Press release – Garfield Weston Foundation

Public and funders still don’t understand urgent need to act on climate crisis – new report

Charities say they are struggling to persuade the public of need to act rapidly on environmental issues

Environmental organisations are struggling to communicate the sheer scale and complexity of the climate crisis to the public and funders. That’s according to a new report by the Garfield Weston Foundation which found that almost half of organisations highlighted lack of public understanding as their biggest challenge when it comes to the environment.

The Foundation commissioned I.G. Advisors to survey 68 environmental organisations across the UK, including the Woodland Trust, the RSPB, Buglife and Hubbub. The report, ‘Prioritising our Planet’, reveals that three-quarters of environmental charities are finding financial sustainability a challenge, while almost 80% admit they are unable to raise the money they need to achieve the impact they want. Over a quarter of organisations fear Brexit and Covid-19 are weakening charitable efforts when it comes to policy work.

RSPB CEO, Beccy Speight, says:

We know that if we are too hard-hitting and the news is too bleak, then people switch off. What we haven’t done enough of yet is highlighting the positive solutions as well as the dangers. We need to get that balance right.

The next eighteen months are pivotal. Covid-19 has given us an opportunity to raise awareness of climate change and nature. We need to highlight the value that tackling the carbon crisis and restoring habitats can bring, such as jobs and new opportunities in a more resilient and healthy economy.

Garfield Weston decided to commission the report after receiving very few applications from charities working on environmental issues despite encouraging the sector to apply for funding. The report comes at a critical time for the environment, with many influential figures speaking out. The Foundation recently supported Sir David Attenborough’s latest film in partnership with the WWF, and welcomes the newly announced Earthshot prize which encourages action to find solutions to some of the greatest environmental problems.

The Garfield Weston Foundation’s Director, Philippa Charles, says:

While we are all experiencing a Covid-19 crisis, we also still face an environmental crisis. This report highlights the need for powerful conversations between environmental organisations, grant makers and the public, to ensure that excellent organisations are able to do what they do best. We need to break this vicious circle so that organisations have clear messages, the public understands the urgency to act and funders are motivated to provide support.

While the pandemic is causing significant uncertainty across all areas of our society our Trustees are very clear that, as well as helping charities with revenue funding, supporting organisations tackling all aspects of climate change remains a key priority.

The research also found that only 30% of those surveyed believe trusts and foundations understand their environmental work and one in four organisations struggle to identify sources of funding.

In response to the findings, the Foundation is partnering with the Media Trust to develop a programme specifically for environment charities to help them build capability in the area of communications, messaging and profile-raising. The programme will run in 2021. The Garfield Weston Foundation is also encouraging charities working on all issues relating to the environment to apply to them for funding.

During the pandemic, the Foundation Trustees aim to give away more than ever before and have already donated over £40 million since April to support charities affected by Covid-19.

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6 Replies to “Press release – Garfield Weston Foundation”

  1. You have got to be kid din’ me?

    Based on their current figures, and land/assets costs you can add at least £90million realisation to the coffers of the RSPB.

    The furlough scheme picked up the wages for the employees, as far as I can see the members or grant donators didn’t ask for a refund on their donations, so the income remained at a level state, retail was down, but the profitability on that for the RSPB is only a cool million, I’m sure that corporate corporation such as this can cope? They had little external expenditure, and the Conservation Director even had time to change colour to his new orange appearance.

    These charities are sitting on a gold mine; they simply don’t want or have the inclination to fund themselves. It’s not rocket science, to fund yourself, if they had done it 50 years ago then they could even write a cheque to Langholm without any worry.

    The general public are worried, about their jobs, heath and what the future holds for them and their families in the short term, the RSPB profitability might be down 9%, tough! Tell that to those people who are now queuing at food banks.

    If this country can’t look after our own, then there’s no chance for the natural world.

  2. Despite the wonders of Google and Duck Duck Go I can find no link to this report. This is an irritating press-releasing trend – Framers Weakly do it quite often too. Perhaps it’s part of the press releasing ethos – but I thought communication was the whole point of press releases. I was going to use an expletive there but Dearly Beloved Mrs Cobb says I say “fucking” too often so I’m trying to curb my enthusiasm in that regard.

    If you make a fortune from flogging biscuits with marshmallow sandwich filling, covered in a chocolate-flavoured coating then you … jolly well should redistribute your ill-gotten gains. Diabetics the world over will be grateful – if they live.

      1. I recall Doon Mackichan putting a whole one in her mouth in an episode of “Beast” – I think it was the full Monty at the time

    1. I didn’t get the biscuit reference until I looked up Garfield Weston.
      I thought it referred to the charities only having 3 wheels left on their wagon.
      Still anything founded by someone called Gary can’t be all bad.

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