Freegle Reps Report 2013-03-31

This report covers the period 10 March to 10 April 2013

BIG BREAK

We’ve Won £2,000 from the Big Break 100 Good Causes Award

https://www.directdebit.co.uk/thebigbreak/100goodcauses/pages/causedetail.aspx?causeid=297

This is extremely good news for us as it means our server and hosting costs are secured for the next year.

STRATEGY

Big Lottery Sustain Eden project

Chris has recently given us an update. They have switched on the main Grow-Your-Own garden "sub-group" functionality and will be "launching" this at an event on 14 April. Chris is working on some evaluation monitoring in the coming month.

A chunk of the project work is being delegated to PACT in Penrith. To give itself better protection PACT has recently incorporated to set up a new legal body, Penrith Action for Community Transition Limited which is registered in England as an Industrial and Provident Society for the Benefit of the Community, Registration No 31972R. Registered office: Applegarth, Nicholson Lane, Penrith CA11 7UL.

The "old PACT" unincorporated association will be formally wound up shortly.

Freegle's original agreement for Sustain Eden is with PACT. The new "PACT Ltd" board has agreed to take over PACT's obligations on the Sustain Eden Freegle project.

We have confirmed to Chris that we are happy with the revised arrangements.

Chris has asked that the PACT insurance policy covers the old and new PACT while both exist. PACT Ltd is likely to soon formally adopt Health and Safety etc policies.

BITC’s Marketplace Sustainability Summit

http://cts.vresp.com/c/?BusinessintheCommuni/edf3310ff9/TEST/1475ac5e09/event_key=&&&&from=now&to=now%20%2B%203%20year&page=1

We have agreed that Cat should attend this in London on Tuesday 16th April.

MEDIA

South West Recycling Forum Cat gave a presentation on Freegle to them in Wiltshire on 14 March.

http://www.swwrf.org.uk/

Mugs

We’ve been approached by someone who runs an internet business. He has offered us the opportunity of personalised Freegle mugs. He is offering us a percentage of the profits. We discussed the pros and cons of buying new items to promote reuse. We have raised the issues on Central.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreegleUK-Central/message/37043

and Sian is running a poll to gauge how volunteers feel about the issues.

Be The Start Campaign - May

Freegle will be featured by them on 6 May.

http://www.startuk.org/

Channel 4, Something for Nothing - 28 May

Cat is one of the people featured in this TV programme which will be screened on 28 May

National Recycling Awards

The Brighton group has been shortlisted in the waste Minimisation category NRA. Last year Freegle UK were highly commendedf for the same award. 2013 results will be announced on July 3rd.

http://www.nationalrecyclingawards.com/633820

Living Labs Global Competition

The University of Brighton are paying for Cat's flight to attend a 3 day summit in San Francisco. She sublmitted a 'freegle-like' solution to a competition and the entry was shortlisted. As Freegle has no legal structure, nor the capacity to develop the idea for the competition Cat has partnered with 3 other organisations and devised a modified solution called 'CityMakers' (links will be available mid-May). This is great publicity for Freegle.

http://llga.org/

Street Club

B&Q link Freegle on their website. Steetclub is a community initiative funded by them a nd StartUK https://www.streetclub.co.uk/ @Streetclub

Virgin Money

Have given Freegle a very nice mention:

http://uk.virginmoney.com/magazine/article.jsp?category=money&article=32694 @VirginMoney

Observer Ethical Awards

We’ve submitted a nomination for this.

Business Cards

We have refunded Sian for the postage costs for sending out business cards. She is continuing to send out cards to newly approved groups.

Grand Design Living Show

We’ve agreed that Cat should take up an invitation to give a seminar talk on Freegle and reuse on May 9th at Excel.

http://www.granddesignslive.com/

FINANCE

End of Financial Year At the end of the financial year Jane has reported that:we have:

£8,363 in the bank, being:

£5,500 restricted for making Freegle sustainable

£138 restricted to media spend

£2,725 not restricted

Forecast spend for Financial Year 2014 is about £3,000

Full details can be found:

http://freegle.in/accounts

Local Funding Working Group

Liz, Lewes, has kindly agreed to take up running the Local Funding Working Group. This is aimed at giving help to local mods so that they can write funding applications.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Freegle-Local-Funding/

IT

Pie Chart

Edward has produced a pie chart for the home page of our website which nicely shows how much we are saving from landfill each week, broken down by category.

http://direct.ilovefreegle.org/weightchartfull.html

OTHER

Brand New Group Mentors

We agreed with the recommendation from structure to adopt the the procedure detailed in

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cKlJv8htph6OI8dmKIoIGtJ1Qwxn28uiSlUm-ilZB7Q/edit?usp=sharing,

subject to a six month review on Structure and on the understanding that GAT will ask Group Mentors to follow the remit of the Mentor Team.

Waste Prevention Programme

The Government is set to publish the first Waste Prevention Programme for England in December 2013. They are currently calling for views and information to help inform the programme. Freegle is one of the organisations that have been specifically asked to give evidence. We are discussing how best to respond to this.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/call-for-evidence-waste-prevention-programme-for-england

Food Sharing

An increasing number of people are using food share schemes in order to survive.

http://www.fareshare.org.uk/ @fareshareUK

and

http://www.foodcycle.org.uk/

are two such schemes Local groups may want to think about whether they can find ways of working with schemes like these in their area

Freestock

Richard has taken over running Freestock from Tracy-Marie. This year’s meet up has been provisionally booked for 9 – 12 August. More details at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreegleUK-Central/message/37238

Back to: Freegle Reps Report 2013-02-28