Bexley RSPB
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

Annual Reports
2008-9
2007-8
2006-7
2005-6
2004-5
About the Group

The Bexley Local Group of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was formed in March 1979 with the main aim of providing a link between the national organisation and the then 1,100 members living in the London Borough of Bexley.

A newsletter, with details of the comprehensive programme of indoor and outdoor meetings, is sent free to all members in February and September. Those living outside the Borough can request copies of this and participate in local activities. Some 3,500 newsletters are now distributed in this way.

From September to May, indoor meetings are held once a month, usually on the third Friday, at Hurstmere School, Hurst Road, Sidcup (View Map) Up to 100 members normally attend these illustrated talks on a variety of bird and natural history themes by local and national speakers.

For most of the year there are also monthly coach trips to venues such as Minsmere, North Norfolk, Dorset and the Wye Valley. There are also regular half day car trips to some of the many local areas of interest.

During the winter months, we have monthly work parties in North Kent. These are usually at the RSPB reserve Northward Hill in Halstow, but can be at Shorne. More information can be found on the Work Party page.

The Group has a wide variety of free information leaflets. Close relations are maintained with Bexley Recreation Department and other local conservation organisations.

In its activities the Group aims to cater for the interests and enthusiasm of all, from the experienced, active and well-equipped to the absolute beginner who would like to learn more about birds, where to find them and how to identify them. There are experienced members to give advice and we aim to encourage all age groups.


RSPB BEXLEY GROUP ANNUAL REPORT 2009/10

Group Leader John Turner delivered the following report to members at the annual meeting on Friday 14 May 2010.

Highlight of the year was the donation of a cheque for £3500 to the RSPB to be allocated to work at Cliffe Pools. It was agreed at Monday’s committee meeting to send another £1000 this month

Congratulations to Anthea Reynolds for her 15 year long service award.

Indoor Meetings
These were again well attended, although the December meeting had to be cancelled as the speaker was snowed-in out in Kent. The most original presentation was again by Bill Coster with Birds and Landscapes of Hawaii and Midway and Peru. We again welcomed Chris Corrigan who spoke on the Development of Reserves in the South East.

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 Marquenterre in France, Pagham Harbour, Titchwell Marsh, the Norfolk Broads, and Mayday a farm with Lackford Lakes. All trips were very well booked and I hope this level of interest is maintained. Thanks to Tony and his new trips sub-committee for all their hard work and to all trip leaders.

Car Trips
The trips have been well attended. Venues have included Footscray Meadows, Cliftonville, Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory, Riverside Country Park and Oare Marshes. We have also continued to run impromptu mid-week trips to Dungeness, Bough Beech, Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, Stodmarsh and Cliffe. Thanks to all trip leaders for their time and efforts.

Conservation
Work parties have been hacking through the undergrowth at Cliffe as well as Northward Hill throughout the winter and have been very ably organised and overseen by Chas Parr. Thanks to Chas and his volunteers. He is always looking for more volunteers to add to his group.

Publicity
This has been in the capable hands of Eric Brown. There has been less this year with the removal of the green page in the News Shopper although photographs of both our Autumn Fair and Feed the Birds Day at Hall Place have appeared. 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 which raised over £516 and the recent Spring Plant Fair which raised over£650 in profit. Other events attended have been the Family Fun Day at the Well Hall Pleasaunce in May and August, the Danson Festival in July, the Garden Show at Hall Place in September and the Longlands School Christmas Fair in December.

We have seen the continued success of the 200 Club and we will maintain our numbers if everybody renews by 24 May. Grand Draw prizes have been maintained at £60, £30 and £15. The total amount raised this year was £760. Thanks to Maurice Ewart for promoting this fund raising effort.

Thanks also to Diane Lelliott for taking over the promotion of the raffle which again raised over £800 for the RSPB. Sales have also been a big contributor our fund raising. We have recently been informed that sales achieved a total of £1117 of which £391 is commission. Thanks to Maureen for her efforts this year and to Tricia Large who has volunteered to assist.

Pin badges have raised an unofficial figure of £1274 and robin boxes£164. Added to our donations and sales commission we have raised £5228 for the work of the RSPB. A huge vote of thanks must go to Maureen Thompson our Treasurer who has worked so hard.

Recruitment
This is an area where we need to continue our efforts in the coming year and concentrate on recruitment as well as fund raising at outside events. The current membership of the RSPB locally is 3600 plus but we have received notification of 150 new members in the last quarter. Our own efforts have recruited five new members, the best total for London Groups. 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. Included in this total were the campaign cards to register protests against the persecution of birds of prey. We were second in the country with 262 cards completed. Thanks to Stuart Banks our new co-ordinator.

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.

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 at Tate Modern last July and August where over 3000 visitors were contacted. If you are interested in taking part in this please come and have a word with Lyndon Parker from the London Office.

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 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:

  • To assist 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 tourist spot, supermarket, retail store, hotel or pub-restaurant. This requires servicing once a month. This year £1274 has been raised by the group.

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 over the last five years.
  • Tricia Large for helping on our sales stall and servicing so many pin badge boxes and collection boxes, including the very successful box at Robert Dyas in Bexleyheath.
  • Sylvia Say for selling bird food at Indoor meetings and at the Spring and Autumn Fairs and some fetes.
  • Beverley Treece for co-ordinating the re-cycling of computer cartridges and mobile phones.
  • Laura Hurt for volunteering to co-ordinate pin-badge boxes.
  • Alan and Jean Mayes who provide our refreshments so efficiently and sort used stamps.
  • Maureen Thompson and Roy Lewis for organising the raffle every month.
  • All helpers at fairs and fetes
  • My wife Jeanna for all her support.

Group Leader
My five-year tenure as group leader ends this evening and a volunteer replacement has been found. Stuart Banks cleared the first hurdle by interview at the RSPB London Office and only needs your approval later in the evening to be confirmed as new leader.

The group has been in existence since 1976 (34 years) and I hope it continues to flourish and thrive for another 34 years and longer.


 
Copyright © 2001-2010 Bexley Local Group
All rights reserved. No reproduction in any form, permitted without prior permission