ANNUAL
REPORT 2008
Highlights
of the year were the 25 year service awards given to our work party
coordinator, Chas Parr, and his volunteers, and the donation of
cheques amounting to £4300 to the RSPB to be allocated to
the work at Cliffe Pools. The lottery bid for the Cliffe Pools Reserve
has been successful so we should be seeing work progress in 2009.
If sales and pin badges are included our total contribution this
year reached a total of £7346.
We are sad to
report the passing of former group leader Michael Winship and donations
for expansion of the Winship Wood are now being accepted.
Indoor
Meetings
These were again well attended. The most original talk was by David
Boag with his moving images in The Natural Quarry which was closely
followed by the talk on Camouflage and Mimicry by Timothy Seller.
Thanks to Alan Mayes for organising our speakers.
Coach
Trips
The coach trips have again run successfully with our coach company
L S Travel proving to be both reliable and recommendable. This year’s
trips were Paxton Pits, Titchwell, Arne and Wicken Fen. Minsmere
is on 29 June. All trips were very well booked and I hope we maintain
this level of interest for future years. Thanks to Tony for all
his hard work and to all trip leaders.
Car
Trips
The trips have been well-attended particularly Crossness in April.
Other venues have included Footscray Meadows, Elmley, Dungeness,
Leysdown/Capel Fleet, Blean Woods/Stodmarsh, Knole Park and Oare
Marshes. We have also continued to run impromptu mid-week trips
to Riverside Country Park, Bough Beech, Sevenoaks, Stodmarsh and
Cliffe. Thanks to all trip leaders for their time and efforts.
Conservation
Work parties have been hacking through the undergrowth at Northward
Hill throughout the winter as well and have been very ably organised
and overseen by Chas Parr. Thanks to Chas and his volunteers and
congratulations on their awards. He is always looking for more volunteers
to add to his group.
Publicity
This has been in the capable hands of Eric Brown. With his contacts
in the local press we have seen many reports of our activities,
in fact over 193 column inches with six pictures this year. There
could be less in future with the closing of the Bexley Extra. Many
of our meetings and trips are being mentioned in advance giving
us extra publicity. He has also run the website and you can see
an updated, current and attractive site. Thanks to Eric for all
his time and effort and to Sarah Beacock and Chris Knight, our webmasters.
Fund
Raising
Our two chief fund raising efforts have been the Autumn Fair and
the recent Spring Plant Fair which raised over £640 in profit.
Other events attended have been the Family Fun Day at the Well Hall
Pleasaunce in August, the Danson Show in July and the Woodlands
Farm Fair. Chas has been ever-present with his Tombola and Lucky
Dip. We have seen the launch of the 100 Club and we will have reached
our target of 100 participants if everybody renews. If you have
not renewed yet we urge to do so by 31 May. Thanks to Maurice Ewart
for promoting this fundraising effort. You can see the total amounts
raised in the annual accounts. Thanks also to Brian Fagg for promoting
the raffle which again raised over £1000 for the RSPB. A huge
vote of thanks must go to Maureen Thompson, our Treasurer, who has
worked so hard this year.
Recruitment
This is an area where we need to redouble our efforts in the coming
year. The current membership of the RSPB locally is 3600+. We have
started to look at attending the Danson Show in July on a regular
basis where we concentrate on recruitment as well as fundraising.
Other events attended have had membership forms available as well
as name gathering cards. Name gathering on behalf of the RSPB is
an activity which can introduce non-members to the RSPB and possibly
lead to their recruitment; over 500 were distributed last year.
The recently received list of 77 new local members has given our
area a boost in numbers. Thanks to Maurice Ewart for co-ordinating
these activities.
Communication
This year we have reached all the RSPB membership in our area with
our twice yearly newsletter. However we are always in need of distributors
so please put your name forward as a reserve for your area. Our
thanks go to all the 130 volunteers who deliver these and to Alan
Mayes, Dorothy Wells and Helen Burgess for the maintenance and updating
of our records. Thanks also to Steve Ansell for producing the newsletter
and to Eric Brown for all his work.
We have also
attempted to reach the public with activities on ‘Feed the
Birds Day’ in October and ‘The Big Garden Bird Watch’
in January when we set up feeders and telescopes at Hall Place to
encourage people to take part. A number of members took part at
the peregrine viewpoint in at Tate Modern last July and August where
over 3000 visitors were contacted. We will have greater representation
this year. If you are interested in taking part in this please come
and have a word.
Volunteering
As you have heard a few names have occurred many times in this report
and in order to maintain all our current activities which you enjoy
and to expand them we need people to step forward and help to share
the burden. I would urge you to volunteer! You do not have to be
a member of the committee to volunteer. If you would be willing
to help in any of the following ways your time and effort would
be appreciated.
- A person
responsible for group sales is a huge boost to fundraising; but
assistance to Anthea and Maureen with sales at the autumn and
spring fairs and other events would help greatly. Thanks to Maureen
and Anthea for their efforts this year in raising nearly £2000
and to Tricia Large who has volunteered to assist.
- Assistance
on our stall at the Danson Show and at Eltham Well Hall and helping
at our two fairs. A group on whom we could call would be a huge
help.
- Mind a pin
badge box or collection box in your area placed in a local shop,
supermarket, retail store, hotel or pub/restaurant. This requires
servicing once a month. This year £1940 has been raised
by the group.
- A co-ordinator
for sponsorship and advertising.
Could you fill
any of these roles and continue to expand the efforts of the Bexley
Local Group?
Thanks
My thanks go
to:
- The committee,
who have worked so hard.
- Tricia Large
for helping on our sales stall and placing and servicing so many
pin badge boxes and collection boxes.
- Sylvia Say
for selling peanuts and seeds at Indoor meetings and at the Spring
and Autumn Fairs and some fetes.
- Beverley
Treece for co-ordinating the recycling of computer cartridges
and mobile phones.
- Laura Hurt
for volunteering to find sites for pin-badge boxes.
- Alan and
Jean Mayes who provide our refreshments so efficiently and also
their daughter Alison who collects and sorts used stamps for us
and helps at the door and at fairs.
- Maureen Thompson
and Roy Lewis for organising the raffle every month.
- All helpers
at fairs and fetes.
- My wife Jeanna
for all her support.
How about joining
this list of volunteers and enhance the work of the RSPB?
JOHN TURNER,
Group Leader |
