Case study for Permaculture Association (UK)

The UK association chose to deliver their information for the case study in a presentation instead of the written questionnaire. Enjoy!

EPT participants feedback on the venue:

What I had learned

• Positive vibrations
• Gentle caring of people
• Coordinating many different activities
• Professional management
• Not all rain!
• Having a good environment
• Great volunteer relationships
• Motivated people
• Inspired staff
• Well established
• Sharing what they have learned
• Connected with association members needs
• Awesone logistic
• Wonderful webpage
• 30 years experience, a good reference for Europe
• UKPA shared about their mistakes and that is helpful + through working with them last years
• Plenty of projects for future - Research, Funding, Activities
• About managing LAND projects - limitations, difficulties, benefits
• Wonderful people + efficient + inspiring + pioneering + cutting edge management + anarchic approach to management
• Awesome LAND project
• Big freedom in terms of decision making
• Clearly defined CV
• Similar organisations - Shared space, office
• Build membership – website, good events, sign people up, PDC tutors
• Patience – allow system to demonstrate our evolution
• Function of British Permaculture Association – support members Volunteers (managing)
• Organisation – support
• Education, accreditation, promoting
• Website – informative, good info, support to permies
• Association – take more seriously, best practice, support, inspiring, networking, rules
• CiviCRM, database
• LAND, good model
• Starting an association with a good/fancy website, use a good database, have some tools to start now in NL
• Seeing the VSM in action – details, timeline
• Inspirational team implementing PC ethics and principles in a funny and relaxed way
• Building resilience
• The value of having an office and employees
• Cooperating with other organizations, TCV, LAND etc.
• Very well organized, efficient
• All the fields of application, research etc.
• Open to other countries?!
• Multidiverse income
• How to catch money
• UK – different density of population, wealth
• Vulnerable economics
• Network market
• No organic biscuits!
• Bill is watching!
• Been around long time
• People work more for what they are payed for
• CGV model
• Bloody lucky to have Andy and long term dedication
• Structure of BPA
• Database
• History
• Focus on membership, number of members
• Good to be in partnership with local organizations
• Less/fewer tutors than we thought
• Enthusiasm as an organization
• Efficiency. I can trust them to focusing on the tasks
• Not shy to talk about money
• The PAB/BPA structure has become clearer
• Eye level communication (no hierarchy?) equal

What I would do differently

• Clocing Andy & Joe
• Design for stress–free working environment (people care)
• Celebrate yourselves even more
• Visible sideboard on roadside
• More networking with the transition movement
• Less bureaucratic, more user friendly
• Other sources of financing (diploma is quite expensive)
• Not giving students/grassroots education as much attention as formal education in PC – give grassroots/ordinary PC practitioners more attention
• What really happens (e.g. LAND project) is not always the same as what is being advertised/told.
• Bottleneck – not rely as much at one person (Andy s early days)
• Desing to rely less on external funding? (don't really know enough about it)
• Expand the European PC network connections (shared projects, variety)
• Balance the costs and fees of diploma
• Work with young adults and children?
• Improve connetions with others PC associations!
• Different website
• Base it in France
• Economic resilience
• Show whole team
• LET network DO the work
• Organic biscuits!
• David listens
• Reinvent yourself, stay ahead of curve edge!
• Develop transparent long-term process for building the organization
• Use the elders more
• Plan to "birth" other national organizations
• Make communication and information visible, e.g. by e-mail
• The system of governance – make it regional
•  Centralized structure with communication mechanism
• Transparency about this to "outside"
• Local outreach, integrating local communities
• Set up databases right from the beginning
• Wealthy sponsors
• Should find another location
• Design for national and international needs
• Sustainable income stream
• Transparency about this to "outside"
• Developing transparent long term process for building the organization
• Use the elders more