Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 6[th] April 2021 Period start date To 5[th] April 2022 Period end date
Charity name: Climate and Community
Charity registration number: 1172500
Objectives and Activities
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document
To advance the education and training of the public in the subjects of personal development; and the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment by delivering an informal environmental community learning programme.
Aims
The charity by building networks and community relations looks for opportunities to develop and deliver environmental community education. Its aims are:
-
1) To help communities reduce C02 emissions from how they live
-
2) To help people adapt to changes in their economic and social circumstances in view of climate change.
Objectives
Provide opportunities to learn new skills/knowledge for low Carbon lifestyles.
Provide opportunities for people to learn ways to cooperate and communicate with each other which can facilitate the creation of affinity groups.
Carry out practical skills in the community which will directly assist students in practising their skills e.g. lay a hedge, plant a coppice etc.
The Learning programme is divided into 3 parts: Part one: Personal Development
- i) Aims to build assertiveness, honest communication and self esteem among active volunteers and the community. Training will follow good practice and in particular with reference to the work of Anne Dicksen, Eric Berne, Claude Steiner and Joanna Macy.
ii) Aims to challenge gender stereotypes and rebalance gender expression through ‘learning out of context ‘LOOC’ workshops.
Part two: Sustainable Rural Skills
Our message is: Come and See, Come and learn, Come and Practice. We have chosen four key skill areas to focus on: i) Basketry ii) Hedge laying iii) Coppice Practice iv) Gardening and food growing.
Part three: Climate Change
We aim to deliver community events which help to inform, inspire and create an urgency to act. This will involve films, discussions, talks in a relaxed informal pop up ‘cafe’ setting.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.
The charity continues to work on the leased field in Murton, a 6.4 acre site of field and woodland to develop a demonstration plot for carbon negative food growing to engage and educate the public. In April and May 2021 we reformulated our plans and submitted a funding bid for Postcode Community Trust for field infrastructure, volunteer recruitment and programme. A sum of £14940 over a year was secured beginning 1[st] July 2021. We also registered with Neighbourly ran by Virgin O2 and secured £1000 at the same time to deliver a community open day on the 4[th] July which included films, craft activities and cafe. In August the charity visited the Bush moot in Bridgend and Between The Trees weekend festival as outreach to engage volunteers and educate on climate change through teaching crafts.
The PCT grant was specifically aimed at climate action in the community. In September we began our regular volunteer day on Wednesdays. Our aim for the volunteer programme is quality not quantity and we invest in our volunteers skills and educate them on climate change issues. It is important that volunteers understand the issues so they can discuss and educate others as well as understanding why the charity uses low or no fossil fuel machinery to reduce CO2 emissions. This is an issue for some volunteers who are culturally educated to expect strimmers, tractors etc rather than scythes and trolleys. A successful Scything training day took place on the field taught by Mathew Collinson who upgraded our skills and attracted new volunteers to work with the charity; paid for by our local councillor. We continued to scythe on the field into October to rejuvenate the tussocky old grass; we completed about half of the field with volunteers.
The charity took part in the Great Big Green Week in September 2021 and invited the community to a film, discussion and climate cafe on the Murton field. This gave an opportunity for those who had not visited before to find out more and see the Civilian Conservation Corps documentary, which the charity’s portable skills school is inspired by. A trustee also visited Swansea Community Growing Network Food Resilience day and was invited to join the SCGN committee. In October the Swansea and Gower willow craft group which the charity help to set up through previous projects continues to be supported and helped to cut the willow bed and run craft meet ups roughly every month. A decision was made to assist new groups in the community every harvest by giving free willow sets and advice so they can plant their own willow bed. This year Kilvey woodland volunteers and Kidwelly community group obtained willow from us. Bishopston Primary also was given free basketry willow, cut by volunteers for their lantern parade. In November the charity visited Rose hill Quarry volunteer group and Kilvey volunteers to assist them in planning their willow bed planting and advice on ongoing maintenance.
In November the charity undertook tree felling at the edge of the field boundary with volunteers. There are Ash trees sadly suffering with Ash dieback in the woodland which need to be felled. An opportunity we are looking at is the milling of the straight timber for planks which can be used by the portable skills school and food growing project. The charity attended the Green Fayre in Swansea National Waterfront Museum and was successful in generating some funds and connecting with potential volunteers and networking with other local organisations.
Hedge laying began in October with volunteers on Bishopston recreation ground, this is the 4[th] year we have continued to lay the hedge with volunteers and where there is demand run training days. We had a successful day in February 2022 organised through Swansea Environmental Forum. Our committed volunteer Nick Bingham who learnt as a student 4 years ago and has continued each year to lay the community hedge was the lead instructor on the day. After the initial instruction day we invited participants to 4 more volunteer days to practice their skills, consequently we laid 50m of hedge. We also arranged for Bishopston Community Council to purchase hedge stakes and etherings from a local coppice worker which we collected from his wood.
February March and April 2022 included finishing off the seasons hedge laying, cutting the last of the willow and planting a new bed on the charity field site as well as finishing planting fruit trees and perennials in the sites propagation bed. The PCT grant funds enabled the charity to invest in perennial food producing trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants which over time will bulk up and be ready for propagation. These will be used in the no dig alley cropping system which we plan to work on in Autumn 2022. In April the charity finally got its water connection, delays from Welsh Water end were finally resolved.
Statement confirming whether the The trustees have read the guidance on public benefit issued trustees have had regard to the by the charity commission. guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: No grants are given by the charity
Policy on grant making We have no social investment program Policy on social investment including program related investment The charity relies on core volunteers because it has no paid employees. We are not seeking any funding which pays for Contribution made by volunteers employees. We are pursuing a policy where we support a core group of volunteers to work for the charity.
Achievements and Performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.
The charity continues to raise a profile in the community by attending and facilitating outreach events which have informed and educated the public and local organisations about climate change and what the charity and its volunteers are doing about it. The charity is now a member of Swansea Environmental forum executive committee and Swansea Community Growing Network where it voices its views and inputs into Swansea wide planning and policy.
We continue despite a cultural climate of denial with respect to the severity of climate risks and an implementation gap of proportionate change in the economy and society’s behaviour. It is still not being taken seriously and our project seems to be the exception not the norm. However we continue to teach low or no cost skills and empowering volunteers and students with practical skills and pathways to low emission living and livelihoods. This is all being done by committed skilled volunteers on low budgets using less than a quarter of one persons average emissions. We are continuing to improve the field infrastructure: Water, secure storage, improved entrance to enable the portable skills school to offer climate conservation camps to access more people further afield.
Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial The charity has secured two small funds and one larger grant position at the end of the period for furthering infrastructure on our field site and delivering regular skills training through our volunteer programme. This is still on going until August 2022. Earned income was from skills training provided in the community. We aim to apply for further grant funding and use crowd funding platforms where appropriate for specific projects.
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
The charity does not have a formal reserves policy. But we have some guidelines which we developed with Fundraising Institute Cymru. |
|---|---|
| Amount of reserves held | £79 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves | **N/A ** |
| Details of fundmateriallyindeficit | N/A |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
No |
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
|---|---|
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
We received two small grants: Virgin O2 Neighbourly grant, Lyndon Jones our County Councillor and one larger grant from Postcode Community Trust specifically for our work on practical climate action in the community. Restricted Funds as follows: Virgin O2 Receipt £1015 Total Payments £1048 Lyndon Jones Receipts £350Total Payments £350 Postcode Community Trust Receipt 14940 Total Payments 6801 Remainder of grant from previous years Lush Total Payments £163 |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: | None |
|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g. unincorporated association, CIO) |
Charitable Incorporated Organisation |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Trustees are appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Climate and Community |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | N/A |
| Registered charitynumber | 1172500 |
| Charity’s principal address | Y Cwt Hen, Llwyncelyn, Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire SA43 2PE |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Hodson Smith |
Chairperson | |||
| Mike Walters | ||||
| Julie Ann Wagstaff | Treasurer/Secretary | |||
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date |
Julie Ann Wagstaff |
|
|---|---|---|
Secretary/Treasurer |
||
| 17thJuly 2022 | ||
| 17thJuly 2022 |
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Receipts and Payments Accounts tharity name CLIMRT AND COMMUNIT charity number (If any) tInti E4EUD r]tJr]rsFJ For the perlod fiom (start date) OILt] u@urFJE4 Section A Receipts and payments Uniestiicted funds to the nearest RÈstilcted funds to the nearest Endowment funds to the nearest Total funds Last yeaf to the nearest to the nearest A1 ReIpts 0.00 Ib+2 110 10 sub tolol go A2 Asset and Investment sales. et¢ Total receipts So £51 A3 Payments trkgLo 79 17 Sub lotal A4 Asset and investment purchases, ett Totol payments Net of receipls/(poyments) AS Trafisfer5 betweon funds os 60 'OL) A6 Cash funds last yeaf eAd Cash lunds this year end 17 21 CC160 M)fth 2012: hew fotthot Jèféubty 2017
Section B statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unfestrkted funds to the nearest Restricted funds to the nearest Endowment funds to the neafest Details 81 Cash fvftds .00 1(x)99 cos un (ogree balon$ with receipts ond ptryments Occ(ni(s)) 71.00 100 Unrestficied funds tv the neafest Resl[jcted funds to the nearest Endowment funds to the neafest Details 82 Other fflonetary assets Fuiid to which assw belongs Cosl (optlonal> Cuiieiit vaue (opiional) Details 83 Investmefit assets •0#0 Fund to whlch assei belongs nc Cost (Opllona Current value (Opllonal) Oetalls 84 Assets retained for the thaTWs uso 2017- oiÉ- k)Iq - 020- oi& 01 o£0 02 io+ *ncS cled 1011 Fund to which Ilabillty rdales Amount due (opl ional) hen due (Oplional) Deiails 85 Liabilities Slgned by one Of two trustees on behaf of all the trustees Signatuie Print name Date of apptoval IuL¢S WAfrSTAFF 18-o7- CC16a March 2012: new forniat January 2017