about us

A Positive Partnership

The Firth of Clyde Forum is a partnership project to care for the Clyde: its environment, its people and its visitors. The Firth of Clyde Forum was set up in 1994, one of a series of similar projects across Scotland which arose out of the UK government's response to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the international summit of the United Nation's Convention on Environment and Development. A significant outcome of the summit was international agreement to pursue 'sustainable development' that is, planning for long term use of resources to meet our needs today and in the future. This sustainable development approach can be applied at all levels, from international down to local.

An Integrated Approach

The Firth of Clyde Forum has been established to promote integrated approaches to managing the environmental, economic and community resources of the Firth of Clyde. The Forum's area extends from the tidal limit of the river in Glasgow's City Centre, westwards along the sea lochs and to the Mull of Kintyre, and southwards down the Ayrshire Coast to Loch Ryan, taking in the Islands of Arran, Bute and the Cumbraes. The Forum is a voluntary partnership. Our membership is drawn from the 7 local authorities around the Clyde, statutory agencies such as Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Crown Estate, West of Scotland Water, representatives from business and industry, fisheries interests, wildlife groups such as the RSPB, the universities, communities and individuals with an interest in sustainable management of the Clyde.  Click here to view our members.

Our Objectives

One of the main objectives of the Forum is to produce a Management Strategy for the Clyde which will provide a framework for sustainable management. The Forum will also lead on carrying out actions arising from the Strategy, which do not fall easily within the remit of any one organisation.

In 2000 the Forum through consultation amongst it membership, produced a Discussion Report for the Firth of Clyde, the first stage towards a Management Strategy. This report provides background to the setting up of the Forum, our links to other coastal projects in Scotland, the UK and abroad, identifies the key management issues on the Clyde and suggests principles and proposals for their future management. For more details go to Strategy.

Firth of Clyde Forum Core Group

The Forum is chaired by Countess Isabel Glasgow and its work is co-ordinated through the Core Group, around twenty organisations including funders and major Clyde stakeholders, drawn from the membership of the Forum and assisted by a full time Project Officer. The Core Group meets four times a year. 

Meeting agendas and minutes can be found here. 

Membership Charging System

Until recently membership of the Firth of Clyde Forum was free.  However, the need to generate some of our own funds has meant that we have had to start charging for membership, therefore a membership subscription scheme has been implemented. 

The Benefits

Members receive the following –

• Free attendance at two Firth of Clyde Forum Information Events each year

• Subsidised attendance (50%) at the Firth of Clyde Forum's Annual Conference

• Free copies of the Annual Conference Proceedings

• Two free editions of Clyde Breakers, the Firth of Clyde Forum newsletter

• Access to FoCF website and information resources as well as to contact FoCF for Clyde related information

• Invitation to contribute to FoCF Core Group meeting agendas, comment on the business plan and suggest projects for the FoCF to progress.

 Costings

The thinking behind subscription charging

Whilst the individual subscriptions are relatively small, the income will combine to generate a significant proportion of our total budget - between 20% and 30%.  Combined with larger funding packages from other Clyde Forum stakeholders, the predictable, regular income from membership charging would put the FoCF on a much firmer financial footing, allow us to plan further ahead and to tackle more ambitious, longer term projects. 

In our calculations, we have assumed that where there are several representatives of one organisation, for example a local authority, currently members of the Forum, only one membership payment would be required for the organisation.  However, as membership entitles free attendance at FoCF events and subsidised attendance at the annual conference, there would be an upper limit of 3 individuals per organisation who would be entitled to these subsidies.  Clearly, further individuals would be more than welcome to attend, but would be required to pay full price to do so.

The Clyde's Assets

The Clyde is one of west central Scotland's greatest natural resources. It contains internationally important wildlife sites, diverse landscapes, and was historically one of the great shipbuilding and industrial economies. Economic restructuring has followed the decline over the last few decades of the traditional heavy industry on the Clyde. Land uses along the waterfront continue to change, particularly in the inner Clyde as land becomes available for redevelopment, while the natural resources of the outer Firth underpin much economic activity. Access to the shore is valued by communities throughout the Firth of Clyde area.

The Erskine Bridge looking east towards Glasgow

With this diversity of demands on such an important resource, the challenge is to bring these interests together and promote co-operation so that future conflicts between uses can be avoided, and decisions are made with a view to long term management of the resource.

Campbeltown Loch