Quality Assurance Monitoring 2007/2008

Organisation: Wildlife Trust ()

Met Part Not Comments met met

Achievement Work 3 Programme

Quantitative outcomes: 3

Qualitative outcomes: 3

Client access to services: physical 3 Partially disabled access language 3

Management Committee: Balanced 3 Representation Training 3 Client group rep. 3

Staff: Formal Appraisal System 3 Temp summer warden Training/Development 3 Use of volunteers 3 Good use of volunteers

Client Confidentiality: 3 Not applicable

Service Users consulted: 3

Adequate Insurance Cover: 3

Health and Safety: Risk Assessment 3 Undertaken

Fund-raising Strategy: 3

Monitoring/Evaluation 3 records:

Race Relations Amendment Act 3 Not at local level 2000:

Complaints procedure: 3

Section 17 Crime and Disorder Act 3 1998

Quality Assurance System 3

Business Plan: 3 Strategic Plan 2005 - 2010

Conditions of Grant fulfilled 3

Officer Comments:

The Gunnersbury Triangle is a valuable educational resource for local schools in Hounslow and the organisation maintains a good relationship with 50 local schools. 2-4 hour sessions are provided for groups of school children on pond ecology and woodland ecology. Most visits take place during the summer months when a temporary full-time warden is on site.

The site situated opposite Gunnersbury Station was open to the public in 1984 but lay undisturbed for approximately 100 years prior and as a result a habitat niche was created. Gunnersbury Triangle is recognised as a valuable ecological resource containing various rare species of plants.

The organisation received £50,000 Section 106 funding in February 2006, to undertake a twelve-month consultation/review exercise prior to receiving further S106 funding to develop the site as a visitor centre.

Hounslow is currently the only borough contributing annually to the running of the site.

Numbers of visitors have trebled during 2007/8, due to increased publicity locally and nationally. The site was featured in a BBC ‘Nature of England’ programme, as an example of an urban .

LONDON WILDLIFE TRUST (GUNNERSBURY TRIANGLE LOCAL NATURE RESERVE)

Aims: To influence London’s major development programmes to ensure the Capital’s biodiversity and people’s access to the natural environment.

Nos. in Hounslow benefit from activities: Estimated 50% users from Hounslow

Geographical areas served: Gunnersbury and

Staff Number/s (F/T - P/T): 1 f/t temporary worker /16 volunteers

Rent Subsidy: Nil

Grants (LBH) – 2007/2008 £4,000

Purpose of Grant: Contribution towards running costs of the Gunnersbury Triangle Nature Reserve.

1.0 BACKGROUND

1.1 The (LWT) is a London-wide organisation that manages 50 nature reserves throughout the Greater London area, which includes the Gunnersbury Triangle.

1.2 The Trust fights to sustain and enhance London's wildlife habitats to create a city richer in wildlife. The Trust aims to achieve this through:

• Land management • Working with central and local government, planners, and developers to influence decisions affecting wildlife • Running an extensive volunteering programme with over 400 volunteers involved in all aspects of the organisation’s work. • Formal and information education on wildlife issues for people of all ages

2.0 MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE

2.1 LWT is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.

2.2 The LWT council is elected from within its membership and has 16 members who were elected in November 2006. Meetings take place every three months. Three local Hounslow committee members are representative on the LWT council.

2.3 Staff

1 full-time temporary education warden 1 May – 30 October inclusive. 16 volunteers assist with volunteer warden’s duties, practical site management, organising and assisting at local events and serving on the local committee

There is weekly contact between the LWT and local site workers.

2.4 Health & Safety

LWT has contents, public liability, professional indemnity and employer’s liability insurance cover.

A risk assessment of the site is undertaken annually. The summer warden also receives basic first aid training, child welfare and safety training.

Fire precautions are inspected annually. Fire precautions are displayed in the small hut on site.

3.0 LEVEL AND QUALITY OF SERVICE

3.1 The Gunnersbury Triangle offers children and adults the opportunity to gain an understanding of nature conservation. The nature reserve is advertised in the local press to encourage a more diverse group of visitors.

3.2 The areas of work and services provided are:

• Management of a local nature reserve;

• Staffing of the reserve 5.5 days per week for 14 weeks during the Summer and 2 days a week for the rest of the year through volunteer activity;

• Formal schools education programme aimed at Key Stages 1 and 2 of the national curriculum during the summer term. 50 local junior and secondary schools benefit from 2 to 4 hour visits to the site for education sessions in woodland ecology and pond ecology.

• Monitoring of the flora and fauna of the reserve;

• Events and practical conservation work programme open to local people organised and led by volunteers;

• Contribution to ecological data services such as Greenspace information for Greater London and a National monitoring programme.

• Summer environmental play activities aimed at children and families.

3.3 In excess of 1,000 casual visitors including families attend the site between April and September. During 2007/8 this number has trebled due to increased publicity in newspapers and magazines. 160 people attended the Triangle’s first open day and in excess of 80 children plus parents enjoyed 4 days of half term activities.

3.4 Various family environmental activity days are held over the summer holidays and include guided walks for all the family plus arts and crafts activities. Saturday events also take place during the summer months to offer children 7-11 years an opportunity for learning in a fun environment outside the school setting. Additional weekly events for children included: Batty Evening; Build your own Bird and Bat Box Event; Bird watching for Beginners; Brilliant ; Digital Photography for Beginners; Lady Birds; National Moth and Bat Night; Eat or Not to Eat.

4.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE

4.1 LTW has not yet implemented a recognised quality assurance system at the Gunnersbury Triangle.

5.0 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND DIVERSITY

5.1 LWT has a written equal opportunities policy. A copy is on display at the site.

5.2 Service delivery is monitored and records visitors and types of activity. A comments book is available for visitors. Monitoring forms from borough schools are evaluated.

5.3. A community consultation project has been undertaken at the Gunnersbury Triangle site to study how best to engage people from ethnic communities as visitors to the site.

5.4 The Gunnersbury Triangle is almost wholly accessible to wheelchair users.

6.0 SECTION 17 OF THE CRIME AND DISORDER ACT 1998

6.1 LWT contributes to the reduction of crime and disorder in the Borough by:-

- providing safe supervised activities for children during weekends (Saturdays) and the summer holiday periods.

- engaging young people in nature conservation. The organisation has research that shows evidence this does lead to a reduction in crime and disorder.

7.0 FINANCIAL ISSUES

7.1 The Council awarded a grant of £4,000 to LWT in 2007/2008. £4,000 Lb Hounslow rental income adjoining site 2007/2008

Fundraising

£400 Earthwatch Institute 2007/8 £850 Donations/sponsorship 2007/8

7.2 Premises

LWT is the main tenant. The majority of the nature reserve is owned by the London Borough of Hounslow and part by . Discussions are taking place with the London Borough of Hounslow regarding expansion of the site and future services.

8.0 COMMENTS OF THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

8.1 The Acting Director of Finance confirms that this organisation has been allocated £4,000 of corporate grant by the council in 2007/08 as a contribution towards the running costs of the Gunnersbury Triangle nature reserve. The group’s audited accounts for 2006/07 show reserves of £1,039,922 at 31 March 2007, an increase of £156,089 on the previous year. Of these reserves, £715,860 are restricted funds and £585, 347 is the book value of the fixed assets. Excluding the grant from the Council in 2006/07, the organisation received a further £1,951,759 income from other grants, donations and subscriptions.

9.0 DIRECTOR OF LEGAL SERVICES COMMENTS

9.1 The Council has statutory powers to provide recommended financial assistance under the provisions of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 (S.19) and the Local Government Act 2000 (S.2).