Our 2024 AGM was held at the Workstation in Sheffield and was attended by a good representation of partner groups and individuals.
As Chair, Geoff Cox welcomed everyone to the meeting, introduced the evening’s agenda and reported on personnel changes over the year. This had seen Mohan Rabu and Ferial Khan leave the Board, Matt Killeya and Jenny Patient join, and Nicky Birkinshaw become our General Manager after Sarah John’s departure. Geoff commented that SYCA was in a much stronger position financially than that reported at the 2023 AGM, and its various income streams enabled us to continue to provide core central services for allies and partners like the websites and newsletters.
The most significant developments for the alliance had been greatly enhanced reach into Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham from our initial Sheffield focus. General Manager Nicky Birkinshaw had been particularly instrumental in reaching out and helping the network to develop. Success in grant applications was developing community-based work in both Carbon Literacy and Energy use, and included the later stages of the 2020 National Lottery CAF bid for ‘Can Do Communities’ work, with a new website launched. Opportunities in the year ahead which are being looked at are a bid to the new round of the National Lottery Climate Action Fund and new ways of working with a new government.
Matt Killeya, as Treasurer, presented an overview of the SYCA accounts, with key income and expenditure items explained. Due to generous donations and successful applications for grants we are in a sound financial position through to December 2025. Board member Lindy Stone then spoke about the grants from the Warm This Winter Coalition (£20k over one year) and the National Lottery Communities Fund (£18k over two years). The Warm This Winter work has elements of community engagement linked to cost of living issues and work with MPs draws together elements of constituent feedback with key arguments regarding the importance of urgent help for those in fuel poverty, good insulation, faster progress with renewable electricity generation and no new fossil fuels extraction. The National Lottery money will fund accredited and unaccredited carbon literacy courses.
In the final presentation, Board member Helen Sims spoke about the way in which a bid was being put together for the National Lottery Climate Action Fund that would focus on working with young people’s organisations to support the young people to develop their understanding of and action on climate change as it affects their communities
The meeting then broke into groups to discuss a) the CAF bid b) lobbying approaches in a changed political landscape.
AGM discussion outcomes
MPs/national – lobbying issues
Reverse draconian anti-protest laws applied to climate protesters (x2)
The UK Government does not have a legal or credible Climate Plan to meet the Climate Act targets (x2)
Tell The Truth: public education and acknowledging/addressing the psychological impacts
Need for difficult conversations about high consumption/high carbon footprints
Degrowth – start the conversation national/regional/local authority/community
Reduce single-use plastics, promote re-useable plastics, promote the Global Plastics Treaty
Promote participatory democracy with national citizens’ assemblies on climate issues
Educate MPs on agro-forestry
Address rumours that Labour will cut the nature-friendly farming budget by £100m
Need to build resilience/adapt to climate change whilst tackling other inequalities
Tax flying and make trains less expensive to the extent that UK – Europe rail travel is cheaper
Simplify rail fares nationally
Shift freight from road to rail
Electrify the full length of the London – Sheffield rail track
Continue pressing for an easier way to get public control of buses
Press for free public transport
No new nuclear
Nuclear energy is not the answer. We need to use less (eg encourage public transport)
Ongoing investment in Green Social Prescribing
Provide free, tailored advice/consultancy for businesses on waste reduction and energy usage
Tiered grants/subsidies for retrofit to make it affordable for all (not just a low-income cliff edge)
Consider language and co-benefits. Others may not be driven by climate concerns
Planning reform needs to emphasise re-use of existing buildings rather than their replacement
Tiered energy pricing to discourage high usage homes, and discounts for heat pump (etc) homes
Develop one side of A4 summarising current Govt policy
Regional – lobbying issues
Continue pressing for public control of buses
Adopt one-price rail fares and bus fares within South Yorkshire
Reduce single-use plastics, promote re-useable plastics, promote the Global Plastics Treaty
Local procurement/community wealth building
Participatory democracy in SY – not just a one-off, and lobbying to implement recommendations
Degrowth – start the conversation national/regional/local authority/community
No to the Doncaster Sheffield Airport (x2), including educating the public
LA – lobbying issues
Get LACs to have climate groups
Every street a power station
Reduce single-use plastics, promote re-useable plastics, promote the Global Plastics Treaty
Degrowth – start the conversation national/regional/local authority/community
Why exclude cars from the charging regime in central Sheffield?
Push for local, green procurement (of retrofit, food, etc.)
New housing should be high(ish) density, low carbon, nature friendly, link to car sharing
Importance of making things relevant to people’s lives, esp. in disadvantaged households
LA – community activities
Work with the Local Authority on local energy projects
Link local energy generation projects with energy reduction projects
Run a reusable cup hire scheme/plastic free markets/deposit schemes/etc. in Sheffield
Promote car sharing pools
More education on the connection between air pollution and asthma to make climate change relevant
Conversations within communities
Degrowth – start the conversation national/regional/local authority/community
Take communities with us and make ‘climate’ relevant to them/their lives
Community cultural events. Communities doing it for themselves
Food: Communities doing it for themselves
Climate Majority Project