WESSA Phase 1 report to HHCT_28.10.2021

• Despite some misgivings about mission drift amongst members, many have a willingness to be actively involved and contribute to caring for the planet (Table 6) • Most supporters and social media followers are below the age of 34 and are from diverse cultural backgrounds • Most members have postgraduate qualifications, indicating that many of them could be high net worth individuals who could afford to contribute disproportionately to WESSA’s finances – IF they knew what the funding would be used for • WESSA’s full broad support base (‘the WESSA family’) is diverse and reflects the demographics of the country. While paid-up members are senior and white, these are in the minority when compared to the entire support base, with >20 000 followers on Facebook and >14 000 on LinkedIn

Twitter followers

Instagram followers

LinkedIn followers

Facebook followers

4 245

2 512

14 025

20 059

• Youth employment beneficiaries, learners and teachers appreciate and support WESSA’s work. They anticipate WESSA to be instrumental in forging unity, collective action and responsible environmental citizenship. They dream of a sustainable future, youth empowerment and practical solutions they can get involved with • Academic and research institutions are willing to work with WESSA in providing reliable, evidence-based information about complex environmental topics • Active members have high willingness to assist WESSA (Table 6). Table 6. Activities WESSA members are able and willing to engage in and contribute to

Activities members a willing and able to engage in Yes

No

Knowledge sharing

74% 61% 57% 36% 33%

26% 39% 43% 64% 67%

Participating in hands on activities

Fundraising and donating

Activism

Writing for WESSA

6.4.2 Weaknesses

• Membership has declined year on year • The profile of formal members differs from that of WESSA’s general supporters on e.g. social media (Figure 7). o Most paid members (65%) are over 64 years old, while most social media followers are between the ages of 25 and 34, with a much wider age distribution. The average member in the ‘Supporter’ membership category is younger than 30

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