandemic, there have been no LEEF volunteers to assist the coordinator.
## **Fellowship programme**
One fellowship event was planned for March 2020 but was postponed indefinitely as the situation was so uncertain.
## **Funding and finances**
We are grateful to The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for funding LEEF’s core work and overheads until June 2020.
## **Financial Review**
## **Reserves policy**
The trustees have established a reserves policy commensurate with the activities of a small charity that needs to be flexible to maintain its operations. LEEF aims generally to be solvent and for its expenditure not to exceed income. However, reserves are needed to avoid financial difficulties with
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**London Environmental Educators’ Forum** Trustees' Annual Report for the Period Ended 31 December 2019
the time-limited nature of grant funding, and in recognition that there may be unexpected expenditure or unforeseen operational costs.
There should be adequate funds to meet all current and known future liabilities, and the trustees have established a policy whereby the free reserves held by the charity should be sufficient to cover three months activity of the charity and at minimum one month.
LEEF is currently able to meet the three months' recommended level of reserves as of "date" and the policy will be reviewed annually.
Related party transactions:
Anna Portch was paid £200 to deliver at the LEEF conference in 2020. No other remuneration was paid to any trustees or other related parties. There were no Trustee expenses. Trustees are also members of LEEF, many as part of the organisation they are employed by. The income from Trustee membership is under £200.
## **Impact of Covid-19 on 2020 and 2021**
Covid-19 significantly impacted on activities in 2020 and continues to impact into 2021. The Trustees considered the impact of covid during our meetings and are confident that the plans in place are sufficiently robust to safeguard LEEF through 2021 and beyond.
## **Declaration**
## **The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees' Report above.**
Signed on behalf of the Charity's Trustees
## **Signature(s):**
**Full Name(s):** Ian Boulton Helen Robertson **Position(s):** Chair of Trustees Trustee **Date:** 27/10/2021 27/10/2021
7
|**LONDON ENVIRONMETNAL EDUCATORS FORUM**|**LONDON ENVIRONMETNAL EDUCATORS FORUM**|**LONDON ENVIRONMETNAL EDUCATORS FORUM**|**1168740**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Receipts andpayments accounts**||||**CC16a**|
|**For the period**
**from**|1/1/2020|**To**|31/12/2020||
|**Section A Receipts and payments**|**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest**
**£**
**3,515**
**11,437**
**-**
**-**
**45**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**14,997**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**14,997**
**15,868**
**230**
**-**
**4,000**
**300**
**-**
**1,233**
**14,597**
**-**
**36,228**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**36,228**
**- 21,231 **
**-**
**39,174**
**17,944**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**3,515**
**11,437**
**-**
**-**
**45**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**14,997**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**14,997**
**15,868**
**230**
**-**
**4,000**
**300**
**-**
**1,233**
**14,597**
**-**
**36,228**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**36,228**
**- 21,231 **|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**|
|Memberships|**3,515**||**-**||**3,232**|
|TrainingEvents|**11,437**||**-**||**3,635**|
|Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Grant|**-**||**-**||**20,000**|
|Natural England Grant|**-**||**-**||**4,500**|
|Donations|**45**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**
**-**||**-**|
|**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_
_AR)_|**14,997**||||**31,367**|
|||||||
|~~**A2 Asset and investment sales,**~~
**(see table).**||||||
||**-**||**-**|||
||**-**||**-**
**-**||**-**|
|**_Sub total_**|**-**||||**-**|
|**_Total receipts_**
**A3 Payments**||||||
||||**-**||**31,367**|
|||||||
|
SalaryInc NI and Pensions|**15,868**||**-**||**11,505**|
|Other staff costs(training&payroll)|**230**||**-**||**140**|
|Additional Staff|**-**||**-**||**2,516**|
|Rent & Admin(incl. insurance & ICT)|**4,000**||**-**||**4,111**|
|Legal / Professional Fees|**300**||**-**||**137**|
|Volunteer Expenses|**-**||**-**||**141**|
|Events & TrainingWorkshops|**1,233**||**-**||**2,669**|
|LEEF Conference|**14,597**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**
**-**||**-**|
|**_Sub total_ **|**36,228**||||**21,219**|
|||||||
|**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**||||||
||**-**||**-**|||
||**-**||**-**
**-**|||
|**_Sub total_ **|**-**||||**-**|
|**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**||||||
||||**-**||**21,219**|
|||||||
||**- 21,231 **||
**-**||**10,148**|
||**-**||**-**|**-**
**39,174**|**-**|
||**39,174**||**-**||**29,026**|
||**17,944**||
**-**|**17,944**|**39,174**|
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
28/10/2021
1
|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at**|**the end of the period**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B1 Cash funds**|Signature
**Details**
**Details**
Membership Income Dec 2019 (paypal)
Horniman
HMRC
Membership Income Dec 2019 (paypal)
Co-ordinator
Co-op Bank
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**17,944**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**17,944**
**-**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
224
**-**
16
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
11
164.5
1105.85
**-**
Ian Bolton
Helen Robertson
Print Name|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**When due**
**(optional)**|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||||Date of
approval|
|||Ian Bolton|27/10/2021|
|||Helen Robertson|27/10/2021|
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
28/10/2021
2