Wales Environment Link Information and Application Pack

Wales Environment Link Information and Application Pack

Our application form can be found on pages 17 and 18 of this document. Simply detach, complete and return to Wales Environment Link, along with the requested supporting information. We prefer to receive applications via email if possible.

CONTENTS

Page

What is Wales Environment Link?2

Charitable Objects2

Vision 2

Strategic Aims 2

Why apply to join Wales Environment Link?3

How does WEL operate?4

General Operating Principles of Wales Environment Link4

Council 4

Management Committee 5

Working Groups5

Email Groups6

Meetings with Government7

Staff7

Website7

Membership - Who can apply to join Wales Environment Link?7

Full Membership7

Associate Membership8

How much does it cost?8

Membership application procedure9

Constitution of Wales Environment Link10

Application Form17

1

What is Wales Environment Link?

Wales Environment Link is a network for environment, heritage and countryside non-governmental organisations in Wales (mostly with an all-Wales remit). WEL facilitates joint-working and information sharing between its members and acts as a united voice for third sector environmental organisations. WEL is the principalintermediary body between the government and the environmental NGO sector in Wales.

WEL is …

• a voice for the environment movement in Wales
• an advocate of the membership’s collective views
• a facilitator for the representation of a diverse range of organisations on government and other national fora
• a route of communication and dialogue between WEL members and government
• an information provider
• a mechanism and framework which enablesit’s members to work together to achieve collective goals

Charitable Objects

WEL is established, for the benefit of the public, to promote and enhance the conservation, protection, sustainable management and responsible enjoyment of the natural and cultural heritage of Wales.

Vision

Our vision is a healthy, sustainably managed environment and countryside with safeguarded heritage in which the people of Wales and future generations can prosper.

Strategic Aims

WEL’s aims are to:

1.Positively influence development of policy, legislation and practice in Wales by providing a cohesive voice for our members and enabling them to work effectively with Government and statutory sectors as a respected and valued independent advisory body.

2.Support and nurture the environmental NGO sector by facilitating the development of partnerships, knowledge and expertise while building mutual trust and enhancing capacity within the membership.

Why Apply to Join Wales Environment Link?

As well as access to a range of services, including information via email groups, membership of WEL can add significant value to the work of environmental NGOs.

There are three other Links in the UK: Scottish Environment Link, Northern Ireland Environment Link and Wildlife and Countryside Link in England. The Links have all been set up to complement and add value to the actions of individual NGOs rather than to replace or duplicate them. Together the four Links are known as ‘Environment Links UK’.

Membership provides an avenue for combined action, a forum for discussion where your views count, and an opportunity to present to government and stakeholders a united front on those key issues common to eNGOs. It also provides access to a network of contacts, support and joint working opportunities.

A key aspect of WEL membership is the facility for coordinated action, which can bring about a more concerted lobby for change and a stronger voice for environmental protection. Collaborative working amongst NGOs, and a recognised representative point of contact and consultation, are increasingly looked for by government, albeit on the understanding that such networks do not subsume the sovereignty of their members.

On major overarching issues of significance to a range of organisations, a Wales Environment Link statement, position or response to consultation may be produced, representing the consensus views of members. These statements reflect a collective membership which is larger than that of any of the individual NGOs, and therefore makes a stronger impact.

By working together all organisations involved can be more effective, regardless of their size. Members obtain from membership of Wales Environment Link (amongst other things) the following benefits:

• added credibility of being part of a movement with common aspirations and goals
• access to the skills, experience and resources of member organisations and their staff
• smaller organisations are strengthened through membership of WEL (by access to information, contact with others working on the same issues, opportunities to raise concerns and seek broader support from the environment sector, opportunities to engage with government and decision makers)
• reduction in overlap and duplication of efforts within the sector and a more informed approach for individual NGOs
• a broadening of each other's agendas (where appropriate)
• contact with government, its agencies, and other key decision making bodies
• opportunity to create joint campaigns on specific issues
• development of trust within the sector

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How does WEL operate?

General Operating Principles of Wales Environment Link

• Members engage with government and other bodies through WEL primarily on issues of over-riding importance to its members
• The team of staff support the work of the members – however they are not Wales Environment Link, the members are.
• Members will get out of Wales Environment Link what they put into it.
• WEL is a mechanism for enabling better working together between environmental, heritage and countrysideNGOs.
• WEL operates by consensus where possible.

Council

• Council is the ultimate decision making body for WEL – for example decisions on membership applications, work programmes, Working Groups, etc are the responsibility of Council.
• Councilmeets twice a year in person.
• Council consists of a representative of each Full Member organisation of WEL.
• Each member will nominate a representative and may also nominate an alternate representative.
• The main representative is responsible for ensuring that if an alternate is to attend they are fully briefed, have received and read all the papers etc.
• It is the responsibility of members to come prepared for each Council meeting.

Management Committee

Management Committee isthe group of people who are ultimately responsible for running the organisation. The seven members of the Management Committee are selected from the membership. The Honorary Officers can be nominated from outside the network if necessary, so long as they are nominated and seconded by Full Members of the WEL network.As WEL is a registered charity they are also the Trustees of the charity, managing the organisation’s affairs on behalf of the members and being responsible to the members.

As Trustees of the charity the WEL Management Committee has responsibility for making decisions regarding:

• Finance
• Personnel
• Administrative issues (e.g. health & safety)
• Minutes and actions arising

The following fall within their remit as the “executive” of the charity:

• Strategic development and corporate planning
• Work planning
• Approval of action between Council meetings
• Membership (recommendations and comment to Council)

Drafting and submitting grant applications and securing funds is delegated to the Director, within guidelines established by the Trustees.

WEL Council is the policy making body and representative forum for the organisation. Management Committee is responsible for ensuring that the policies of Wales Environment Link are implemented.

Working Groups

Working Groups may be established on issues of importance to WEL members. Working Groups are delegated authority to act on behalf of the wider network where there is an agreed WEL position. If there is not an existing position Working Groupsmust develop policy positions and work priorities and seek endorsement from Council.

Working Groups can consist of

• a core group of members with the time, expertise and desire to progress an issue
• a wider constituency of stakeholders (identified through the WEL email groups - see below) who are given the opportunity to participate directly in meetings and discussions of the Working Group and also to comment and contribute to written statements and work programmes

Any full member of WEL can be a core member of the Working Group – however this entails a recognition by the member of the need to actively participatein the work of the group.

Working Groups will elect a Chair, work in line with a ‘Terms of Reference’ and identify work priorities for the year in advance of the JulyCouncil meeting. Active groups for the following year are determined at the AGM.

WEL staff currently support the following groups:

• Advocacy
• Land Use & Biodiversity
• Forestry & Freshwater sub-group
• Marine
• Natural Resources
• Planning
• Species Champions Steering Group

Task & Finish Groups are also set up within WEL to address specific, time-bound pieces of work which do not fall into the remit of an existing Working Group. WEL is also currently working on Sustainable Development, through its provision of secretariat for the SD Alliance, and liaises regularly with Stop Climate Chaos Cymru.

1

Email groups

Wales Environment Link has virtual groupsthat staff / representatives of full or associate member organisationscan join. These virtual groups are used to:

• circulate information from the WEL offices on particular policy areas
• circulate information between the participating (full) members of the email group
• inform members interested in the policy area of any events or requests for representation from the sector, specific to the interests of the stakeholder group
• seek endorsement from core partners on Working Groups for work programmes, statements and actions proposed by that working group.

Email groups have been established under the following headings.

AdvocacyLand Use

AccessMarine & Coastal

Biodiversity & Nature ConservationNatural Resources

Climate ChangePlanning

EducationFresh Water

Press ReleasesRecycling and waste management

FundingSpecies Champions

HeritageSustainable Development

Job AdvertsVolunteering

All emails sent to these groups use a consistent subject header to enable members to set up and use mail message rules to manage emails from WEL (e.g. ‘WEL Cli –‘, ‘WEL LU –‘).

The Council representative / main contact from each member organisation will also be included on a Council Members email list in order to receive key correspondence and important Council documentation. Similarly, there is also an email group set up for mailings to the Management Committee.

Meetings with Government

WEL representatives engage in theMinisterial meeting cycle required of the government under the Third Sector Scheme and facilitated by the WCVA.

Individual WEL Working Groups may also seek to meet with Ministers and officials to discuss specific policy issues relevant to that working group.

Twice a yearWELholds meetings with key Ministers, to cover the broad range of policy of interest to the full membership. A WEL operating protocol exists and will be applied to the running of these Ministerial meetings.

(N.B. Associate members are only eligible to attend formal WEL meetings with Cabinet Secretaries/Ministers or the Chief Executive / senior staff of NRW by special invitation from Management Committee.)

Staff

Director – Karen Whitfield (maternity cover) / Susan Evans (on maternity leave)

The Director is responsible for running the organisation and undertakes financial management, staff management, organisational planning and strategic development.

Policy Officers – Lydia Beaman and Liz Smith

Our Policy Officers support and coordinate the WEL Working Groups and Task & Finish Groups and ensure their policy positions are promoted. Theyassist the members by drafting and coordinating the production of WEL position statements, documents and consultation responses and also organise advocacy opportunities.

Website

There is a lot of information about WEL available on our website: including all our documents, available for download.

Membership - Who can apply to join Wales Environment Link?

Full Membership

Any environmental Non-Governmental Organisation working nationally within Wales whose principle purpose is complementary to the charitable objects of WEL is welcome to apply for membership.

Full membership is not open to environmental organisations unable to demonstrate independence from government or commercial interests in its decision making (i.e. those which are hosted and managed by government or its agencies, or operate solely as a for profit organisation).

Full members can participate in Council decisions, nominate individuals to the Management Committee, participate in any working group or email group, contribute to and endorse collectively agreed statements of WEL and be endorsed by working groups or Council to represent the network on external committee’s and fora. They may also attend WEL’s Cabinet Secretary meetings and high level meetings with senior staff of NRW.

Council is the body which determines whether to approve an application for membership or reject it.

Associate Membership

Voluntary or not for profit organisations who do not seek to influence national debate or policy on environmental matters, but wish to benefit from the services and information WEL provides, and are also established for purposes complementary to WEL’s charitable objects may apply for associate membership. For example, associate membership is:

• open to any environmental non-governmental organisation or network that does not operate at a national level within Wales whose principle purpose is complementary to the charitable objects of WEL.
• open to organisations that operate for community and environmental benefit, established for the purpose of delivering outcomes complementary to charitable objects of WEL. Organisations must be accountable to and managed by stakeholders that include 1/3rd representation by the voluntary environmental sector but may not be wholly independent of government.

This is a restrictive category of membership that entitles associate members to the following:

• Associate members will receive information from WEL (for example emails, details of consultation papers and events).
• Associate members can be copied into the email groups, however information and comments circulated within that group are for information only and are to be treated as confidential by the associate member. (If associates wish to send a message to an egroup they must contact a member of WEL staff with the request.)
• Associate members with specialist expertise in a relevant area can occasionally be invited by individual working groups to participate in group meetings (although, as with all WEL documents, the final decision on wording will be made by the full members).
• Associate members can be invited by working groups or WEL Council to contribute to statements of Wales Environment Link, but this is at the discretion of the working groups or Council itself.
• Associates can opt to have their name/logo on WEL documents.
• Associate members can attend some meetings of WEL Council as observers, and be invited by the Council to participate in discussions, however associate members do not carry a vote on the Council.

How much does it cost?

Full Membership

Subscription rates per annum for full membership of WEL are based on the income of member bodies. N.B. for UK and England and Wales bodies income relates to Wales derived incomeor Welsh equivalent figures (approximately 5% of national income), whichever is the highest.

Associate Membership

Associate membership fees are currently set at£400for the year April 2016 – March 2017 and £405 for the year April 2017 – March 2018.

N.B. New members who join part way through the year will pay a proportional amount.

Membership application procedure

After applications have been submitted to WEL Head Office…

1.Management Committee will consider applications at their next available meeting.

2.Management Committee will identify and comment on any substantive issues relating to the application (for example legal constraints).

3.The Director will seek to clarify any issues identified by the Management Committee with the applicant.

4.A paper outlining comments from the Management Committee on the application will be submitted to the next Council meeting, along with a copy of the application form and supporting documentation from the applicant.

5.Council will vote on a motion to approve or reject the application for membership.

6.The Director will advise the applicant of the decision of Council.

A formal decision will be reached as soon as possible, but this is dependent on Management Committee and Council meeting dates.

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Constitution of

Wales Environment Link / Cyswllt Amgylchedd Cymru

(As amended 10th July 2013)

1. NAME

1.1The name of the Charity shall be “Wales Environment Link” "Cyswllt Amgylchedd Cymru", hereinafter called “WEL”, or such other name as the Charity may from time to time decide with the approval of the Charity Commissioners

1. ADMINISTRATION

2.1 Subject to the matters set out below the Charity and its property shall be administered and managed in accordance with this constitution by the members of the Management Committee, constituted by clause 8.1 of this constitution (“the Management Committee”)

1. OBJECTS

WEL is established to:

3.1 Promote for the public benefit the conservation, protection, sustainable use and quiet and responsible enjoyment of the natural and cultural heritage of Wales.

1. POWERS

In furtherance of these objects WEL may:

4.1 Develop relations with international, national and local government, its agencies and all other bodies which have an influence on the issues specified in 3.1 above.

4.2 Agree action on matters of mutual interest.

4.3 Employ and pay any person or persons not being a member/members of the Management Committee to supervise, organise and carry on the work of WEL and make all reasonable and necessary provision for the payment of pensions and superannuation to or on behalf of employees and their surviving spouses/partners and other dependants.

4.4 Have a bilingual policy.

4.5 Promote and carry out research, surveys and investigations, and publish the results thereof.

4.6 Arrange and provide for, or join in arranging and providing for, the holding of exhibitions, conferences, meetings, lectures, classes, seminars and training courses.