TRIGONOS: ANNUAL REPORT TO 31 March 2005

ADRODDIAD BLYNYDDOL i 31 Mawrth 2005 (Ymddiheurwn nad yw'r tudalen hwn ar gael yn y Gymraeg)

TRIGONOS: AN INTRODUCTION

Trigonos is a multi-purpose education centre located in the Nantlle Valley of Snowdonia. It was established in 1996 as a not-for-profit company (social business) with charitable objectives: a social business with the express aim of combining economic, social and cultural development, as well as co-operating with people in the locality, from across the UK and internationally[1].

Our primary business activity is running a centre for education and learning, providing facilities for both day & residential educational groups. The majority use Trigonos for their own programmes. Alongside this we run our own courses & events, providing the content as well as the facilities. This primary activity is supplemented with occasional holiday groups and individuals seeking rest, recuperation and/or retreat.

Trigonos also manages and develops a range of complementary or kindred activities that support the work of integrating the economic, social and cultural lives:

• A smallholding with a focus on vegetable and fruit growing using organic and biodynamic principles
• A willow bed and woodland producing willow for hurdle making and craftwork
• Regeneration of the local environment including replanting hedgerows and woodlands and developing sustainable land use practices
• Work experience for local people who have a disability, are disadvantaged in the job market or are soon to leave school
• Talks, exhibitions and other events presented by local people and open to all
• Involvement with the local communities of Dyffryn Nantlle, often through partnering local organisations such as Tai Eryri (the local housing association).

A CENTRE FOR EDUCATION & LEARNING

A great variety of groups have been drawn to Trigonos and this has helped us to create an environment that is open, welcoming, supportive and exploratory in nature. The range of interests among visiting groups includes:

• Secondary education
• Tertiary education
• Environmental studies
• Social & community care
• Health (main stream & complementary)
• Sustainable development
• Personal & professional development
• Art & craft work
• Creative writing
• Spiritual studies and retreats

Our own educational programme has been slower to develop but a number of courses are now well established including weaving, colour dyeing, painting & drawing and herbal medicine. We also contribute from our own work on "social futures"[2] to the programmes of some visiting groups. Given the more secure financial base achieved over the last two years greater effort is now being directed to the further development of the Trigonos educational programme.

Over 1000 people visited Trigonos during the past year, for periods ranging from one day to two weeks. The majority came from the UK but many groups had participants from other countries and some drew nearly all their participants from beyond Europe.

The last two years have also seen a significant expansion of the training and work experience opportunities offered to young people from the area. The majority of opportunities are in land and horticultural work but this year has also seen the first placement in catering.

One of the features that receives a lot of favourable comment from visitors is the food we provide. Much of the vegetables and salads used in the kitchen are grown on our own land. We are also trying to source more produce locally and increase the amount of organic and fair trade items we use. During the coming year we will put together a comprehensive food policy that seeks to find a sustainable and balanced way of taking account of the sometimes competing claims as to what makes for "healthy" food, not just for consumers but for producers as well.

The standard of accommodation is good and is the subject of a continuing improvement programme. Towards the end of the year major renovations were started on the main house (the Plas) including a new slate roof, insulation and windows.

COMPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES

All the complementary activities contribute to the core work and are in turn supported by it.

Horticulture

One acre is under cultivation, plus a large poly-tunnel, both using organic and bio-dynamic[3] principles. A second acre will be brought into production during 2005. The produce has two main markets: the Trigonos kitchen and a box scheme run by Llysiau Lleu (see below). We also sell small quantities to local people who call at our little ≥shop≤. Free-range chickens are kept to provide fresh eggs for the Trigonos kitchen.

Trigonos is a member of the Wholesome Food Association (WFA), whose objectives very much reflect the variety of concerns that we have around the production and consumption of healthy food. The WFA has three key principles:

• Food should be grown and processed using sustainable, non-polluting methods, as close as possible to those found in nature.
• Food should, where possible, be consumed within a short distance of where it is grown.
• Food should be treated as an integral part of life and the community rather than merely as a commodity for profit.

These principles reflect our own approach and Trigonos works with others to seek their wider application in our locality. We have not sought registration as an organic producer since this seems inappropriate for an undertaking of our size and nature.

The lack of anywhere satisfactory for the processing & storage of produce and for the storage& maintenance of equipment continues to hold back the horticultural work. The development of a suitable horticultural building is a priority for 2005/6.

The horticultural work is highly labour intensive and much essential help is given by volunteer WWOOFers (see below).

Care of the land

Visitors often report their pleasure at wandering over the land and along the shore of Llyn (lake) Nantlle Uchaf. Caring for the land is important work in its own right and is also key to supporting the core business.

Trigonos at Plas Baladeulyn has 18 acres of land. Two acres are given over to horticulture, one acre to buildings, car parking & the walled garden and 15 acres to fields & woodlands which run down to the shore of the lake.

Over the last six years the small woodlands and clawdd walls have been replanted with native trees. The stream has been fenced to protect it from livestock damage. The sheep pasture receives only organic fertilisers and one field has been re-sown using a mix containing native wild flowers. The woodlands and some bordering areas are left as habitat for local flora & fauna and work controlling invasives such as Japanese Knotweed is continuous.

This year saw the production of a booklet outlining the work carried out on the land and listing some of the flora and fauna to be found[4].

The Willow Bed

A seven acre plot at Tremadog, purchased by Trigonos two years ago, includes about four acres of willow bed. Willow is always in demand for craft work and much has been used by Trigonos for wattle fencing, both at Plas Baladeulyn and for projects elsewhere, such as the David Lloyd George Museum at Llanystumdwy.

Involvement with our Community

We are involved with our local community in a number of ways, both formal and informal. The main activities are:

• Llysiau Lleu which aims to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables grown locally, based on organic principles whenever possible, and consumed by people in the Nantlle Valley. The project focuses on the health and financial benefits of locally grown food and provides practical support & training to those involved. Trigonos works in partnership with local people and Tai Eryri, the local housing association, in running the project. Its development has required a considerable time input by Trigonos workers.
• Evening events have been run under the label "Trigonos Talks", the most recent of which was a lecture on the Dorothea Quarry. An exhibition of pictures by a local photographer was opened on the same evening. Over 80 people attended the joint occasion and others visited the photographic exhibition for six weeks after.
• Welsh Language classes run by the Dept. of Lifelong Learning (University of Wales, Bangor) have been run at Trigonos for the last three years, drawing in local people.

Trigonos is situated in an area of Wales where Welsh is the first language of most people and Welsh culture is strong. To reflect this we have a language policy that encourages the increasing use of bilingual material. We also benefit from having several bilingual workers, including our administrator.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

For Trigonos environmental sustainability is a key issue and we have taken significant steps to reduce our environmental footprint. Some changes involve little or no expenditure. Others, such as reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, are major undertakings and involve significant capital costs; progress is therefore slower in these areas. Current activities include:

• Recycling all that we can: paper, glass, cans, timber and some plastics
• Everything possible is composted and used in our gardens
• Recycled stationary and other paper products are used where possible
• Major renovations to Plas Baladeulyn this year provided the chance to use ågreenπ materials. This included ecologically sound paint, sheepπs wool insulation and locally manufactured wooden double glazed windows.
• Electricity consumption has been reduced through extensive use of low energy bulbs and consumption of heating oil by improving insulation.
• Discussions with the Forestry Commissionπs Wood Energy Business Scheme led to the appointment of a consultant to look at the viability of a biomass system (using wood chip or wood pellets) that would meet our needs for hot water and heating. The report will be available by Summer 2005. Biomass may well be an appropriate energy source in the wider locality and we will seek to share our experience with neighbours.

THE TEAM

PAID WORKER numbers at Trigonos have grown steadily as our trading performance has improved. Three people are employed full-time, five people for 20 or more hours a week and two people for less than 20 hours a week. All the above are in regular employment. In addition up to four people are engaged when the work-load requires. During the year we achieved a full complement of workers for the first time. All posts are funded through trading revenue except the project supervisor for land work who was funded 75% by Environment Wales until March 2004. The funding is now reducing and will end in March 2007 by which time the costs will be met entirely from earned income.

• WWOOFers come through Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms(WWOOF). They stay for anything from a week to a month or more, giving their time as volunteers in return for board, lodging and time off to enjoy Snowdonia. They bring much appreciated energy, enthusiasm and greatly varying skill levels. In the last year we hosted 11 WWOOFers.
• STUDENTS come mainly from schools in Germany through a placement organisation called Horizon International. The agency is careful in making its placements and those that we have hosted have worked out well. The students aim to improve their English and taste different social and cultural experiences. Trigonos gains from their help on the land and in the house / kitchen and generally from their youthful enthusiasm. Three students were placed with us during the year.
• WORK EXPERIENCE PEOPLE come through Careers Wales or a specialist agency, such as Agoriad, concerned with people identified as being disadvantaged in the job market. The placements last from 2 weeks to a year or more, depending on circumstances. Our placements include young people on work experience while still at, or excluded from, school, school leavers unsure of what to do next and those with a learning disability requiring a longer term opportunity. Four work experience people were placed at Trigonos during the year.
• VOLUNTEERS covers anyone who is neither on one of the above programmes nor directly employed. Examples are a local retired person who wishes to remain active through doing useful outdoor work and another, also retired, who visits from afar and helps with decorating work.

The work done by the WWOOFers, students, work experience people and volunteers (ågifts in kindπ) is of great benefit to Trigonos and we hope that all those who have joined us in one of the above capacities has enjoyed and benefited from their stay.

COMPANY STRUCTURE

Trigonos is a company limited by guarantee (a not-for-profit company) and does not have a share capital. This means there are no shareholders and so no dividends or profits are paid to any person or organisation. The company owns the assets, Plas Baladeulyn, subject to a mortgage with Triodos Bank.

The three founding directors have overall responsibility for the companyπs operation and direction but have no ownership of the companyπs assets.

FINANCE

Financial Philosophy

As a not-for -profit company Trigonos is able to take account of factors other than the maximising of profits, the primary and sometimes all-demanding objective of most businesses. Any surplus (profit) made is retained within the company, there being no owners or shareholders to make a claim upon it.

Charges are set at a level necessary to provide a good quality service and to secure the companyπs future whilst also leaving a visit to Trigonos within the financial reach of the widest possible number of people. Standard discounts are given to local groups, smaller charities and some schools. In a few cases extra discounts are given so that a group with very limited resources can enjoy a visit.

Even so a few find it difficult to meet the costs despite the standard discounts given to certain groups. Last year Trigonos gave an additional £1600 in discretionary discounts.

Financial Performance

The first full year of trading was to 31 March 1998. A summary of the overall trading performance to date is given below.

Year to 31 March	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Turnover	67,622	84,330	90,017	100,249	107,720	115,386	142,443	168,750
Operating surplus / (loss)	2,851	3,111	8,447	34,772^a	6,773	853	1,478	(5,536)
Surplus / (loss) retained on year	(2,843)	2,771	(5,608)	3,506	2,575	(147)	1,478	(5,536)

^a includes £31,200 capital grants received but not spent in the current year

Wages are the most significant cost factor and have grown substantially since 1998, reflecting the improving trading position and the move to sustainable worker levels.[5]

Trigonos has a relatively non-hierarchical management structure and values all its workers. This is reflected in the pay differentials where currently the highest paid employee (including directors) receives approximately 45% more than the lowest paid (excluding students under 18 years and engaged as occasional kitchen assistants).

Financial Support

During the year we received greatly valued support from two organisations:

• Environment Wales, with funding from the National Assembly of Wales, gave two grants totalling £9701; one a reducing management grant to support the salary costs of the land and environment work and the other a project grant to help with a number of improvements on the land.
• The Welsh Development Agency gave a grant of £45,000 towards the major renovations on Plas Baladeulyn, without which it would not have been possible to proceed with the work. The balance of the costs for the renovations was met by increasing our loan from Triodos Bank, which provided the initial loan to support the purchase of the site in 1996.

MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

Two directors are salaried employees of the company and the third serves in a voluntary capacity. All three have a role in the day-to-day management of Trigonos. Each employee works in one of the main areas of activity and some work across two or more areas.