Sustainable Environmental Wellbeing Network (SEWN)



Background

SEWN has developed from a need to implement change. As we understand, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) necessitates the adoption of transformative practices. SDG 13; Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact along with SDG 12; Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, speak of the urgency to improve education and awareness while changing processes to align with circular economies. 

Primary schools have become targets for business. This has been exacerbated since the introduction of the Physical Education and School Sport (PESS) funding in 2013 but has been on the rise since the 2002 Extended School Initiative (ESI). Schools have been targeted on two fronts: the Out-Of-School-Hours (OOSH) periods; before and after school, evenings, weekends and holiday periods and curriculum Physical Education provision. 


The problem:


The company generates profit and the shareholders benefit. This is not equitable for many reasons:

  • The facility is a public and community asset, but the community are not benefiting from this profit, only the shareholders are;
  • The money being paid to companies by the schools to deliver PE is public money. Why should shareholders be benefiting from this?
  • Companies operating OOSH services are exclusive, to attend the service you need to pay the ‘market rate’, they are not open access.

There are also questions around the quality assurance of these providers. It is not possible to fully understand their recruitment practices or employment, tax or HSE compliance. This seems at odds with the due diligence applied to school recruitment, procedures, policies and practices. 

An alternative offer:

SEWN will bring together individuals and organisations who wish to see an end to the practice of profits draining from schools. Case studies have demonstrated alternatives that are progressive and inclusive, catering for community while providing research learning that supports schools to demonstrate their commitment to programmes that enrich the lives of their children.

Community Interest Companies (CIC) and indeed School Companies can be set up to support and implement all services currently provided. Each of these mechanisms ensures that all income generated through the provision of community services or PE, remains within the organisation and can be used to create more services, more employment and better outcomes.

SEWN is the process for this change. The problem and the solution have been identified, now we need to bring together universities and schools along with environmental organisations to move towards a sustainable circular economy.