Chris Speirs & Clif Osborne on the work of this environmental charity in Haringey (This is the second of three environmental community groups to present to the panel)
Minutes:
Officers from the Trust for Conservation Volunteers (TCV) gave a presentation to the panel on the work of the organisation in Haringey. The panel noted the vision and the purpose of TCV was:
· VISION- An abundance of safe and accessible outdoor places for everyone to use and enjoy
· PURPOSE- Work together with people and communities to transform their health, prospects and outdoor places for the long term.
The panel noted that TCV work in a number of different settings and with a range of local groups to support socioeconomic and environmental regeneration across the borough. TCV works closely with Green Flag parks and support the creation of a Conservation Action Plan (a project management plan for environmental improvement) in each. This is a new model for the management of the parks to help facilitate local involvement, develop local partnerships and improve accountability.
The panel noted that TCV was currently working across 20 sites in Haringey of varying size and with different community emphasis. These included:
· Board walk construction at Coldfall Woods;
· Removing a fallen holly at Queens Woods;
· Wildflower bed creation and pond clearance;
· Creating homes for Wildlife.
A key aim of the approach of TCV is to recruit local volunteers and to support them in local environmental projects. The panel noted that TCV recruit Haringey volunteers, which in total have contributed over 1,241 volunteers workdays to date. It was estimated that this was of a net value of £80,990 to the borough.
The panel noted that TCV also undertakes education projects with both young people and adults. Here it was noted that at the Railway Fields site in Harringay:
· 20 different school groups had received educational input;
· 1,327 children studied environmental education topics;
· An adult education programme is supported.
TCV works with local groups to support environmental projects particularly local Friends of Parks groups (FoP), which offer an important link to local residents associations and other local residents. TCV offers free training and support to local FoP groups, and aims to develop skills, knowledge and confidence to undertake local environmental work.
The panel noted that in the restructuring of environmental support In Haringey, TCV funding was reduced from £130k to £50k, which has consequently reduced its capacity to support local environmental projects. The panel noted that for every £1 of funding received by TCV, more than £2 is received back in terms of hours supplied by volunteers. TCV also brings in additional funding via external partnerships and bids for outside funding.
Green Gym
TCV also support the Green Gym initiative which is a programme to help improve the physical activity and mental health of those referred. The panel noted that participants can be referred by health services or via self-referral to 3 hour sessions based in local green spaces. There are 14 Green Gyms across London, 3 of which are in Haringey including Broadwater Farm. The panel noted that TCV were also offering a Blue Gym programme for environmental work focused on waterways. In Haringey, the Green Gym had also helped to support:
· Intergenerational projects;
· Learning Disability/ Mental Health Service users
· Those with Drug and Alcohol problems (DASH).
The panel noted that TCV are trialling the Green Gym model with youth offending services in Lewisham and Greenwich and if successful would like to extend this work further to other Local Authorities. This would take time to develop links and further funding opportunities.
Agreed: that details of local YOS would be given to TCV to explore possible opportunities for the Green GYM in Haringey.
The panel noted that evaluations of the Green Gym had demonstrated the following outcomes:
· Improved Wellbeing ;
· Improved Physical Health;
· Pro-Environmental Behaviour;
· Individual and Community Resilience ;
· Improved quality Green Spaces.
The panel suggested that given the health benefits derived from this work, it would be practical to approach Public Health to identify opportunities for possible partnerships and or joint working opportunities.
Agreed: That scrutiny would contact Public Health to identify a contact link between these two services.
The panel noted that whilst TCV had a strong track record of involving local community groups in small neglected areas of green space and pocket parks and was interested in working with local communities, there was no capacity to support additional work at present in Haringey. The panel noted that historically, the TCV was funded for local community development but this ceased in the most recent restructure.
The panel noted that other boroughs (Harrow) had created a ‘Green Grid’ that underpinned planning development and which acted as a tool through which to engage developers in support of local environmental projects. Contributions were used to support the development of green infrastructure across this borough.
Agreed: that Planning Service would meet with representatives from Leisure Client Services to ascertain possible opportunities to develop and support environmental projects through planning development (CIL).
The panel also suggested that further work could be undertaken with housing providers within the borough (both Homes for Haringey and other registered housing providers), who may also have small pockets green space which could be developed through TCV.
The panel noted that significant potential of the model used by TCV and suggested that a Community Environmental Conference is organised to help link the following, new volunteers, the identification of undeveloped or neglected green spaces; new funding opportunities. It was suggested that each ward could nominate 10 areas of neglected green space which could be taken forward for development. This would need to link to Green Conference.
Agreed: that the possibility of supporting a Community Environmental Conference is explored with Client Services Team with the aim of brining interested local stakeholders together to assist in the identification of neglected green-spaces, volunteers and funding opportunities.