About us

Who are we?

South West London Environment Network (SWLEN) was registered as a company limited by guarantee, and a charity, and began operating on 1 April 2011 to replace, and expand upon, the work of Richmond Environment Network (REN).

History

REN was an unincorporated not-for-profit organisation set up in 2004 by a partnership of The Conservation Volunteers (formerly known as BTCV), the Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames and the Thames Landscape Strategy. Between 2004 and 2007 Richmond's LA21 Group and REN worked collaboratively resulting in the LA21 Group merging into REN (The LA21 Group had been founded in 1997) and shortly afterwards the Richmond Environment Information Centre - REIC - charity number 1053104 (which started in 1984) also merged with REN.  (A new charity with the same name has since been started).   In 2010 the partners decided that REN needed to formalise its arrangements and become an independent and incorporated organisation in order for it to capitalise on the opportunities ahead in an uncertain climate. SWLEN is a registered charity no. 1140872 and registered in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee no. 7469024.

Our Vision

Our environment protected and enhanced by people and communities thinking globally and acting locally for themselves and future generations.

Our Mission

To enthuse and empower people and organisations so that they can work together to protect and improve the environment and to deliver solutions to environmental problems.

Our Aims

To create a successful and financially secure charity that:

• provides an exemplary support and capacity building service to third sector organisations working in the field of sustainable development in South West London;
• provides a voice for the third sector in relation to environmental and sustainability issues; and
• demonstrates good practice in the delivery of sustainability projects which encourage people and organisations to work together to reduce their impact on the environment.

Our Approach

We passionately believe that local people are the best placed to protect and enhance where they live. Enabling and empowering local people to work together is a powerful way to protect and enhance the environment and solve environmental problems. We also believe that working collaboratively we achieve more: whether it's working to groups like0minded people together, working with local environmental groups, local schools or representing them at meetings with local strategic bodies or sharing information and resources, the partnership approach makes us all stronger. This approach can bring wider benefits to the community, charitable organisations and local authorities and can be demonstrated through our fundraising support to local organisations, which helped to raise £602,383 between April 2009 - March 2010 and £101,000 between April 2011 and March 2012.

Beyond Richmond upon Thames

SWLEN is seeking funding and partnerships to work beyond the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and support groups in neighbouring boroughs and to help foster new community-led environmental activity. We hope to work in the Boroughs of Hounslow and Kingston, subject to securing further funding to do so.

Governance & Management

SWLEN is governed by a board of trustees which has given authority for the day-to-day management of the charity to a management committee, comprising; our Chief Officer Colin Cooper, Vicky Phillips our Company Secretary and Business Manager and Clive Messenger, our Environmental Audit Team Manager.

Our first Annual Review (April 2011 to March 2012) can be download here

Our Team

Board of Trustees

If you would like to join our Board of Trustees our current vacancies are here

Staff and volunteer team

If you would like to join our team our current vacancies are here

Advisory Panel

SWLEN meets regularly with representatives from some of the groups with whom we work. They review our plans and help to ensure we are doing what they see as important. The panel comprises: