TCV Annual Summary with Supplementary Information 2013-2014

Helping

the UK

grow

Strategic Report with Supplementary Information 2013-2014

Registered company number 976410 Registered charity in England 261009 and Scotland SCO39302

Contents From the Chair

4

From the Chief Executive

5

How did we do?

6

What next? Understanding what matters

7

People and health

8

People, learning and prospects

10

People and places

12

APRIL

MAY

Liverpool Festival Gardens TCV And The Land Trust In Partnership

Celebrating Adult Learning

This month TCV became the managing agent for Liverpool Festival Gardens on behalf of the Land Trust.

Over 550 volunteer days were delivered in the first six months, and 30 new volunteers recruited.

May celebrated Adult Learners' Week and gave TCV a chance to celebrate the work we do all year round helping people in the UK to grow their confidence and skill base - people like our volunteers in Scotland who took part in biological recording activities as part of our Natural Talent programme.

SEPT

OCT

A visit from our Patron HRH Prince Philip

Youth Spaces Conference

Strategic Report

2

Achievements and performance

14

Financial review

14

Plans for future periods

15

Principal risks and uncertainties

15

Trustees and advisors

17

Our Trustees The document comprises the Strategic Report, as included in The Conservation Volunteers Annual Report and Financial Statements 2014, and further supplementary information.

This document does not contain sufficient information to provide as full an understanding of the results and the state of affairs of TCV as does the Annual Report and Financial Statements, which are available from www.tcv.org.uk/accounts

18

Prince Philip visited a group of TCV volunteers who were clearing part of the Dersingham Bog in Norfolk.

It was his first public enagagement post summer.

Over 210 delegates were brought together to unite in understanding how being outdoors can change the lives of disadvantaged young people to enhance their future wellbeing and prospects.

FEB

MARCH

Share the love celebrating diversity

TCV National Green Impacts Conference

TCV Hollybush in Leeds is a showcase for TCV's work in bringing people together. The Big Lottery has funded the Hollybush Volunteer Support and Inclusion Project since 2011. Year 3 of a four year project was completed in the year and helped 246 people. The four year aim is to help 225 people and the TCV team at Hollybush have already surpassed their original aim and continue to help more people than originally planned. Well done!

TCV shared the findings of a three year study aimed at proving the benefits of volunteering for health and wellbeing. The City Bridge Trust funded the programme and a copy of the report is available at www.tcv.org.uk

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS STRATEGIC REPORT WITH SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 2013-14

JUNE National Volunteers' Week TCV acknowledged the great work that TCV volunteers do by saying thank you in a week long digital campaign - I DO

JULY

AUG

TCV partners with the BBC to celebrate the Summer of Wildlife

Celebrating partnerships in Cornwall

Throughout the summer TCV joined in with the BBC's Summer of Wildlife. A number of events were arranged by TCV at our sites including the first ever Wildcraft Camp Out at Singleton Environment Centre which encouraged local families to get involved.

NOV

DEC

TCV Hollybush appear on National Lottery

TCV Xmas shopping online

TCV Hollybush team from Leeds shared their work and how it changes lives with Chris Evans and the nation.

JAN

TCV relaunched its online shop with a new range of products and 'how to' videos - www.tcv.org.uk/shop

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS

TCV partnered with the Health Promotion Service and Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change to deliver a range of social, educational and health activities and classes to combat social isolation.

The partnership has been running for seven years and is still going strong.

Volunteers rid beach of litter mountain After the storms, huge amounts of litter washed up onto Cornish beaches. TCV Cornwall volunteers cleared Penhale and other beaches to remove the rubbish before it returned to the sea.

Helping the UK grow

3

From the Chair

F

or some reason, an unusual number of people, of all ages, have commented to me just how quickly this year has gone – and I hope not just because of my own advancing years! It has certainly felt like a busy and very interesting year for The Conservation Volunteers.

In the last report, I emphasised that times would continue to be challenging - both for us, for many in the not-for-profit sector as a whole and also for parts of the wider UK economic landscape, and so they have been. However, when I see the essential work TCV does across the UK helping people, communities and outdoor places to thrive and grow, I am constantly reminded of how vital it is that we are not only able to maintain the work we currently do for our beneficiaries, but also to grow our efforts and continue to help those who need us most.

4

TCV has developed significantly in the past year. Through the very hard work of our teams, financial challenges have been met with a notable degree of success.

Changes to management structures have streamlined delivery. We have enjoyed some terrific coverage in national TV and media, as well as at a local level.

Changing landscapes We do, though, remain in uncertain times and the landscape of policy and financial support remains uncertain with an election pending and the economic recovery far from consolidated. Systemic challenges in youth unemployment need help to fix. An increasingly aged population challenges social and health services and those in healthy older age seek more rewarding activity to fill leisure time. Environmental issues such as encroaching development in the countryside, intensive agriculture and diminishing wildlife add to the consequences of climate change and need addressing.

Social exclusion and deprivation continues in so many urban areas, and rural locations also suffer from net migration and a need to sustain healthy and stable populations.

Local authority and central Government support for services is continuing to shrink and there’s a huge need for innovation in the delivery of public services and quality of life.

Helping the UK grow This is why I believe the work of TCV is even more important than ever as we continue to address the local needs of people and communities every day across the UK. We do this by working together with people, funders, partners and places to improve health and wellbeing, creating more opportunities to learn practical new skills and transforming outdoor places in many environments, from urban to rural and coastal.

We manage this by keeping alert to the needs of all our beneficiaries, by staying true to our values and heritage, and by being clear about our strategy and plans.

We also measure our results constantly.

Even if the case for support is qualitatively compelling, today’s funders often need more professional demonstration of value in view of all the competing demands on their budgets.

Progress has been strong, which is reassuring, as has been the effort and determination of the TCV team, partners, funders and volunteers alike. I hope that you find the case studies and reports you’ll read this year both inspiring and clear demonstrations on why TCV can have such an important role in helping the UK grow.

Continuing to do what we do best – local support on a national scale

I am also thrilled to confirm that Sir Jonathon Porritt, the sustainability guru, who has been a Vice President and great supporter of TCV for many years, has now taken up the role of President, and we are all very much looking forward to working together going forwards. I would also like to take the opportunity of saying a sincere thanks to our retiring President The Lord Norrie, who has been so supportive of the organisation for over 25 years.

Thank you But finally, a huge and sincere thank you to everyone who works so hard to fund and deliver our vital work every day. We are so grateful for the continuing support of our partners, funders, donors and volunteers both now, and to grow in the future.

The stories of the people and places we have helped are often deeply affecting.

TCV welcomes people right across the social and age spectrums, as well as doing extraordinary and truly effective work with those who feel most excluded by society.

But we believe there is still so much more that needs to be done, and that we can uniquely do. In the next year we will maintain our focus and relentlessly ensure we keep our beneficiaries at the heart of what we do – that’s why we are here.

Rita Clifton CBE, Chair

And why we’ve been here for the last 55 years. 2014 is the 55th anniversary of TCV and we are proud to be as relevant and needed today as we were many years ago, through all the social, economic and environmental changes over that time.

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS STRATEGIC REPORT WITH SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 2013-14

From the Chief Executive

I

n last year’s report I outlined the key elements of our new three year plan.

Phase one was about ensuring that TCV is fit for the future and, following two years of drawing on our reserves, our first step was to at least maintain reserves at their 12/13 year end level.

Improving our financial performance is critical to our ability to continue to work with people and communities across the UK to help them transform their health, prospects and outdoor places for the long term.

I am delighted to be able to tell you that we more than achieved our goal and we increased reserves by £1.2m. The main drivers of this improvement were: • Better than planned performance in our trading subsidiary. This is a 'one-off' benefit and is not something that will be repeated in next year’s results; and • Improved cost management across the organisation that is embedded in our daily ways of working.

Our performance means that we are able to make some much needed investment in technology, infrastructure and people all of which are aimed at securing the long term health of TCV for the benefit of the people and places we support. The timing of these investments means that in all likelihood they will be reported as a reduction in reserves in 2014/15.

At the same time as delivering this improvement, teams across the UK have been helping people to make their communities healthier and happier. Here’s a flavour of what has happened: • Volunteering Impact – We completed a great piece of work that provides strong evidence of the positive impact volunteering can have on our quality of life.

• Access to Nature - in Leeds, TCV acted as a facilitator to allow people in urban environments to access and learn about their natural environment.

• Green Gyms® - continuing to develop Green Gyms® across the UK, supported by a number of partners including People’s Health Trust and Intu Properties plc, to help tackle health inequalities.

It’s been really pleasing to see some of our work recognised publically.

This has helped us raise awareness of TCV with potential beneficiaries and funders. One of the highlights was the TCV Hollybush team being featured on Saturday night primetime TV. We have also been fortunate in hosting a number of high profile visits to meet TCV volunteers including visits by TCV’s Patron HRH Duke of Edinburgh and Ed Miliband MP for Doncaster North.

This year’s report features many of the stories of the people and partners we work with as well as an update on how we performed against our goals in 2013/14.

I hope our beneficiary stories inspire you as much as they have inspired my team and me.

become a significant concern in our society. This partnership opens up new avenues for TCV to address these concerns as we help kids grow. To find out more about Moshi gardening, log onto www.tcv.org.uk/ moshi.

On a different note…the growing importance of 'localism' offers us a number of opportunities to work with communities across the UK. TCV’s track record of working locally but on a national scale shows what can be achieved when a joined-up approach is taken to tackling social issues. With the continued strain on central and local government spending, finding innovative ways of delivering public services is going to be key and TCV is well placed to contribute to this challenge.

The achievements of the last year were only possible with the support of our volunteers, the TCV team, our funders and supporters and so I would like to end by saying an enormous thank you to you all.

What next?

The environment in which we operate continues to be very challenging but also offers new opportunities. It is vital that we continue to have a relentless focus on delivering our goals to meet these challenges and make the most of the opportunities to help our beneficiaries.

Julie Hopes, CEO

We will continue to diversify our sources of income and move our funding onto a more long-term basis. We have a number of new opportunities in the pipeline and one of our very exciting developments is focused on 'Helping Kids Grow'. TCV is working in partnership with the creators of the popular Moshi Monsters to develop a range of children’s seeds and gardening tools. TCV will host an interactive website where children can learn about nature, ask questions and post their individual stories and pictures. The benefits of playing outdoors and interacting with nature throughout childhood are widely recognised and childhood obesity has

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS

Helping the UK grow

5

How did we do?

T

CV’s strategic business plan for 2013/14 set out six strategic goals, each with targets and measures.

The overarching financial goal for the year was to achieve a break even position.

Goal 1 Work together with people and communities to transform their health, prospects and outdoor places for the long term Three targets were set to help measure the impact TCV is making. Two out of the three targets were surpassed.

6

FOCUS

TARGET

ACHIEVED

People

80,000

94,657

Places Helped

2,500

2,340

Prospects Improved

2,000

3,554

Continued strides in engaging with a number of different beneficiaries through learning, skills exchange and practical training and support have resulted in surpassing the target number of 2,000 people helped into jobs by over 75%. TCV helps a range of young people and adults back into employment by understanding their needs and ensuring a practical and inclusive approach. Many of the stories of the people helped are featured on pages 10 and 11.

Whilst the headline target for places helped was not fully achieved (94% of target), this was the result of a planned focus to deliver more work in the same place to provide the maximum impact for our beneficiaries.

In 2014/15 the measures TCV uses to quantify its impacts will be reviewed and amended to ensure we can demonstrate to a wide range of stakeholders the real and lasting impact we make.

Goal 2 Be a resilient organisation In 2013/14 a number of strategic initiatives were embedded within TCV, helping the organisation to become stronger and more efficient – delivering greater impact for each £ of funding received. A robust financial plan, a procurement strategy that has realised annualised savings of £0.5m, and strong decision making framework were all put in place in the year. These core attributes were all delivered within the

Group's risk appetite framework ensuring the organisation had the best possible chance of reaching a break even position for the year. This target was surpassed and as described in the strategic review on pages 14 and 15, £1.2m has been returned to reserves. This is a reverse of the previous two years when reserves were called upon and shows a notable degree of financial success, although improvements in the performance of our trading subsidiary were driven by contracts that will end within the life of the current plan. 2014/15 will see further investment in technology, infrastructure and people.

Partners such as Mondelēz, People’s Health Trust, RBS, National Grid and Intu Properties continued their invaluable support and new support was won from a number of other partners and funders. Investment is being made in a new Customer Relations database to help TCV manage its relationship with its customers, donors and funders. This will be implemented in 2014/15.

Goal 3

Raising profile and awareness of the core work TCV does with its beneficiaries, and having a public voice to drive policy and change at national and local levels is essential to winning support and achieving Goals 1 to 5. A plan encompassing press, public relations, marketing and social media activities was developed and executed in 2013/14 and is being improved upon for 2014/15.

Progress has been swift and significant resulting in a number of national television broadcasts, a multitude of local broadcasts and numerous print media mentions. Highlights of coverage are featured within this report.

Be a great place to work In 2013/14 a new people plan was developed which included a staff engagement plan and a performance management framework. These were launched during the year and are now the key vehicle through which all staff understand how what they do supports the delivery of TCV's purpose. The framework also provides the mechanism for staff development and succession planning. This plan has created the climate for the other goals to be achieved and will continue to be developed in future plan years.

Goal 4 Be a great place to volunteer Throughout its history TCV has been highly successful at attracting volunteers, without the efforts of whom TCV would not be able to achieve its goals.

TCV's volunteers help the UK grow in towns, villages, cities and many other environments. A refreshed volunteer proposition will be developed in 2014/15 with the aim of making the TCV volunteering experience as rewarding and consistent as possible and providing a framework within which the contribution and impact of volunteers can be further recognised and celebrated.

Goal 6 Be better known and supported for the value we deliver

A target of 10% increase in social media followers and likes has been surpassed with a 79% increase in facebook likes and 25% increase in Twitter followers.

In 2014/15 a new policy strategy will be developed to increase TCV’s influence and reach at a national and local government level and our stakeholder strategy will be further developed.

Goal 5 Have customers who love us Retaining and attracting new customers is essential to growth and 2013/14 delivered some success in this area but with a recognition that there is much more work to do. Participant satisfaction rates remained high at 95% for TCV’s Employment and Training Services programmes.

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS STRATEGIC REPORT WITH SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 2013-14

What next? Understanding what matters

H

aving begun to address the 6 goals of our strategic business plan, TCV is now better able to face the social, environmental and financial challenges of the future.

Local authority and central Government support for services is continuing to shrink. This requires innovation in the delivery of public services to enable significant improvements in beneficiaries’ quality of life despite funding constraints.

There is still a landscape of uncertainty around public finances and service delivery. However this does not dampen our enthusiasm, aspirations or belief that TCV is very much part of the solution.

Work has started on developing our new strategic plan for the period 2015/18 which will ensure we are fit for future challenges. This has been a main focus of our management team in the latter part of 2013/14 and will continue throughout 2014/15.

We believe that • Government policy may change in emphasis but it is unlikely there will be a major change in direction over the period 2015/18. Therefore, we can expect 'more of the same' in terms of continued pressure on spending and priorities such as youth employment, health and an ageing population • Deprived areas are likely to continue to be in need of the most help from key public services • Health and employment will be key priorities for statutory and voluntary sectors • Conditions have rarely been more requiring of innovation in delivery of public services • Localism and community engagement and ownership of assets in one form or another looks set to grow in importance • Support for the environment is likely to be related to very tangible issues and reactive in nature. Wildlife conservation will remain a challenging sector with continued declines in biodiversity in the face of climate change and other pressures.

This is why TCV is more relevant than ever - giving ‘Local’ a ‘National’ voice With an election on the horizon in 2015, all parties are recognising the importance that the third sector can play in local contract delivery. Charities like TCV have an increasingly vital role in connecting local people and local needs to the winning and delivery of the local contracts needed to satisfy local demand. Self-help democracy is a burgeoning thought, which has local power and public service reform at its heart. ‘Power to the people’ is at the core of this and to be able to be part of this reform, we recognise that we need to be part of the discussion and lobby hard for real reform in public sector procurement. It is an opportunity for us to give ‘Local’ a ‘National’ voice – a great example of this is the case study on this page of how TCV is helping Belfast grow.

The future is Localism in action Our future strategy will be based on improving more places and more people’s lives through the development of innovative approaches to personal and community engagement at a grassroots level. Localism in action will allow local communities to be in control of and feel part of their locality. Improved neighbourhood quality, improved prospects and improved health can combine to help solve some of the most pernicious problems in our society.

Whilst we have a committed staff and volunteer base, we need to broaden and deepen significantly our funding base if we are to meet the challenges of the future.

Consequently, we will be calling for Government to provide the investment needed for the third sector to be able to play its part in delivering innovative solutions to service delivery – by doing this, ‘Localism’ can truly thrive and deliver the vision of local choice.

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS

TCV and Belfast City Council – Helping Belfast Grow The Growing Communities programme in Belfast is a positive partnership model between Belfast City Council, TCV and many communities across Belfast. The project was initiated following TCV’s involvement with the development of Belfast City Council’s Growing Communities Strategy 2012 to 22 which itself was a direct response to the demand for growing opportunities in Greater Belfast.

The programme developed from a series of smaller projects delivered in partnership with Belfast City Council which showed TCV as a market leader for delivering both social and environmental outcomes and having the ability to respond to community needs at grassroots level.

The partnership recognises the important balance in the development of community gardens for people to use and enjoy whilst promoting both biodiversity and food growing activities. TCV also worked with communities to create a sustainable resource with the objective of enabling community groups to take over the management of each garden in the near future.

During the last year the Growing Communities Partnership has been recognised with a number of awards including Best Community Group, Best Community Garden and Best Community Street in the Belfast in Bloom Competition and an award for our Green Gym® in the Belfast Healthy Cities Special 25th Year Awards.

These achievements have proved TCV’s ability to partner at a local level to help combat social exclusion and deliver true social impact.

Billy and Joan have been involved with the Grove Community Garden for almost a year. They volunteer twice a week, their only social contact within their community.

Joan says: "Billy and I love the garden, it's our chance to get out of the house, to do something good".

Billy is 85, Joan is 75 and they are two of the most reliable workers on the project.

Helping the UK grow

7

People and health

P

eople are at the heart of everything we stand for. By connecting people with the places and opportunities around them and providing support and practical skills, we can demonstrate local health and wellbeing outcomes on a national scale, providing real benefits – ‘a natural health service’.

We work across the UK with people and communities to improve their health and wellbeing in a number of different ways, including: • food growing initiatives, promoting healthy eating, exercise and social inclusion • volunteering with local projects to help others whilst helping yourself • exercising at a TCV Green Gym® • learning a new skill to increase wellbeing and confidence

8

All of the above deliver great social and health benefits and none more so than our Green Gym® which delivers effectively to the public health agenda; helping people to stay healthy and develop resilience from threats to their physical and mental health.

The real improvements that we help people to make to their lives are illustrated in the stories opposite.

TCV’s Green Gym® movement There are currently 141 Green Gyms ® across the UK involving thousands of

participants of all ages and backgrounds.

Their purpose is to transform people’s health and wellbeing through participation in outdoor, group based and physically challenging activities by maintaining green spaces for the wider public benefit. This helps people increase the control they have over their own lives, make positive decisions about their own health and wellbeing and become a ‘producer’ rather than a mere recipient of health-care. Through Green Gyms®, participants become more active physically and socially.

Improved fitness With almost a third more calories burnt in an hour during some Green Gym® sessions than in an average step aerobics class, Green Gym® sessions can improve fitness.

(Oxford Brookes University independent evaluation) 'I’ve lost weight; my type 2 diabetes has improved and I’ve changed my diet. I go swimming and to the gym too, but the conservation work is my best workout each week' – Green Gym® participant

Social benefits Many Green Gyms® are funded and developed in partnership with other organisations to further improve the experience for targeted participant groups.

'I’m getting out, I feel more active. I’m doing more things, I feel less isolated, not

doing the same things I was doing, and I’m starting to learn more…every time I come I’m feeling more lively and myself. I seem to be coming out of my skin a bit more, getting a lot of support.' – Green Gym® participant

TCV – there is another way

Partnership working PHT and TCV - healthy people, healthy places TCV and the People’s Health Trust (PHT) renewed their partnership in 2013/14 when PHT awarded TCV funding to develop projects at nine locations across the UK. The award was made because of past partnership work and to drive forward the outcomes from previous funding rounds, focussing on the most deprived and disadvantaged areas in the UK. PHT has recognised TCV’s ability to access the ‘hard to reach’ audiences who need help most.

TCV and PHT work in partnership to ensure people are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to take control of their communities, lives and outdoor places. By delivering funding and practical skills support, with a focus on health, wellbeing and community engagement, TCV and PHT are making a difference across the UK, helping communities to grow.

‘It gets me out in the fresh air and socializing.

I also get the feel good factor’ – Project Volunteer

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS STRATEGIC REPORT WITH SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 2013-14

TCV Hollybush –

helping Damion grow

The impact that contact with nature and the environment can have is incredibly powerful and can transform wellbeing for many people, including people like Damion.

Damion reached a low point that resulted in a diagnosis and treatment for schizophrenia. His relationship with his partner had broken down and he was no longer working as a salesperson.

TCV and the Mary Russell School –

helping Paisley grow

Over the past two years a series of Green Gym® projects have been organised with Mary Russell School in Paisley. TCV has worked with the school to give their primary schoolchildren access to nature and the outdoors through a range of activities promoting health and wellbeing through learning experiences.

Finding his way to TCV Hollybush Centre, Damion is now on his fourth short course doing an introduction to woodwork having hugely enjoyed bush craft, catering and a two day residential course.

Having gained a lot from the skills he has learnt, and the places he has visited, Damion feels these experiences with TCV are helping him with his role as a young Dad. 'I no longer fear insects intruding on my home, as I have shaken hands with nature and learned to stop worrying and love the green spaces I so readily overlooked in the past. . . I certainly feel greatly at rest mentally when out amongst natural life. Without TCV Hollybush I do not believe I would have ever thought to seek it out at all.'

TCV and Keith –

helping Haringey grow

The project been a great success according to Anne Kennedy, Acting Principal Teacher (Primary Department).

Keith, 59, worked in Post Office branches for 25 years, with 20 of these spent as a manager. However, a series of armed robberies at his branch triggered a bout of psychological ill-health, leading to a period of treatment in hospital and, soon after, medical retirement. In 2008 Keith’s life changed when he saw a notice inviting volunteers to get involved in the local community.

'All of our pupils have a wide range of additional support needs and the opportunity to take part in the Green Gym® gave our children a fantastic, inclusive learning experience.

One day volunteering each week quickly became two. His volunteering experience also reignited his passion for leadership, driving him to embark on a leadership training course with TCV. Shortly after completing the course, Keith became a Green Gym® Project Leader with TCV’s Railway Fields project in London.

The Green Gym® offers our pupils a taste of life beyond the classroom walls. Many of them seldom, perhaps never, get the chance to engage with the environment the way the Green Gym® enables them to do. The fact that our pupils, after being out with Anna from TCV, are keen to talk about what they experienced that day, convinces me that the Green Gym® plays an important part in the overall learning of our pupils. I hope our partnership with the Green Gym® is able to continue for many years to come.'

Under Keith’s leadership, volunteer numbers at Railway Fields have increased substantially and he credits his volunteering experience with TCV as completely turning his life around.

Keith says, 'I’ve always had an interest in plants, animals and the outdoors, so volunteering with The Conservation Volunteers has been one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. I’ve gone from feeling totally depressed, to spending all my time on conservation volunteering and doing what I enjoy. I’m now coming up to the big 60 and have never felt healthier.'

Throughout 2013/14 Keith helped many volunteers and beneficiaries across London and has been a key spokesperson and media star for TCV. Thank you, Keith!

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS

Helping the UK grow

9

People, learning and prospects

10

I

n 2013/14 we set out to help 2,000 people into employment. We exceeded this target by 75% with 3,554 people moving into employment as a result of working with TCV to improve their prospects and learning.

The array of opportunities for practical learning and employment skills training available across TCV is extensive. Anything from a volunteer opportunity building skills and confidence, to practical NVQ training and working with young people to seek out opportunities, can be accessed in various locations across TCV. We work in partnership with a range of agencies and partners including local and city councils, educational colleges, the National Careers Service and commercial organisations to help with support, learning and access to employment.

Working with young people who are not in education, employment or training is a specialisation and we are working hard to strengthen our offer for learners.

Why people and not just numbers count at TCV Annual reports and accounts can be all about numbers but at TCV it’s the people behind the numbers that count.

Whether school children and volunteer groups taking part in educational, biodiversity,citizen science projects (which count species of plants and wildlife to inform research) or adults who attend one of our TCV Employment and Training Services (TCV E&TS) centres, every person TCV sets out to help, in whatever way counts.

At TCV the key aims are to raise aspirations, increase self esteem and confidence and support people on their learning journey – at TCV everybody counts. Michelle attended a TCV Skills Support project in Northampton which helps people up-skill and re-skill when they are affected by redundancy or unemployment. Here is Michelle’s story: 'Since I lost my job in 2013, all I have done is count. At first I counted the number of years I had worked for that company and felt betrayed, like I was worthless. Then I counted how many jobs I had applied for, then I counted how many interviews I went on. Then I counted the knock backs, the times I had to put shopping off and turn the heating down. TCV gave me the support, skills and confidence to keep trying, they taught me not to give up. The only thing they expect of you is that you keep counting, make everything you do count and that way

you can never look back and feel there is no hope.

TCV – Helping young adults ‘Get Some Credit’ TCV’s Get Some Credit programme gives 16-24 year olds the experience and qualifications they need to compete for jobs in the environmental, landscaping and forestry sectors. Young people typically volunteer with TCV Scotland for two to three days per week over a period of six months, during which they also attend a series of training courses covering a diverse range of subjects.

During 2013-14, The Get Some Credit programme helped many participants.

This is Alan’s story and how he felt he has definitely benefited from the experience: 'The most enjoyable part has been learning a lot of new skills and having a greater understanding of the environment around us. I would also say that getting to know new people and finding a new career path have been great too. The experience has definitely made me more employable. The amount of training I have received has been more than I could ever ask for. I believe that TCV has put me in a place where I am an excellent candidate for a job within conservation.'

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS STRATEGIC REPORT WITH SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 2013-14

The physical space and the multi-sensory stimuli of working outdoors was, and still is, overwhelmingly therapeutic to me – Project Volunteer TCV and Sheffield City Council –

helping Communities grow

TCV’s Natural Communities Apprenticeship Programme

helping Scotland grow –

The Natural Communities Apprenticeship Programme provides trainees with a practical and flexible methodology for engaging everyone to enjoy, understand, value and care for the green places around them.

During the year, TCV’s Natural Communities trainees worked with 23,500 volunteers to improve 98 sites throughout Scotland. By engaging more than 40 communities in their local green spaces, the trainees improved the skills and confidence within those communities for them to take ownership of projects which benefited their health and wellbeing as well as supporting biodiversity.

The Improving Communities project in Sheffield is a partnership between TCV ET&S and Sheffield City Council. The project’s aim is to increase the number of people in work who are aged 50 plus or who have a health condition in work.

Through helping these residents move into work, it is hoped that negative employer perceptions will be broken down. The project will have a lasting impact by increasing the number of Sheffield residents in work through development of their skills levels, leading to a diversified workforce and an increase in the economic performance of Sheffield’s businesses.

90 people have been helped into work through this project – people like Barry.

Barry came to TCV for support and guidance whilst suffering from a health condition. He was unsure which career direction to pursue. After sustained one to one support, Barry was confident he could work full time hours, and has now been working continuously for nine months. His employer is extremely pleased to have Barry as a member of the team and says: 'Barry is a hardworking valued member of staff who I can always rely on.'

The trainees developed and delivered projects with individuals and groups from a range of backgrounds. Activities varied from consulting on the future of National Nature Reserves to evaluating the role that Citizen Science can play in Green Gyms®.

Laura, one of our 2013 intake of trainees, worked with Scottish National Heritage (SNH). Alan at SNH had this to say about her work: 'Laura’s time and energy provided impetus for community engagement that we had long aspired to achieve but never managed to deliver, because of a lack of staff time to develop contacts and trial different approaches. As a result of Laura’s input, we now have some techniques that work and a significant number of local contacts to deliver these with.'

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS

TCV Hollybush –

helping Sam grow

Sam started as a casual volunteer two to three days a week with TCV when she was 18, when mental health problems had led her to withdraw from society. In her own words, Sam says: 'Through The Conservation Volunteers I was able to access a space that I had thought was off limits to me. Working outside gave me the safety and freedom to work at my own pace, explore my physical limits and new territory, focus on something bigger than myself and engage in relaxed social interactions and teamwork. The physical space and the multi-sensory stimuli of working outdoors was, and still is, overwhelmingly therapeutic to me.'

She quickly sought to expand her experience with TCV and applied to become a Volunteer Officer, helping to lead volunteers on a wide range of environmental conservation projects.

Sam has just turned 20 and, 18 months after coming to TCV, is now helping others to grow in a project supporting people with experience of mental health issues to access outdoor opportunities.

'As well as having the best time of my life, being a Volunteer Officer gave me the practical, first hand, experience of the environmental sector that I needed to land my first job as a support officer for The Great Outdoors Project in Kirklees.'

Sam, TCV Hollybush volunteer.

Helping the UK grow

11

People and places From Local to National

T

CV began life 55 years ago with a vision to involve volunteers in practical conservation work with a training and education remit. That principle is as true today as it was then.

In 2013/14 we worked with a network of over 2,000 local groups and many thousands of volunteers to transform outdoor places, helping the UK grow in 2,340 places.

RBS and TCV - a partnership built on solid ground

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Putting the ‘action’ into Employee Action Days ‘The Conservation Volunteers and RBS have been working collaboratively since September 2007. The Employee Action

By working with local people and communities and enabling them to take day to day responsibility for their outdoor spaces, we help tackle social exclusion, increase local knowledge and expertise, improve the environment and help communities to thrive and become sustainable. We do our best work when we work in partnership with people and land owning organisations to get the best possible outcomes in the most economic way.

Our services are constantly in demand and in this last year we have had some

Days are not only enjoyable events but also support employees to make a real difference to the local environment and communities and to develop their own skills and team spirit.’

James Graham Charitable Programmes Manager | RBS Sustainability Almost a quarter of all RBS volunteering days in 2013 took place in the 40% most deprived areas in the UK. This last year has witnessed a new initiative as part of the partnership – ‘Nominate a Patch’ – where RBS staff are encouraged to nominate a project close to their hearts. A team from

significant achievements which we will take into 2014/15 with a continued focus on driving Localism on a National scale.

There is always more we can do and we will be seeking out more partnership opportunities to help communities and people thrive whilst conserving and transforming outdoor spaces from inner cities to coastal paths.

The following case studies reveal the extent and breadth of experience and expertise we have and the communities and partners we share them with.

RBS nominated Sklemorlie Primary School in Ayrshire, Scotland to have a garden transformation.

The garden is a memorial garden for the school caretaker who passed away and the children held a garden design competition which was translated by the TCV team into a sensory garden space for the children to enjoy.

The RBS team deployed over 50 staff and all their volunteering days to get a huge amount of the work on site completed in time for the garden opening by the caretaker’s widow and family.

The Employee Action Days are not only enjoyable events but also support employees to make a real difference to the local environment – James Graham

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS STRATEGIC REPORT WITH SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 2013-14

I think that the gardening club is fun, and is a nice activity for the people who particularly don’t enjoy sports clubs – Year 8 pupil, Colmers School, Rednal, Birmingham.

TCV and Mondele ¯z International Health for Life in the Community programme –

helping South Birmingham communities grow

‘Being involved in the Health for Life programme has made me feel fitter and healthier, and a lot happier in myself, as well as learning new things and making new friends.’ Richard, volunteer, Health for Life in the Community.

From day one, The Health for Life in the Community programme has involved volunteers, many of whom have done so

for the first time. So far, 390 Green Gym® Sessions have been run, and over 20,000 packets of seeds have been distributed to local communities to help them grow food.

in Birmingham. By supporting classes and providing seeds and help for a year, a group from each school is sowing food plants for themselves and taking them home to grow with friends and family.

Volunteers within the programme have reported improved levels of physical exercise by being involved in the programme's activities and 70% of participants say that they have joined the programme to make new friends and are doing this by volunteering. Social inclusion at its best.

'I think that gardening club is fun, and is a nice activity for the people who particularly don’t enjoy sports clubs. You can meet lots of new people and learn new skills, which can be useful if you want to do your own gardening at home'. Year 8 pupil, Colmers School, Rednal, Birmingham.

On the Health for Life in Secondary Schools programme, over 2,800 secondary school children have been involved in activities such as helping to set up food growing spaces in six secondary schools

What impact has this Project had?

Results show that involvement in volunteering has a positive impact on attitudes and behaviours towards the environment, lifestyles and willingness to engage in local community. Furthermore, the impact increases over time.

The key findings of the Green Impacts Project were as follows:

Green Impacts Project – volunteering in action TCV was funded by the City Bridge Trust and John Laing Charitable Trust to create the Green Impacts Project.

The culmination of the project in March 2014 was a publication of a report which demonstrates the impact of volunteers on pro-environmental behaviour and the belief that local volunteer groups can enhance community resilience.

Volunteering has a greater effect on the most deprived.

Active volunteering has a greater effect on the most unhealthy.

Women change their behaviour three times more and faster than men.

Trained volunteers receive the greatest benefits.

To find out more information about the outcomes of this project, please visit www. tcv.org.uk/volunteeringimpacts where a copy of the report and the video ‘What does volunteering mean to me’ in which the beneficiaries share their experiences can be found.

The research took place in London and surveyed 789 volunteers from 8 TCV Action Teams and 8 Green Gyms® across the city.

The community resilience component of the research worked with over 20 local community groups to develop an understanding of what made them resilient.

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS

Helping the UK grow

13

Strategic Report Achievements and performance

Goal 4: Be a great place to volunteer

Our strategic plan is built around 6 strategic goals:

Goal 1: Work together with people and communities to help them transform their health, prospects and outdoor places for the long term

The number of people we worked with and the people helped into employment both exceeded our targets.

The number of places helped was less than our target for the year but this was a result of focussing on helping more people in the same place to ensure efficiency in our delivery model and therefore the best use of our scarce resources.

Goal 5: Have customers who love us

We have achieved participant satisfaction rates of 95% in TCV Employment and Training Services and begun work on the implementation of a customer relationship database to ensure we are able to identify and value all of the many and varied stakeholder relationships the Group has.

Goal 2: Be a resilient organisation

Goal 6: Be better known and supported for the value we deliver

We have strengthened financial controls and processes and have exceeded our financial target of breaking even for the year.

Goal 3: Be a great place to work

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Volunteers continue to be the bedrock on which TCV helps the UK grow. We have begun to review and refresh our volunteer proposition and will develop this work over the coming year.

We have developed a people plan and will continue to implement this over the remaining strategic plan period.

Financial review

We have increased our profile on television, in print and on social media, and are developing strategies for working with key stakeholders.

Further detail of our performance against each of these goals is set out in the section 'How did we do?' on page 6.

dependent on the number of people

The Group has returned a surplus for the year of £1.2m (2013: £1.5m deficit) having reported deficits for the previous two years. Incoming resources increased by 2%, delivered from a reduced cost base.

This surplus has been translated into a £1.7m increase in net cash (2013: £2.4m reduction).

referred to our programmes and meeting

Incoming resources

We are pleased to see a 16% increase in

criteria.

Grant income reduced by 20%, reflecting continuing pressure on government and other funders and the ongoing trend from upfront grant funding to performancelinked funding paid in arrears.

our trading income, albeit from a base of

2014 £’m

2013 £’m

Change £’m

Training

10.7

8.7

2.0

Grants

5.0

6.3

(1.3)

Conservation projects

5.1

5.5

(0.4)

Trading

0.4

0.3

0.1

Donations Other

0.3 0.5

0.3 0.5

0.0 0.0

22.0

21.6

0.4

Total income

an array of funder-specific performance

During the year, Group total incoming resources increased by 2% to £22.0m.

Training and employment-related programmes increased by 23%, in large part due to greater numbers of people helped into sustained employment.

We remain conscious of the continued variability of this income, which is

only £0.3m and are now developing new products and sales channels, including a children’s gardening range in collaboration with the creators of Moshi Monsters.

Statement of financial activities

2014 £’m

2013 Change £’m £’m

Income

22.0

21.6

0.4

(12.9) (14.2)

1.3

Expenditure Direct operations Operational support

(4.7)

(5.7)

1.0

Central support

(3.2)

(3.2)

(0.0)

(20.8) (23.1)

2.3

Total expenditure Surplus/ (deficit)

1.2

(1.5)

STRATEGIC REPORT

2.7

Total resources expended reduced by 10% to £20.8m as a consequence of the continuing efforts in cost management including more efficient purchasing through national supply contracts and strengthening of our procurement and financial reporting procedures.

Actions taken by TCV leadership in the current and previous years in response to restrictions in government and other funding available, together with stronger than anticipated incoming resources, have resulted in the Group exceeding its target of breaking even for the financial year. It should be noted however, that the better than expected in year performance from the trading subsidiary was achieved by contracts which will end within the life of the current plan. Underlying financial performance continues to be adversely impacted by an uncertain, though recovering, economy and the sustained depression of historic funding streams.

Balance sheet 2014 2013 Change £’m £’m £’m

3.6

Tangible fixed assets

4.0

(0.4)

3.0

3.5

(0.5)

4.0

2.4

1.6

(2.8) (3.2)

0.4

Current assets and liabilities Debtors Net cash

1

Creditors

2

4.2

Net current assets Provisions

2.7

1.5

(0.4) (0.4)

0.0

7.4

Net assets

6.3

1.1

1 Comprises cash £4.2m (2013: £3.1m), overdraft £0.2m

Unrestricted funds have increased by £1.3m to £5.2m, and represent 70% of total funds (2013: 62%). Restricted funds have reduced by £0.2m to £2.2m. Restricted capital funds represent funding received towards properties and other assets used by the Group and are amortised over the economic life of these assets; restricted revenue funds represent up-front grant funding across a range of projects.

Monthly management information and future forecast models separately monitor movements in restricted and unrestricted funds, together with cash flows and compliance with our reserves policy.

(2013: £0.7m) and finance leases £nil (2013: £nil)

Plans for future periods

2 Excluding overdraft and finance leases

The balance sheet has strengthened by £1.1m with net assets at March 2014 of £7.4m.

The Group generated a net cash inflow of £1.7m for the year (2013: net cash outflow of £2.4m), greater than the £1.1m surplus which included £0.5m of non-cash depreciation charges. Working capital remained broadly stable, with debtors and creditors reducing by 14% and 25% respectively. Net current assets accounted for 57% (2013: 42%) of the Group’s net assets, representing a strengthening of short-term liquidity.

Fixed assets of £3.6m (2013: £4.0m) reduced during the year due to continued efficient use of our existing vehicle fleet and IT assets, with depreciation outweighing re-investment cost. The Group continues to carry provision for onerous property leases at £0.4m.

Funds and reserves

2014 2013 Change £’m £’m £’m

Restricted revenue funds

1.1

1.2

(0.1)

Restricted capital funds

1.1

1.2

(0.1)

Total restricted funds

2.2

2.4

(0.2)

Unrestricted funds

5.2

3.9

1.3

Total funds and reserves

7.4

6.3

1.1

The Group reported an increase in reserves of £1.2m during the financial year (2013: reduction of £1.5m). Cash resources and income also returned to growth in the period. The groundwork for this performance came as a result of the implementation of the first stage of our current three year strategic business plan. Having begun to make TCV fit for the future, we will look to leverage what we have achieved to put TCV in the best position to help the UK grow. Alongside delivering the current strategic business plan we are beginning to develop our strategic plan for the period 2015/18.

Pressures on government and other traditional funding sources appear set to continue. To grow the impact we make on the lives of our beneficiaries we will need to further diversify our income and raise awareness of the essential work we deliver to both new and existing funders.

Exceeding our breakeven target for 2013/14 has enabled us to invest in development of our staff, volunteers, technology and infrastructure. The timing of this expenditure is likely to result in a reduction in our unrestricted reserves during the 2014/15 financial year. The financial resilience and decision making frameworks introduced over the last year will continue to be embedded as we target further efficiencies in how we deliver on each pound raised, whilst maintaining a stable financial position.

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS

The Trustees have prepared the Charity's financial statements on the going concern basis. The Trustees have reviewed forecasts to 30 September 2015 and on the basis of those forecasts believe that the Charity will be able to meet its liabilities as they fall due. These forecasts have been prepared conservatively, including risks and sensitivities to anticipated financial performance, including a review of actual performance compared to previous forecasts. Mitigating actions available to the Group in the event of adverse circumstances or financial performance have also been considered. Based on the information currently available in respect of the future, the Trustees consider that the Charity has the plans and resources to manage its business risks successfully.

Principal risks and uncertainties The Trustees have overall responsibility for ensuring that the Charity has appropriate systems of control for managing risk within the organisation. TCV’s risk management process is designed to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to mitigate risk and provide reasonable assurance against material misstatement or loss.

TCV aims to identify the major risks to the organisation, ranking them on the basis of both likelihood and impact. Major risks are considered when setting operational and strategic objectives and in approval of significant grants and contracts. TCV operates a multi-year planning, budgeting and internal audit cycle which aims to compare actual results to planned outcomes.

The risk management process is managed throughout the business, with standards set and monitored through the Risk Management Group and internal audit specialists. The Performance, Audit and Risk Committee reviews the work of the Risk Management Group and brings this to the attention of the Board on a quarterly basis. This process has been further strengthened with performance against quantified thresholds for strategic risks being embedded in the monthly

Helping the UK grow

15

Strategic Report management reporting programme. On an annual basis, the Performance, Audit and Risk Committee provides the Board of Trustees with a summary review of risk management issues for it to consider.

Principal risks have been reviewed and are aligned to our strategic plan. Risks are categorised as: • Financial: including volatility of financial performance and reserves strength; Restrictions on traditional sources of income, the constrained economic environment and the need to renew or replace fixed term grants and contracts all contribute to financial risk. The Group also recognises that internal monitoring is essential to reduce the volatility of financial performance by ensuring grant and project delivery and expenditure are properly controlled and that reserve strength is maintained.

16

Risk management is embedded within the organisation in order to enable risk to be effectively assessed and appropriate controls/actions put in place to mitigate risks to acceptable levels.

The Trustees have given consideration to the major risks to which the Charity is exposed and satisfied themselves that systems or procedures are established in order to manage those risks appropriately.

Rita Clifton Chair of the Board 23 September 2014

• Operations and people: including information technology, operational performance and people management; The Group recognises that risks arise from the essential use of information technology, operational systems and management of staff. It monitors potential data losses, security breaches and adopts policies to prevent and mitigate the effects of catastrophic data loss; monitors and reviews decisionmaking and operational systems; and monitors staff engagement, absence and retention levels. • Reputational: including regulatory compliance and quality of volunteer and customer experiences The Board recognises that risks arise from potential reputational damage from regulatory breaches and the experiences of volunteers and customers. Steps are taken to ensure that regulatory breaches do not happen; volunteer experience and retention are monitored and stakeholder relationships are managed.

STRATEGIC REPORT

Trustees and advisors Patron HRH The Duke of Edinburgh KG, KT President The Lord Norrie (resigned 1 April 2014) Sir Jonathon Porritt CBE (appointed 2 April 2014) Vice Presidents Sir David Attenborough OM, CH, CBE, FRS Professor David Bellamy OBE Dr William Bird MBE Robert E Boote CVO Andrew C H Brown Professor Michael Dower CBE The Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava Dr Rupert Evenett Tom Flood CBE Roger de Freitas The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer Robert C Morley Bill Oddie OBE Sir Jonathon Porritt CBE (resigned 2 April 2014 to become president)

Nominations and Governance Committee The Lord Norrie (Chair) (resigned 1 April 2014) Dr Rupert Evenett (Chair) (appointed 2 April 2014) Roger Clarke Paulette Cohen David Coleman (appointed 27 May 2014) Robert C Morley (resigned 1 April 2014) Performance, Audit and Risk Committee Mike P Kirk (Chair) Kevan-Peter Doyle (resigned 29 November 2013) Julie Royce (appointed 4 November 2013) Sir Hugh Sykes Tilden Watson CFPA, IIA, MBCOI, Zurich Risk Engineering UK Company Secretary Wendy Ellis Chief Executive Julie Hopes

Ambassadors Dr William Bird MBE David Coleman Jeremy Corbett CBE Professor Michael Dower CBE Roger de Freitas Kay Hampton (resigned 8 August 2013) Sue Hilder Noel Hufton Richard Rodgers CBE (resigned 27 April 2014) Jane Stevensen Richard Williams

Senior Leadership Team Orla Cochrane, People and Change Director Wendy Ellis, Finance and Commercial Director Sue Pearson, Business Development Director Phil Rothwell, Policy and Futures Director Callum Sinclair, Scotland and Northern Ireland Director Darren York, England and Wales Director Principal bankers

Board of Trustees Rita Clifton CBE (Chair of the Board of Trustees) Maria Adebowale (appointed 29 November 2013) Roger Clarke ** Paulette Cohen ** Kevan-Peter Doyle (resigned 29 November 2013) Neil Kerfoot (appointed 25 June 2013) Mike P Kirk (Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees) * Philip Mulligan Julie Royce (appointed 25 June 2013) * Sir Hugh Sykes * Barney Tallack (resigned 29 November 2013)

NatWest Plc 12 High Street, Doncaster, DN1 1EJ Statutory Auditors Grant Thornton UK LLP 2 Broadfield Court, Sheffield, S8 0XF Company number: 00976410 Charity numbers: 261009 (England and Wales) SC039302 (Scotland) Registered office Sedum House, Mallard Way, Doncaster, DN4 8DB * Performance, Audit and Risk Committee member ** Nominations and Governance Committee member

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS

Helping the UK grow

17

Our Trustees Rita Clifton, Chair

Neil Kerfoot

Sir Hugh Sykes

Rita's career has combined both commercial and non-profit board roles, including as CEO and Chair of Interbrand, as Vice-Chair at Saatchi & Saatchi, as a Commissioner on the Government's Sustainable Development Commission and as a Trustee of WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature). She has also advised many charities such as the Red Cross, Guide Dogs and Cancer Research UK. Her current non-executive board roles include Bupa, Nationwide, ASOS and as chair of Populus, the opinion pollster. Other advisory boards have included the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Cambridge University’s Judge Business School. Rita is also a visiting professor at Henley Business School and an Honorary Fellow of the Market Research Society. She was awarded a CBE in the 2014 New Year's Honours list.

Neil is CEO of the international development charity, Village by Village and brings a strong passion for volunteering to the Board. Previously, he was Head of Volunteering for the 34,000 volunteers at the British Heart Foundation, Head of Volunteering for Henshaws Society for Blind People and managed teams of hard to reach young people for the Prince’s Trust Volunteers.

A chartered accountant and law graduate, Hugh has worked across corporate, voluntary and public sectors. His diverse roles have included among others the chairmanship of Yorkshire Bank, Sheffield Development Corporation and Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust as well as a number of directorships in both small and large industrial and commercial companies.

He is a former Treasurer of The University of Sheffield.

Roger Clarke

18

Roger has a lifetime's interest in the relationship between people and the environment and in the search for sustainable patterns of living. Roger is currently Chair of Friends of the Earth and Deputy Chair of the international development charity Practical Action. Past roles have included Policy Director at the Countryside Commission, Chief Executive at the Youth Hostels Association, Chair of Think Global and board membership of the Woodland Trust, Natural England and English Nature.

Paulette Cohen Paulette is Director, Global Programmes, at Barclays where she is responsible for leading the development and delivery of Barclays global partnerships with international development and sport for development charities. Having begun her career at The Conservation Volunteers she has held senior roles at the Windsor Leadership Trust, Save the Children and VSO.

Mike Kirk Mike was a partner at Cazenove and Co, providing financial and strategic advice to clients in a wide range of sectors including sustainable technology and led the financial PR practice of Weber Shandwick, which included assisting companies to improve their CSR policies and reporting.

He is currently the senior independent director of a regulated water company providing drinking water to around 600,000 residents and companies in the South East of England, and is Chairman of the UK's leading independent medical museum

Philip Mulligan

Maria Adebowale Maria Adebowale founded and directs Living Space Project, an urban place and green space think tank and consultancy and has featured in The Independent on Sunday’s Top 100 most influential environmentalists. Formerly a commissioner for English Heritage and the UK Sustainable Development Commission, Maria sits on a number of advisory groups and boards, including membership of The Guardian’s Sustainable Business Network Advisory Panel, Patron of the UK Environmental Law Association and Matron of the Women’s Environment Network.

Philip brings extensive environmental qualifications both academic and practical to the Board of Trustees and was one of our conservation project leaders for many years. Most recently executive director of United Nations Association for the UK, Philip has previously been chief executive of Environmental Protection UK, vice-chair of Defra's Third Sector Advisory Group and Indonesia Country Director for VSO.

Julie Royce Julie first encountered The Conservation Volunteers whilst acting as a 'Games Maker' and 'London Ambassador' during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. Julie is currently employed by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), leading a team who help the users of NICE guidance to put it into practice.

Previously she has held a range of senior management, training and marketing positions, including for Unilever, the NHS and a small advertising agency.

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS STRATEGIC REPORT WITH SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 2013-14

19

THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS

Helping the UK grow

TCV is helping the UK grow by practically working with people and their communities to improve their health, prospects and outdoor places for the long term. It is one of the largest, most dynamic and effective volunteering organisations working in the UK today.

Complementing TCV’s core work, is a network of over 2000 community groups that regularly work with TCV to organise outdoor and learning activities aimed at bringing the community together tackling social isolation and loneliness, and putting local people in control of their own prospects and outdoor places.

The Conservation Volunteers give their time, energy and enthusiasm to transform local areas for the benefit of the whole community. Through your generosity, we can provide the training, support and equipment to help them achieve even more.

Please make a donation today to support our valuable work.

Visit www.tcv.org.uk/donate 20

The Conservation Volunteers Sedum House, Mallard Way Doncaster DN4 8DB Telephone: 01302 388883 Email: information@tcv.org.uk www.tcv.org.uk The Conservation Volunteers, a registered charity in England (261009) and in Scotland (SCO39302) ÂŽ Green Gym is a registered Trade Mark

STRATEGIC REPORT