NEW trustees announced to lead waterways into third sector

[Strads]

At least we didnt get any one from the rspb....

[Proper Job]

I can't help thinking that with all of the 'other' interested parties and their lobbying strength, the fundamental of what canals are all about (navigation) will be lost.

 

Love 'em or hate 'em, BW's primary remit was to maintain navigation. They did do other wildlife, walking, fishing etc initiatives, but it was still primarily navigation.

[Pluto]

The canal system is different to e.g. National Trust or Forestry Commission in that it cannot be ring fenced to exclude commercial activities that exist on it. Arguably users could be said to be represented by John Dodwell with his ex-IWA hat on, but there is no one from e.g. British Marine Federation or APCO (Association of Pleasure Craft Operators). Despite BW publicity to the contrary, it was not BW that led the upsurge in popularity of canals since the 60s; it was the group of entrepreneurs who invested their time and energy in building up hire fleets, marinas, chandlery shops etc, without which the canals would still be a secret world enjoyed by the very few. There is no way this group can be excluded or taken over by the new charity, and it would have been sensible for them to have some say in the running of it.

BW did have some influential staff in the 1960s/70s who helped to open up waterways to a wider public. In particular there was Peter White, whose Birmingham redevelopment plan led to much greater interest in canals by town planners. Whether you like the results or not, there certainly would have been fewer reopenings if planners had not seen the benefits of the canal environment, and other areas would have fallen further into dereliction.

I do agree with your other comments, in that today the canals are part of the leisure industry, and the industry needs to have a voice at the highest level. Someone with a bit more of a practical background would have been useful as well. They all seem a bit like office-types to me, and there is nothing like knowing the job professionally from the bottom up.

[Smelly]

It still looks more like the board of a property management company than a heritage charity... Admittedly there needs to be some element of that in the trustees but it's weighted rather a long way too far the wrong way to my liking.

 

Although I know he will not be drawn on it; I do wonder whether MP's concerns are in the same ball park.

[Jim Riley]

The proposed board is only temporary, to be ratified by "members" of the charity once it is operating - so it says in one post. So the crucial bit is who are the members, how does one become a member. The role of the trustees is also to ensure that the charity operates within it's constitution and are constrained by it, unless it is changed by the members/ trustees. We need enough members who are users of the waterway - boaters.

[Josher]

Times are changing ...

 

Ruderham to spearhead fundraising at new waterways charity

 

 

 

2 Jun 2011 Civil Society

 

Ruth Ruderham is to leave Christian Aid and become the first head of fundraising at British Waterways. Starting on 1 August, she will spearhead the newly-registered charity’s attempts to develop a voluntary income base, building on a strategy devised by Think Consulting. By that time Ruderham will have spent nearly three years at Christian Aid, having previously held roles at Friends of the Earth and Crisis.

 

It was while at Crisis that she won Fundraising’s Fundraiser of the Year Award for 2005. "Too good to miss” Speaking to civilsociety.co.uk, Ruderham said she would go as far as to say it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “There’s not many chances you have as a fundraiser to go in and start something from scratch, with absolutely zero supporters and absolutely zero voluntary income. “To grow that in an organisation that’s really well established and has a huge amount of support and energy and enthusiasm to commit into fundraising, to define the proposition and engage their supporters, it just feels like a unique opportunity that I didn’t want to miss.” She said that individual giving would be key to her plans, as “it’s the only way really to grow a very strong, sustainable, flexible voluntary income base.” She added: “We’ll be looking to attract individuals who have already been on canal holidays or used the canals or enjoyed British Waterways in one way or another. “I think there’s a whole range of really exciting ways we’d be looking to do that including events, and obviously in memoriam and legacies, which are part of a traditional strong individual giving programme.”

 

Voluntary income up 10 per cent. Of her time at Christian Aid, she said she wouldn’t have moved on if it hadn’t been an excellent opportunity. On what she is most proud of during her tenure, she said: “Growing voluntary income by 10 per cent whilst I’ve been in post during recession, I think that’s quite a massive achievement. Also, building a very strong team, as when I joined there was no fundraising division. I was the first ever head of fundraising, and looking at fundraising in an integrated, holistic way for the first time.”

[sueb]

And how much is she being paid? Will she have a paid team? It doesn't seem to me that this present BW management team are leaving much for the charity to put in place.

Sue

[cotswoldsman]

And how much is she being paid? Will she have a paid team? It doesn't seem to me that this present BW management team are leaving much for the charity to put in place.

Sue

 

All processional fundraiser are paid and hopefully she will have a good highly paid team. This is the most important job within the new charity and will make or break the charity.

[Pluto]

All processional fundraiser are paid and hopefully she will have a good highly paid team. This is the most important job within the new charity and will make or break the charity.

Surely the most important job is maintaining the waterways, after all that is the core of the business. Funding might be important, but it is more important for the money to be well spent if the business is to succeed.

[paddy r]

Surely the most important job is maintaining the waterways, after all that is the core of the business. Funding might be important, but it is more important for the money to be well spent if the business is to succeed.

 

 

All animals are equal,some are more equal than other's.

[cotswoldsman]

Surely the most important job is maintaining the waterways, after all that is the core of the business. Funding might be important, but it is more important for the money to be well spent if the business is to succeed.

 

Without fundraising what money are you talking about for maintaining the system? Bank of Toyland!!

Edited June 3, 2011 by cotswoldsman

[Pluto]

Without fundraising what money are you talking about for maintaining the system? Bank of Toyland!!

I'm not saying fund raising is unimportant, just that how you spend it is more important, especially as this will have an effect on long term fund raising. People are less likely to give money to a charity which wastes it.

[mayalld]

Surely the most important job is maintaining the waterways, after all that is the core of the business. Funding might be important, but it is more important for the money to be well spent if the business is to succeed.

 

No, I would disagree.

 

Clearly, the charity will need to spend its funds wisely, but even prudent spending decisions won't plug a funding gap.

[paddy r]

I'm sorry but who ever thay get there will still be a funding gap.you can have Sir Sugar running the new BW/EA and the gov will just cut the buget!

[Pluto]

No, I would disagree.

 

Clearly, the charity will need to spend its funds wisely, but even prudent spending decisions won't plug a funding gap.

But if the money is spent wisely, there won't be such a large funding gap, and that will make it easier for those looking for funding. Of course, if governments took their responsibilities seriously, there wouldn't be a funding gap.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

And how much is she being paid? Will she have a paid team? It doesn't seem to me that this present BW management team are leaving much for the charity to put in place.

Sue

 

Short answer circa 70k. I would expect a paid team team of at least five.

 

Article

[fuzzyduck]

Where's the Engineer?

[cotswoldsman]

Short answer circa 70k. I would expect a paid team team of at least five.

 

Article

 

I must be missing something here!! Seems about right for someone that has to raise millions of pounds every year.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

I must be missing something here!! Seems about right for someone that has to raise millions of pounds every year.

 

Yes I think you are!

 

What we have to remember is that many charities are entirely dependent for income from this sort of fundraising. However, this is not the case with BW where the projection is that by 2022 charitable donations etc. will account for less than 5% of income.

 

Whilst I am sure you could justify a 70k salary for someone responsible for raising £100m a year as the lady in question was doing in her last job, I wonder if the same could be said for someone expected to raise £8.5m in 2022.

 

A second and perhaps more important point is that of jumping the gun. The consultation document suggests that the charities trustees will set up a subcommittee specifically to oversee fundraising. By making a senior appointment now, BW is making assumptions that the trustees will agree with its actions.

[Phoenix_V]

 

 

A second and perhaps more important point is that of jumping the gun. The consultation document suggests that the charities trustees will set up a subcommittee specifically to oversee fundraising. By making a senior appointment now, BW is making assumptions that the trustees will agree with its actions.

Well they would because they are all assuming that they will be in the same jobs ? Edited June 7, 2011 by Phoenix_V

[Josher]

More appointments ...

 

New Local Waterway Partnerships start work 14/06/2011 Waterscape

 

14th Jun 2011

 

The final appointments have been made to the trial Local Waterway Partnerships, which have been set up to advise on and influence the management of canals and rivers in the North West and the West Midlands.

 

The new trial Partnerships, alongside a third trial already underway on the Kennet & Avon Canal, will work with local waterway managers until the new waterways charity becomes fully operational in 2012.

 

The Partnerships held their inaugural meetings on 31 May (North West) and 15 June (West Midlands) where they started the process of working through management plans, looking at how to engage new volunteers and identifying potential sources of additional funds to help look after the waterways.

 

The chairs of the Partnerships, Professor Steven Broomhead in the North West and Peter Mathews CMG in the West Midlands, worked with Roger Hanbury of The Waterways Trust and with the local waterway managers, Debbie Lumb and Dean Davies respectively, to identify the founding members.

Enthusiasm for the waterways

 

Roger Hanbury, chief executive at The Waterways Trust, comments: “The applications to join the trial Local Partnerships show how much enthusiasm there is for the waterways, and the substantial body of support that the new waterways charity will be able to tap into. The Partnerships are made up of strong individuals who are committed to ensuring the canals and rivers are managed effectively and efficiently, for the benefit of local boaters and neighbouring communities. Working with the local waterway managers, this is a great opportunity to forge a new working model where lessons can be learnt that will inform the new waterways charity.

 

“The Partnerships will benefit from the wealth of knowledge held by their members, whose experience spans working with local authorities and private sector organisations, boating, tourism, environment and heritage, education and training, fundraising, volunteering, community engagement, health and public relations.”

 

Subject to forthcoming consultation by Defra, each of the existing eleven administrative waterway regions in England and Wales will have Local Partnership Boards appointed by the new charity to guide local decisions. The trials being set up now will provide important lessons ahead of 2012 about the scope of the charity’s Local Partnership Boards and how they should operate.

[cotswoldsman]

Yes I think you are!

 

What we have to remember is that many charities are entirely dependent for income from this sort of fundraising. However, this is not the case with BW where the projection is that by 2022 charitable donations etc. will account for less than 5% of income.

 

Whilst I am sure you could justify a 70k salary for someone responsible for raising £100m a year as the lady in question was doing in her last job, I wonder if the same could be said for someone expected to raise £8.5m in 2022.

 

A second and perhaps more important point is that of jumping the gun. The consultation document suggests that the charities trustees will set up a subcommittee specifically to oversee fundraising. By making a senior appointment now, BW is making assumptions that the trustees will agree with its actions.

 

Allan I just do not get it with you sometimes, your obsession with knocking BW gets a bit tiresome, yes you do sometimes highlight some important things happening at BW but that is a very low percentage of your knocking.

I can only presume you have seen her job description and would be grateful if you would post it on here. Fundraising is a lot more than just charitable donations or are you saying that is her only job? Where did you manage to find out her sole job was to raise the £8,5 million of charitable donation. For most charities charitable donation is just a small part of fundraising.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

Allan I just do not get it with you sometimes, your obsession with knocking BW gets a bit tiresome, yes you do sometimes highlight some important things happening at BW but that is a very low percentage of your knocking.

I can only presume you have seen her job description and would be grateful if you would post it on here. Fundraising is a lot more than just charitable donations or are you saying that is her only job? Where did you manage to find out her sole job was to raise the £8,5 million of charitable donation. For most charities charitable donation is just a small part of fundraising.

 

I said 'charitable donations etc' not 'charitable donations'. If Cotswoldsmanhad bothered to read boxout 4I of the Defra consultation document he might have avoided the knocking accusation. It says -

 

Fundraising from sources such as regular donors or legacies could be worth £8.5m net after 10 years with c.130,000 regular donors taking part

 

So we are talking about the lady in question being responsible for raising £8.5m in 2022 but we are told in her old job she was responsible for raising funds of over £100m a year.

 

What I said, in full, was -

 

What we have to remember is that many charities are entirely dependent for income from this sort of fundraising. However, this is not the case with BW where the projection is that by 2022 charitable donations etc. will account for less than 5% of income.

 

Whilst I am sure you could justify a 70k salary for someone responsible for raising £100m a year as the lady in question was doing in her last job, I wonder if the same could be said for someone expected to raise £8.5m in 2022.

 

A second and perhaps more important point is that of jumping the gun. The consultation document suggests that the charities trustees will set up a subcommittee specifically to oversee fundraising. By making a senior appointment now, BW is making assumptions that the trustees will agree with its actions.

 

Rather than resort to accusations of knocking, perhaps Cotswoldman or anyone else would like to comment on the 'second and perhaps more important point'.

 

Put simply, should BW's existing board and executive directors make an appointment of head of fundraising in the knowledge that interim trustees were being appointed within days, many with experience in this area, and a sub committee of the interim trustees set up with specific responsibility for fundraising?

 

Why the urgency in making this appointment?

Edited June 14, 2011 by Allan(nb Albert)