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ITEM 12 EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY 04 December 2018 GET INVOLVED PROJECT - UPDATE Report of the Head of Information and Communication

Authority Priority:

Support delivery of the Exmoor National Park Partnership Plan ambition for People: Exmoor for All: where everyone feels welcome.

Ambition: More people enjoy Exmoor, are inspired, and learn about its special qualities.

Get involved - more people volunteer, enabling deeper experiences and connections with Exmoor, and supporting National Park purposes.

Legal and Equality Implications:

Section 65(4) Environment Act 1995 – provides powers to the National Park Authority to “do anything which in the opinion of the Authority, is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to-

(a) the accomplishment of the purposes mentioned in s. 65 (1) [National Park purposes]

(b) the carrying out of any functions conferred on it by virtue of any other enactment.”

The equality impact of the recommendation(s) of this report has been assessed as follows:

There are no negative equality implications arising from the recommendations of this report.

Consideration has been given to the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 and an assessment of the implications of the recommendation(s) of this report is as follows:

There are no negative implications arising from the recommendations of this report.

Financial and Risk Implications:

There are no financial implications arising from the recommendations of this report.

Purpose of the report: To update Members on the progress of the Get Involved project RECOMMENDATION(S): The Authority is recommended to:

(1) Receive the update on the Get Involved Project.

(2) Recognise the evolution of the Get Involved concept as an essential component of the Authority’s Engagement Strategy.

(3) Use the report for background information in deliberations and considerations at the annual Business Planning workshop.

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1. INTRODUCTION

Following the National Park Authority Performance Assessment in 2012, the Authority undertook a review of volunteering in Exmoor National Park during 2013 as part of its Improvement Plan (2012-2015). The Assessment highlighted that there was potential to increase volunteer involvement in the work of the Authority and more widely with the public and partner organisations to deliver National Park purposes.

The Review findings were reported to the Authority in April 2014 with the following recommendations to establish the Get Involved initiative:

(1) Evolve terminology and language to reflect opportunities to ‘get involved’ rather than opportunities to ‘volunteer’; and rebrand volunteering on Exmoor as ‘Get Involved on Exmoor’. This would also include feedback and complaints processes, for example, ‘Get involved – have your say’.

(2) Enhance the coordination of available skills to match opportunities for involvement and engagement by:

Employing a Get Involved Projects Coordinator (part time, 3 year fixed term contract )

Developing and managing a portal website for organisations and individuals to post ‘Get involved’ opportunities and skills offered.

(3) Continue to support, develop and celebrate existing volunteer activities and the Exmoor Conservation Volunteer Partnership.

2. GET INVOLVED

The development of the Get Involved project involved, initially, additional resources from reserves to employ two part-time coordinators on fixed term contracts (one full time equivalent). The role built on the experiences and learning from the HLF funded Lynmouth Pavilion Project where there had been a priority to engage people with heritage be they local communities, visitors or organisations with an interest in the National Park.

Defra’s 8-Point Plan for England’s National Parks was published in 2016 where there was specific reference under ‘Everyone’s National Parks’ to promote volunteering in National Parks. In response, the Authority agreed to extend these contracts to December 2019. In addition, responding to the Plan’s ‘Connect young people with nature’ strand, a 3 year, fixed term contract for an Outreach and Engagement Coordinator was agreed with resources allocated from Authority reserves.

The Exmoor National Park Partnership Plan 2018-2023 through the ‘People’ Programme and the Ambition ‘Exmoor: where everyone feels welcome’ - ‘More people enjoy Exmoor, are inspired, get involved and learn about its special qualities’ has a strategic thread ‘Get Involved: more people volunteer, enabling deeper experiences and connections with Exmoor and supporting National Park purposes’.

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The Get Involved initiative is a key element of the Authority’s wider Engagement Strategy:

Be inspired - people have a range of high quality opportunities to learn about and understand Exmoor from digital and printed information and interpretation, formal and informal education, attending events or visiting National Park Centres.

Be connected – more people are enabled to experience, enjoy and understand Exmoor, particularly young people and people from diverse backgrounds, and individual health and wellbeing is enhanced as a result of engaging with the National Park.

Get involved - more people volunteer, enabling deeper experiences and connections with Exmoor, and supporting National Park purposes.

Get Involved has enabled the Authority to widen and deepen its engagement offer, examples of which include:

Ongoing support and coordination for the ‘Wildwatch’ programme of wildlife training opportunities.

Graduate input into developing online geology resources.

Training and support for local Heritage Walk leaders at Dunster, Lynmouth and Porlock, increasing opportunities for public engagement and raising income through Caremoor for Exmoor.

Enabling deeper involvement through volunteering at public events such as our Dark Skies Festival and Big Adventure Days.

Greatly increasing our capacity to manage invasive species through volunteer input.

Exmoor Ambassadors - working through National Park Centres and elsewhere to help support enjoyment and understanding programmes for the public.

Working with Partners to build a broad base of opportunities and build capacity through joint training and promotion.

Partnership Plan Strategies

Get Involved

Be Connected

Be Inspired

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3. Get Involved Action Plan 2017-2019

The Action Plan is attached at Appendix 1 and Members will be aware through Business Plan reporting that significant progress has been made. Since the inception of the Get Involved Project, the following has been achieved:

Increase in Partner organisations engaged from 5 to over 50.

Increase in volunteers registered from around 50 to over 800 signed up as a contact with interest and over 200 registered in our new volunteer management system (Better Impact).

The value of volunteering in 2017/18 was £256,907

The number of training events has increased from 6 to 26

4. CONCLUSION

The Get Involved project has fundamentally shifted the Authority’s approach to engagement And is much more than a volunteer programme as can be seen from the range of direct and indirect support for the engagement initiatives and programmes above.

In the period since the initial launch of the Project, the importance of its objectives have been further reinforced through national strategy documents such as Defra’s 8 Point Plan for England’s National Parks and the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan as well as firmly embedded in our own Partnership Plan.

The Project has changed the way we work internally and with external partners and has greatly increased our ability to engage a wide range of people to support delivery of National Park Purposes.

The additional resource of two full time equivalent posts has added capacity and value across the organisation and the National Park.

Under the current contractual arrangements, the capacity to maintain this level of activity will be reduced in December 2019. To maintain long-term public engagement programmes, alternative resourcing options include, but are not restricted to:

Reallocation of resources from other areas of Authority business with no increase in the pay budget.

Reallocation of resources from within the Support to National Park Users with no increase in the pay budget.

Short-term extension to fixed term contracts using Authority reserves - to enable transition to new ways of working in the light of exit from the EU, any initiatives resulting from the Glover Review, impacts from implementing the National Living Wage, job evaluation and any impacts of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

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Add the programmes to the core budget and accept ongoing increases in the salary budget.

Members may wish to consider options at the annual Business Planning workshop alongside other demands and corporate priorities across Authority services.

Tim Braund Head of Information and Communication 16 November 2018 Background papers on which this report, or an important part of it are based, constitute the list of background papers required by Section 100 D (1) of the Local Government Act 1972 to be open to members of the public comprise:

• Exmoor National Park Authority Performance Assessment Report 2012

• Exmoor National Park Authority Improvement Plan 2012-2015

• Get involved: a review of volunteering in Exmoor National Park April 2014

• 8-Point Plan for England’s National Parks March 2016

• Exmoor National Park Partnership Plan 2018-2023

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Appendix 1

Ref Action Resources (staff & budget)

Audience Targets & Success Measure

When (deadline and

milestone)

Area of focus: 1 - Data Capture

Improve the accuracy of data, Increase data collection

1.1 Scope requirements for data capture

Jackie Kiberd (JK) Jess Twydall (JT) Ben Totterdell (BT) Patrick Watts Mabbott (PWM)

ENPA staff ENPA volunteers

Update to team Initial draft - Jan 2017 Detailed assessment June 2017

1.2 Explore database options in conjunction with Dartmoor National Park

JK, JT, BT, PWM Dartmoor National Park staff Annual subscription cost

ENPA Agreed single volunteer database that works for ENPA and Partners

April 2017 (Better Impact deployed 2018)

1.3 Train staff and volunteers how to input and manage their data

JK, JT & PWM Rachel Oxenham (RO)

ENPA staff 100% of users trained Staff & volunteer data inputting training integrated into inductions and PDRs All volunteer data complies with data protection

Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019

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Ref Action Resources (staff & budget)

Audience Targets & Success Measure

When (deadline and

milestone)

Area of focus: 2 - Training Workshops

Encourage best practice in volunteer support

2.1. Organise and host 5 capacity building training workshops e.g. disability awareness, volunteers and the law, first aid

JK & JT Venue costs Trainers fees

ENPA, partner organisations, volunteers, local community groups

5 half day or full day training workshops delivered each year

Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019

Area of focus: 3 - Partnership working

Work with partners to explore new volunteering models

3.1 Regular partnership forums Led by ENPA

JK & JT ENPA, partner organisations, volunteers

Two forums per annum – Spring & Autumn

Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019

3.2 Encourage more partner organisations to share opportunities for volunteer training

Get Involved Partner organisations

ENPA, partner organisations, volunteers, local community groups

1/5 of courses offered over the year delivered by partner organisations

Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019

3.3 Monitor that Get Involved delivers a valued and relevant service

Get Involved Partner organisations

ENPA, partner organisations, volunteers, local community groups

80% of our partners agree that Get Involved is a valuable initiative

Dec 2018

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Ref Action Resources (staff & budget)

Audience Targets & Success Measure

When (deadline and

milestone)

Area of focus: 4 - Expand Community Engagement

Signpost community groups/organisations to Get Involved and what we can offer in terms of support

4.1 Identify relevant community groups to engage with

JT Sophie Tyler

Local community groups

Community groups details listed on database. Review this data annually

Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019

4.2 Create a marketing campaign aimed at local community groups, revised annually

JT, BT Pete Rae

Local community groups

Produce a suite of information to promote through different media

August 2017

4.3 Provide support to community initiatives to help develop volunteering

JT Local community groups

50% of identified community groups on Exmoor given direct support

Dec 2019

4.4 Broaden volunteering opportunities at National Park Centres

JT Volunteers Partner organisations

Expand volunteer-led Events & activities Increase the number of volunteers at NPCs by 4 at each centre annually

Oct 2017 Oct 2018 Oct 2019

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Ref Action Resources (staff & budget)

Audience Targets & Success Measure

When (deadline and

milestone)

Area of focus: 5 - Recruitment, retention & support for ENPA volunteers

Improve the quality of ENPA’s volunteer experience, range and sustainability of volunteering opportunities

5.1 Consolidate systems and practice for volunteer engagement within ENPA

JK ENPA staff Volunteer Welcome Pack in place Staff briefing on processes in place Online processes agreed

Nov 2017 Nov 2017 April 2018

5.2 Provide support & guidance to ENPA staff to sustain existing schemes for volunteer involvement and develop new opportunities

JK, JT ENPA staff Volunteers

Support the Conservation Team in the delivery of Wildlife training events programme, Path Watchers CITiZAN, wildlife surveys

Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019

5.3 Deliver ENPA volunteer induction days

JK, JT, PWM ENPA Volunteers

Two annually Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019

5.4 (Establish an ENPA volunteer rewards scheme) Revised: Enter volunteers

JT Volunteers Introduce volunteer discounts at NPCs

Apr 2017 Mar 2018

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Ref Action Resources (staff & budget)

Audience Targets & Success Measure

When (deadline and

milestone)

and programmes in to local, regional and national award schemes.

5.5 Engage with regional and national volunteer award schemes

JT, JK Volunteers Nominate volunteers for awards

Annual awards UKNP - June Park Protector – June NDVS – June Engage Somerset West – June

5.6 Identify defined under-represented groups to work with in building up their involvement with Exmoor

JT, JK Sophie Tyler

Under-represented groups ( to be defined)

Engage with 3 target groups annually Needs analysis

Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019

5.7 Work with ENPA Outreach & Engagement Officer to set up specific programmes for individual target audiences

Sophie Tyler, JT JK, PWM

Under-represented groups ( to be defined)

3 annual programmes established Increase the number of volunteering days from under-represented groups

Dec 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019

Area of focus: 6 - Maximise Marketing Opportunities

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Ref Action Resources (staff & budget)

Audience Targets & Success Measure

When (deadline and

milestone)

Improve the promotion, communication and marketing of volunteering on Exmoor to reach as wide an audience as possible

6.1 Refresh ENPA Get Involved web pages to widen brand appeal to diverse audiences

JK, JT Ben Totterdell

Volunteers Partner organisations

New web pages online

Dec 2017

6.2 Ensure Get Involved marketing targets the media accessed by under-represented groups

JK, JT Clare O’Connor Sophie Tyler External partners

Under-represented groups ( to be defined)

Get Involved message appears in at least 75% of media identified Obtain feedback from new volunteers to assess impact

Sept 2017 Dec 2018 Dec 2019

6.3 Organise annual ENPA Volunteer Conference

JK, JT Volunteer and partner organisations

Conference delivered with 80% positive feedback

June 2017 June 2018 June 2019

Area of focus: 7 - Corporate Social Responsibility & Volunteering

Explore how ENPA could maximise the benefits of employer supported volunteering

7.1 Explore options for Corporate volunteering with ENPA

JK ENPA staff Dan James

Corporate groups

Assess whether there is a market for offering corporate/employer supported volunteering on Exmoor. Produce a feasibility study for potential corporate

April 2018

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Ref Action Resources (staff & budget)

Audience Targets & Success Measure

When (deadline and

milestone)

volunteering opportunities with ENPA & present this to Leadership Team for consideration

Area of focus: 8 – Sustainability of Get Involved

Secure the future viability of Get Involved

8.1 Ensure that Get Involved activities are sustainable long term, taking into account staff time, resources and initiatives

JK, JT, BT ENPA, partner organisations, volunteers, local community groups

Develop models for community-led volunteer initiatives Maximise partnership working Set out costs to support future Get Involved work. Identify sources of future funding for this.

June 2017 June 2018 June 2019