Wem Area Climate Action
Annual Report for The Charity Commission
for the period 28/11/23 to 31/03/25
Our back story
Our charity serves the small Market Town of Wem in Shropshire and surrounding Rural constituency. The charity was established in November 2023 in response to the town declaring a Climate emergency in 2019. From an impressive initial town meeting which over a 100 people attended a committed group of volunteers emerged. Throughout Covid they met online and remain focussed on bringing information to and promoting action in the community in accordance with its declared objects. Around eight members meet a minimum of ten times per year to further the charities work.
Charity objects
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To promote for the benefit of the Community of Wem and Wem Rural the Protection, conservation and improvement of the Physical and Natural environment by working collaboratively for the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions; increase in biodiversity and restoration of nature.
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To advance the Education of the Community of Wem and Wem Rural in Climate change and the sustainable protection, conservation and restoration of the physical and natural environment.
Our objectives
We have attended all the local community events in Wem during this period to;
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Raise local awareness of the Climate emergency.
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Provide opportunities for individuals and families to engage and ask questions on a range of climate related topics.
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Present different areas of interest including energy saving, recycling, electric vehicles, welcoming wildlife, no-dig gardening, wildflower meadows.
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Collect data to better understand community concern and need.
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Reach out to our local Schools and provide information about reducing our carbon footprint and opportunity to ask questions.
How we have delivered
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We have met once per month to discuss and plan future community engagement, including,Event planning and participation in; International Women’s day, Spring and Harvest Markets, Millenium Plant fair, Big Green Day, Wem Carnival, Vehicles Of Interest and Christmas lights event.
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Articles for the quarterly local Wemian magazine.
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Seeking finance and making applications for Grant funding.
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Attendance at Shropshire wide events.
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Participation in Shropshire wide climate events and nature recovery initiatives.
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Updating Policies and organisation of the charity.
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Discerning future direction and planning big ideas, eg. Millfields as a community green space for the town. Community shop.
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Collaborating with the Town and Rural councils on their Climate Emergency plans.
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Delivering updates on projects already in place around the community eg. Wildflower meadows.
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10.Organising regular practical working parties.
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11.Talks in local Schools and community events.
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12.Working with our two local councils on their Climate Action Plans.
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13.Planning applications for which we have climate concern about in the Community, eg the demolition of Edinburgh House.
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14.Creating a new website.
Our Public Benefit
Establishing ways to gather evidence of our public benefit is a work in progress. Before Covid we did some surveys to seek opinion and encourage the community to respond to climate related questions about food. More recently at a variety of community events we have asked for climate concerns to try and establish where we might need to pitch our future efforts. We will use this information to help plan our next moves. Anecdotal evidence is encouraging but difficult to quantify and record on our current inadequate website. We are now working to renew our website and improve ways to gain responses and feedback from the community.
How we have spent our money
Capital items we have purchased;
Branded gazebo, Bananas teaching game, Christmas lights, post and rail timber fence for Incredible Edibles, Signage
Running costs and maintenance;
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Incredible Edibles vegetable garden, refurbishing a bottle greenhouse, installing simple raised beds and maintaining these, seeds and plants.
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Printing of leaflets, advertising, printer cartridges, paper
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Resourcing town events, monthly meeting venue hire, insurance, bank interest,
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Seeds and plug plants for two wildflower meadows. Machine hire.
Financial Summary
Period 28th November 2023 to 31 March 2025
Period start balance £00854 Income £03031 Expenditure £02654 Period end Balance £01231
Notes:
Liability £500 interest free supporter loan pre dates period. No material assets held.
Prepared by David Murray (WACA trustee) from paper records reconciling to WACA Unity Bank account for this period. These agree.