New! Backyard

 Our new campaign updates magazine for members, out twice a year...

• Autumn / Winter 2010

Annual documents  

• 2010 annual review
• 2010 annual accounts
• 2008 - 2013 strategic plan

The Government has published a draft National Planning Policy Framework -  the biggest shake-up of planning for over 50 years. We believe it will place Green Belt land - and the wider countryside - under increasing threat.

The consultation on the draft NPPF has now closed, but there is still some time before the final document is published, and MPs can still make suggestions for changes and improvements. So it's still worth lobbying for a radical rewrite, in order to save our countryside.  

What's wrong with it?

The NPPF does not commit to the principle that the countryside should be protected for its own intrinsic character, beauty and heritage. Instead, it will place the countryside under increasing threat and leave local communities and planning authorities largely powerless in the face of developer pressure. See CPRE's useful frequently asked questions for more information.

We have grave concerns that pressure on the countryside from damaging development will grow due to

• changes to Green Belt policy which would allow building which would previously have been restricted
• loss of emphasis on brownfield regeneration - as a result of the removal of the national brownfield target and failure to promote efficient use of land
• the creation of new neighbourhood forums that will have the power to give planning permission but will be set up in such a way that they could be dominated by businesses rather than local residents
• over-allocation of land for new housing - it requires local authorities to allocate at least 20% additional sites for housing over and above the existing five year supply
• weakening of the 'town centre first' policy by removing office development from the sequential test which prioritises the use of land in towns and cities first
• pressure for increased car use - by removing the requirement to set maximum parking standards for non-residential parking in major developments
• abolition of exceptions policy which allows small scale affordable housing to be built in rural settlements, which is likely to add to pressure for market housing and reduce the supply of affordable housing
• weakening of controls over outdoor advertisements, including no mention of billboards being inappropriate in the countryside

Please write to your MP now!

We're expecting the Government to publish the NPPF in January and February - so there's still time to contact your MP and ask them to take action to save our countryside. CPRE has a model email you can use.

MPs tell us that the most effective letters are those written by individuals, so it's best to write from the heart telling them how your local countryside could be affected by these proposed changes. If you prefer, you can edit or use the model letter - but please try to personalise it.

We are a branch of the national CPRE network - and you can join us today 

• via CPRE's national office website  (choose CPRE South Yorkshire as your branch from question 3's dropdown menu)
• by downloading a form to pay by direct debit
• by downloading a form to pay by cheque or credit card

Standard membership starts at £3 a month - and the benefits include

• Countryside Voice magazine
• Half-price entry to over 200 houses and gardens across England
• Fieldwork, CPRE's quarterly newsletter to help you campaign

To support our work directly, you can make a donation online.

• CPRE - Campaign to Protect Rural England 
• CPRE - Yorkshire and the Humber regional group 
• Doncaster Biodiversity Action Partnership
• Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group
• Friends of the Porter Valley
• Groundwork Sheffield
• Loxley Valley Protection Society
• The Ramblers
• SHEBEEN
• Sheffield Wildlife Trust
• South Yorkshire Biodiversity Forum
• South Yorkshire Forest Partnership 
• Thorne and District Wind Advisory Group
• Thorne and Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum
• University of Sheffield
• Rural Action Yorkshire

We have a fantastic team of hard-working and committed volunteers who support our work. We really couldn't do it without you all - so thanks!

• Alistair Reid
• Anne Robinson
• Bernadette Chapman
• Carol Walsh
• Cath Lee
• Catherine Adams
• Christina Roche
• Christine Lodge
• Clare Thurston
• Den Cartlidge
• Dorothy Woodhouse
• Elizabeth Bramley
• Eric Bridgeland
• Florentine Bootha-King
• Geof Cole
• Godfrey Wilkinson
• Graham Woods
• Helen Davison
• Helen Marsden
• Helen Towns
• James Preece
• Jane O’Connell
• Jane Rempel
• John Harker
• John Hoare
• Joyce Watson
• Linda Waslidge
• Louise Goulding
• Maggie Darley
• Martin Dale
• Mary Ward
• Matt Hillier
• Matt Norris
• Michael Buckingham
• Mike Cummins
• Mike Threlfall
• Pat Joyce
• Patrice Van Cleemput
• Peter Long
• Rachel Rennie
• Rod Egglestone
• Sally Taylor
• Sandy Kennedy
• Sifelani Mpofu
• Tamzin Craine
• Tom Kistell
• Tom Rollin
• Tracy Harkin
• Trevor Lodge
• Viv Whittaker
• Vivien Whitaker

We back CPRE's Stop the Drop campaign to stop litter and flytipping blighting our countryside and villages. Join Bill Bryson and the campaign to help lobby the authorities for stronger action on litter.

Tell the authorities!

You need to get in touch with your own local council to report litter and fly tipping

• Barnsley
• Doncaster
• Rotherham
• Sheffield 
   
• Highways Agency (for rubbish near motorways and trunk roads)
• Network Rail (for railway land and land between the tracks)
• Environment Agency (for more than a lorry load of flytipping and hazardous waste that threatens humans or the environment)

• signing up as a corporate member
• sponsoring specific areas of our work or campaigns
• encouraging your colleagues to get actively involved with our charity in a practical way 

Whatever way you wish to get involved, your support for our local environmental charity will be hugely welcome. It will also further highlight your credentials as a company with an environmental conscience and one that cares for the local countryside.

Corporate Membership
Our range of corporate membership packages are to encourage businesses of all sizes to improve and highlight your environmental credentials, while also supporting your local countryside charity.

What's in it for you?

There are many good reasons why your company should become a corporate friend of our charity

1. Be a part of projects that improve countryside access and sustainable development
2. Position your company as a business that cares about issues affecting the local community
3. Excellent publicity both in the local community through our press work and in our own publications distributed throughout South Yorkshire
4. Show your support for local environmental and renewable energy initiatives
5. Sponsorship opportunities, including using our logo on agreed marketing materials - and your logo on our materials
6. Opportunities to reach our members with your company's information or special offers
7. Opportunities to involve your employees in our work

How to join
We have three levels of corporate membership, so companies of all sizes can make a real difference to the countryside of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

Bronze membership £100
• A link on our website with logo and company profile
• Use of our logo in your corporate communications
• Free entry for you to our members’ talks
• Free copy of every edition of Backyard magazine
 

Silver membership £250
• All the Bronze membership benefits PLUS
• Free promotion and link to your website in our enewsletter
• Free ⅛ page advert in the first issue of Backyard after joining
• Invitations to free special events
 

Gold membership £1,000
All the Silver and Bronze membership benefits PLUS
• Selected access to royalty-free images from our digital image library
• Free ¼ page advert in the first issue of Backyard magazine after joining
• Invitations to free special events for you and three guests
• An opportunity to promote your company’s services to our members

Next steps
If you would be interested in learning more about our charity, our work and how you can support us please email Danny Anderson on ring him on 0114 266 5822.

You'll get to

• learn new skills
• gain work experience
• meet interesting people
• make a positive contribution to the natural environment
   

We'll also pay for your travel expenses and refreshments. 

We need

• a commitment to the task
• a willingness to join in
• flexibility
• a couple of references

Current volunteering vacancies

Planning volunteers
Our planning officer works needs volunteers to scrutinize the lists of planning applications to our four local authorities. Planning volunteers also help with site visits and support us with our letters and responses - get in touch with John King to find out more.
 

Walks and talks events organiser

We need a volunteer to help us run our walks and talks programme.  It's a great opportunity to be creative and help us identify future events, support the admin and marketing to our supporters and the public. You'll be needed to help set up events, so you also get to attend them!
Please get in touch with Danny Anderson for more information. 
 
Area fundraising volunteers
We need your eyes, ears, and...local knowledge. We're looking for locals to be the main point of contact for our community fundraising in a particular patch of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham or Sheffield.
Please get in touch with Danny Anderson for more information.  
 

Fundraising and marketing assistants
Have you got a few hours to spare a week, and can get to our office in Sheffield? We need volunteers to help with fundraising activities, research, marketing and admin. You'll learn and use a range of new skills and it's a rewarding, creative role. You'll also be making a real difference to our charity. 
To find out more please contact Danny Anderson.
 
Trust fundraising volunteer
We're looking for someone to help with research and preparation for funding applications for our charity - either from our Sheffield office, or from home. You don't need any previous experience, but you do need to be able to use the internet. 
To find out more please contact Danny Anderson.
 
Membership recruiters
We need outgoing and friendly people to help us to attract new members to our charity in key South Yorkshire locations on weekends and week days during the spring and summer. Any time you can give is appreciated. 
To find out more please contact Danny Anderson.
 
Door droppers
We need volunteers to help drop membership leaflets out to cafes, pubs and tourist business in Barnsley, Doncater, Rotherham and Sheffield during March, April and May, and October and November. Again, any amount of time and help is appreciated. 
To find out more please contact Danny Anderson.
 

For more about future volunteering opportunities, please send Lindsay Doyle-Price an email, telling us why you want to volunteer with us.