How are we funded?

The Dee Trust’s income can broadly be split into four groups:

Government grants

The Trust receives a variety of grants from Welsh Government, UK Government, local authorities and other public bodies. These grants are normally part of open funding programmes, where organisations submit projects for funding. The grants cover the cost of
delivering these projects and achieving agreed environmental outcomes.

Donations

Like all charities, the Trust receives donations from supporters who want to help improve the
River Dee. Donations are received from individuals, trusts, clubs and businesses, and are
used to support our objective of a River Dee free of pollution and full of wildlife.

Services

The Trust is asked to support businesses, water companies and landowners with projects that
benefit the river environment. This work is provided at market value to ensure charitable
funds are used for public benefit rather than subsidising private projects. Any surplus income
helps support the wider work of the Trust.

Enforcement Undertakings

The Trust is approached to receive funding through enforcement undertakings linked to
environmental pollution incidents.

An enforcement undertaking is part of a legal agreement between a polluter and Natural
Resources Wales or the Environment Agency. The Dee Trust has no involvement in deciding
enforcement action or the value of an undertaking.

Funding received through enforcement undertakings is used to support practical
environmental improvements across the River Dee catchment.

Before accepting funding, we undertake checks to satisfy ourselves that the original issue has
been resolved and that there is no reasonable likelihood of it happening again. If we are not
satisfied that this is the case, we will not accept the funding.