Active Learning Centre :: Funding and Finance

The Centre keeps reserves which are needed to forward fund activities. Whilst some projects are funded in advance, research, education courses, consultancy and study visits are more often paid after the event. Development Funds are also needed to continue the process of renewing our network of associates and contacts, to widen the skills base available to us, and develop future work with new partners. Our reserves are kept in a fixed term, deposit account. Interest is paid into that account.

Steps have been taken to cut costs, this is helping to balance our income and expenditure. Our turnover has increased this year due to new projects and partnerships overseas but our reserves are very slightly reduced owing to a number of factors including the need to remain competitive. The Centre faces two main risks, becoming too reliant on one source of funding and working in increasingly volatile situations, as we see in Iran and Ethiopia. The need to constantly re-apply for funds against tough worldwide competition leads to greater amounts of time spent on this task. The Centre have had some success in spreading risk this year by successfully seeking project funds and consultancy work from a broad range of organisations. The Centre has managed to obtain funds for new projects in Iran, Malawi and Ethiopia.

— Bob Hay, Treasurer

Funding & Finance Breakdown

Report of the Directors and Financial Statements

Year Ended 31 May 2009

PDF Format

Use of the development fund for new activity and capacity building

At the start of 2008-9 the Centre considered the need to expand its membership, renew its skills base and build the capacity of its Board. A small development fund was agreed at the AGM in 2007. This fund was reserved for initiatives to build new strands of work of long term benefit to the Active Learning Centre. During the year the Board considered a number of applications from members and contacts.

Using the fund, Mike Dailly traveled to Cameroon to link up with former Chevening Fellow Laura Anyola and plan a law centre partnership. The experience gave Mike a greater understanding of the work of Active Learning Centre and resulted in a possible development project to build capacity and link human rights activists in Cameroon with counterparts in Scotland.

The Board also agreed to partly fund youth participants to an international gender training called ‘Youth in the World’, a collaboration between 10 countries, to pilot a programme called ‘Gender roles through time’ scheduled for 16th to 20th July 2009.

In addition, the centre agreed to investigate the impact women in the Scottish Parliament have made on policy making and legislation, through interviews with Scottish women ex-ministers (from 1999-2007) to capture their views. The proposed benefits to the centre include raising our research profile and, at a later stage, media coverage in Scotland.

In September 2008 Rwanda’s Parliament made history when it became the first in the world where women hold a majority, 56 per cent, of the seats. The Centre agreed to carry out a needs assessment to develop a training programme to be carried out by the Active Learning Centre in 2009 -2010 and to identify funding streams.

Equal opportunities policy

We are a small organisation. A mission statement guides our work. Our aim is:

“The advancement of education of the public, particularly women, concerning the development of democracy and the maintenance and observance of human rights” Our policy is brief and was chiefly designed to cover educational situations, it is handed in writing to all our students/participants and explained clearly, with practical examples, of what is meant by fairness and sensitivity.

It says:

“People with whom we work should be aware that the Active Learning Centre has an equal opportunities policy. This policy places a responsibility on our staff and students to meet high standards of fairness and sensitivity to differences of gender, sexuality, culture, ability and religion in terms of course content, course delivery, computer use and personal interactions.”

We designate one board member to receive and investigate complaints.