b a c k b o n e Celebrating Diversity Through Adventure CIC

Community Interest Company Ltd By Guarantee No: 404795 www.backbone.uk.net

ANNUAL REPORT: 1st September 2014 – 31st August 2015

What we do: Entice & Excite communities to have fun, enjoy & protect the wonder of Scotland’s natural environment. How we do it: Provide short-term initiatives training local leaders to develop sustainable environmental

2

Directors Founder & Operations Director: Pammy Johal (Aug 2011-Aug 2015) Governance: Dexter Duboulay (Aug 2011-Aug 2015) Kindy Sandhu (March 2013-Aug 2015)

Who We Are

Partners 2014-15 A huge thanks to all those that supported our projects this year!.. Awards for All Scotland Blair Atholl Estate & Castle Cairngorms National Park Authority Cycling Scotland Glenmore Lodge John Muir Trust Loch Lomond & Trossach’s National Park Authority National Trust for Scotland Forestry Commission Scotland Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Ranger Service The Rank Foundation

3

What We Do

We provide tailored environmental activities to ‘marginalised communities’; excluded communities who cannot access mainstream opportunities due any of and not limited to: religious, cultural, racial, social or economic reasons and for those who lack confidence. Our initiatives build personal and community confidence to enable effective participation in today’s multi-cultural society. We have created a network of Backbone initiatives across Scotland and the rest of the UK, centered on our core value of partnership working based on: • Genuine intention and trust • Mutual respect • Working for the direct benefit of local communities

We develop locally led sustainable environmental projects aimed to Entice & Excite everyone to engage with, benefit from and protect Scotland’s natural environment.

a. Use outdoor activities and the natural environment to enhance the quality of life of communities and bring communities from different backgrounds and cultures together.

b. Capacity build community groups through partnership working based on genuine intention with other community and environmental organisations

c. Introduce the wider benefits of outdoor activities and engagement with the natural environment to marginalised groups, with specific reference to Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) communities; health, well-being, social, self confidence, speaking English, educational and family recreation etc

d. Provide powerful role models from marginalised communities, with specific reference to BME communities by providing leadership, community and personal development training, events and advice through the use of outdoor activities and the natural environment.

e. Provide training to marginalised groups, with specific reference to BME communities and the wider community on how to build sustainable communities through engagement and enhanced understanding of the natural environment.

f. Empower marginalised communities, with specific reference to Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) communities to take control of their lives, work with their communities and others to protect, improve and sustain our natural environment on a local, national and global level.

g. Provide networking events and training to bring together marginalised groups, with specific BME communities and wider community organisations to encourage partnership working.  

4

It has been a year of contemplation and reflection thanks to our Evaluation Report of Projects Delivered 2010-13 and Leadership Projects 2010-14 Impact Assessment Report (http://www.backbone.uk.net/?page_id=816). With reflection comes learning and growth and we are Enticed & Excited about our journey ahead!.. Join us!.. Our partners, like good friends have challenged us from all directions and together we have successfully formed successful long-term relationships allowing Backbone CIC to follow it’s dreams and aspirations. We have taken stock; celebrated our successes, taken action on our feedback and formed a robust 3yr Strategic Plan. The plan will enable us the organisation to grow through developing our alumni, as well as new participants to gain skills and experiences together with the drive to direct Backbone CIC from it’s core, serving grass root communities and led by people from marginalised and diverse communities! We are delighted to announce the launch of our 3 year Community Leadership Project 2015-18 and just this week we have been awarded funding for 2 Women’s Exploring Natural Heritage Projects in Central and Southern Scotland, with discussions regarding a third project in the Highlands! We’ve been proud to be featured on BBC Radio Scotland and in Scotland’s Outdoor Magazine (http://www.backbone.uk.net/?page_id=19) All this is down to the conviction of our participants and the communities they serve, our partners and the dedication of our Governance Directors (Dexter & Kalwinder)… Thank You!! 2015-18 is going to be exempliary.. so watch this space and join our journey! Pammy Johal Founder & Operations Director

Founder’s Message

5

Director’s Message

Outdoor Festival for All October 201 4 Community Leadership Project 201 4 Jan – November 201 4 Women’s Learn To Ride Leadership Project 201 5 April – Sept 201 5 AMINA residential October 201 4 Evaluation Report of Projects Delivered 201 0- 1 3 Leadership Projects 201 0- 201 4 Impact Assessment Report

We are very excited and pleased with the past year. We have a new round of projects that serve to develop Backbone strategically and the participants who in turn will serve for the benefit of the communities. We have cultivated strong grass roots relationships and built up the trust and confidence in our projects. This is evidenced through the sustainability of participants going out into their communities to practice the learning they have undertaken on our projects. This year was a key year for the future strategic development of Backbone. We have secured further funding to enable us to meet our strategic objectives of upskilling participants for the eventual strategic influence of the future direction. Pammy has invested this year to produce a strategic plan together with a funding plan that has been successful in its realisation. The trust and confidence of Backbone amongst our partners is evidenced through the collaborative working from strategic advice to participating in our recruitment drives. But none of this would have been possible without the hard work, sheer determination and professional integrity of Pammy Johal. Her influence goes unmeasured and the appreciation of her work is always felt by particpants, the board and the partners. Thank you Pammy Kalwinder Sandhu Governance Director

Projects & Reports Delivered