CHARITY STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

Governing document and commencement

FRIENDS OF THE RIVER CRANE ENVIRONMENT (“FORCE”) has been a charitable company (Registered Numbers: Charity 1155971 and Company 08383410) since 31 January 2013. Prior to that FORCE was an unincorporated charity (Registered Number: 1108542) set up in 2005 with identical aims.

Charitable Objects

  1. To operate for the benefit of the public, and with other interested parties, to protect and enhance the environment of the River Crane, the Duke of Northumberland's River, their corridors and surrounding open spaces within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and its environs, for the benefit of the eco-system, residents and visitors.
  2. To advance the education of the public in the ecology, conservation, protection and improvement of the environment of the River Crane, the Duke of Northumberland’s River, their corridors and surrounding open spaces within the London borough of Richmond upon Thames and its environs.

Organisational structure

The Trustee Board governs FORCE and has adopted an organisation structure formed around its activities, these are either Corporate, supporting the entire organisation; or Executive, implementing portfolio strategies. 

Corporate functions have been assigned to the following roles: Chair, Company Secretary, Treasurer and Legal (currently vacant).

Executive functions are assigned to portfolios led by a Trustee. All portfolios cover the management of projects, fundraising, identifying and working with stakeholders and partners, plus monitoring and reporting on public benefit. The Portfolio roles are:

  • Nature
  • Education
  • Community
  • Planning
  • Volunteer Sunday
  • Finance
  • Membership
  • Communications
  • Partnership Development

All functions are accountable to the Trustee Board and report on a monthly basis, in addition corporate governance meetings are held on a quarterly basis. All decisions which commit FORCE to an activity, relationship or public position are brought to the Trustee Board for decision. The biographies of Trustees are available.

The European General Data Protection Regulation effective on 25th May 2018 requires organisations to use and manage personal data properly and securely as noted in FORCE Privacy Policy.

Partners

FORCE engages with a number of local, regional and national bodies in order to help deliver its objects.   As a small and volunteer led organisation FORCE often works in a supporting role to larger organisations that are better able to deliver actions on the ground.   In this role FORCE will often provide advisory and development time to supporting proposals and guiding project delivery to best deliver improvements to the Crane Valley in line with its objects.

FORCE works closely with the London Borough of Richmond (LBRuT) and the London Borough of Hounslow (LBH), as the two main landowners within their key area of interest in the lower Crane Valley.  FORCE obtains permissions for works carried out and also works alongside the boroughs on larger projects that help to meet its objects.

FORCE is part of the Crane Valley Partnership (CVP), managed by Green Corridor (GC) and with membership from around 30 bodies, including all five Crane Valley boroughs, and each of the key parties engaged in project delivery along the Crane Valley.  FORCE has supported the delivery, through the partnership, of major improvement works such as the Big Green Fund project.

FORCE also works closely with other third sector organisations such as The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), Environment Trust for Richmond (ETR), London Wildlife Trust (LWT) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), in order to more effectively deliver on its objects.