VRP – investing in our natural environment

WalesGreen Giving

Service£

WECAN business engagement:

progress, lessons & legacy

+ five GOLD STARS and two CHALLENGES for YOU!

Phil Burkhard, VRP / WECAN, October 2013

MICRO-HYDRO

BUSINESS

GIVING

PUBLIC GIVIING

WECANPROJECTS

Income Generation

GOAL = Win:Win:Win

Green assets = INVESTMENT

OPPORTUNITIES

Wefundthevalleys.com

Dating agency!

12 investors / £84k

Responsible Business Partnership

Corporate Support

“Supporting local community initiatives is really important for Lafarge Tarmac. As a responsible company, we want to be a good neighbour and make a positive

contribution to local community groups around our sites.”

Leigh Smith, Zone Manager, Lafarge Tarmac

SME Support

“Welsh Government & HOVIP contributed to our new Brewery and visitor centre. So we would like to give something back – and we will continue to do it. We will find budget for helping local enterprise and worthy projects year in & year out.”

Steve Evans, Managing Director, Rhymney Brewery

Responsible BusinessPartnership

Key Lessons

1. Strategic and systematic

2. Responsible business versus CSR

3. Investment, Investment, Investment!

4. Business first!

5. Partner education

6. Patience!

7. Build capacity…

GOAL = Win:Win:Win

Green assets = INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Create a sustainable commercial service,

linked to business and public giving, to

support green space in Wales for

economic, social and environmental benefit.

VISION

Private Sector

BITC

KWT

Public Sector

Green Giving Service

Aims

1. Make green space sustainable

2. Achieve a positive impact on communities, the natural environment and economy

3. Implement a business and public giving service for stakeholder benefit

4. Develop a business case for a sustainable and portable service

Benefits

Customer Offer

CUSTOMER

IN KIND SUPPORT

GREEN GIVING FUND

Adopting a commercial approach

Listen to businesses first!

Investment not sponsorship!

SMEs + Corporates!

Be strategic!

Green Giving Service= part of VRP / WECAN legacy! GOAL = Win:Win:Win

Green assets = INVESTMENT

OPPORTUNITIES

Challenges:

How will you seek new income? How will we build capacity?