WTT is a practical, hands-on organisation: we improve rivers and advise and help others to do so too. At present, however, Coronavirus restrictions on essential travel and social distancing means that some of our staff aren’t able to do their usual work. We have many practical projects lined up, with ringfenced funding in place, but we simply cannot get to the rivers to deliver them.
As a result, from 1 April 2020, WTT has taken the difficult decision to follow many charities and other organisations in temporarily furloughing some of our staff as part of the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
This means that, from 1 April 2020, some of our team will remain employed by WTT but not allowed to do any work for us, initially for one month. More details of those who are furloughed at www.wildtrout.org/contact-us
Of course, the irony isn’t lost on us that we should be making this announcement in the same week as the huge success of our 2020 auction, the money from which forms an essential part of the WTT’s annual income, helping to meet key operational costs.
But we believe that this is the best and most responsible use of our precious funds. By furloughing some of our staff now, just for a while and as part of a robust financial plan, those funds will be there when normality returns to our world and there’s proper work to do. In the meantime, we’re so grateful for all our supporters’ generosity, and we promise we’ll be back working again at full strength as soon as we can.
In the short term, we’ll continue to engage with the Environment Agency and our other funders, to see how we can adapt to the ever-changing situation and respond to appropriate opportunities whenever possible.
If you have any questions, thoughts or concerns, please contact WTT’s Director, Shaun Leonard, on director@wildtrout.org or call 07974 861908.
