ANNUAL
REPORT 2008-9
Group Leader John Turner delivered the following
report to members at the Bexley Local Group annual meeting at Hurstmere School, Sidcup,
on Friday 15 May 2009.
Highlight of the year was the donation of a £3500
cheque to the RSPB to be allocated to work at Cliffe Pools. In addition sales raised £406
and membership raised £525 also to be allocated to Cliffe. The latest bid for
the Cliffe Pools Reserve has been unsuccessful, so major work will continue at a much slower
rate. However the car park and entrance road in Salt Lane are nearly completed.
The expansion of Winship Wood and the erection
of a memorial seat to both Carole and Michael Winship are now complete.
Congratulations to Tony Banks and Eric Brown
for their 15 year long service awards.
Indoor Meetings
These were again well attended. The most original presentation was by Bill Coster with
The Pacific North-West of the USA. 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 Titchfield Haven, Cley
in the snow, Titchwell and Rye Harbour. The Weeting Heath and Lakenheath trip is coming
up on Sunday 21 June. All trips were very well booked and I hope we maintain this level
of interest for the future. Thanks to Tony for all his hard work and to all trip leaders.
Car Trips
The trips were well attended. Venues included Grove Ferry, Rainham Marshes, Dungeness, Riverside
Country Park, Ashdown Forest and Oare Marshes. We have also continued to run impromptu mid-week
trips to Riverside Country Park, Bough Beech, Sevenoaks, Rye Harbour and Cliffe. Future
trips at the time of reporting are to Northward Hill on 16 May for the dawn chorus and Stodmarsh
for the later risers also on 16 May. 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 and have been very ably organised and overseen by Chas Parr. Thanks to Chas and his
volunteers. He is always looking for more volunteers.
Publicity
This has been in the capable hands of Eric Brown. There has been less this year with the
closing of the Bexley Extra and the removal of club activities in the News Shopper and The
Kentish Times.
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 were the Autumn Fair and Spring Plant Fair which raised
over £840 in profit (£200 more than last year). Other events attended were the
Family Fun Day at Well Hall Pleasaunce in August and the Danson Show in July. Chas has been
ever-present with his Tombola and Lucky Dip. We have seen the launch of the 200 Club and
we will maintain our numbers if everybody renews. We urge you to do so by the end of the
month (31 May). Grand Draw prizes have been increased to £60, £30 and £15.
Thanks to Maurice Ewart for promoting this fund raising effort. You can see the total amounts
raised in the annual accounts.
Thanks also to Brian for promoting the
raffle which again raised over £1000 for the RSPB. He is now hoping to move on and
we are looking for a new promoter for 2010. Many thanks Brian for helping to raise so much
money for the RSPB over the last five years.
Sales have also been a big contributor our fund
raising. Thanks to Maureen and Anthea for their efforts this year in raising nearly £2000
and to Tricia Large who has volunteered to assist.
Pin badges have raised an unofficial figure of
£1761 and robin boxes £308. Added to our donations we have raised
£5500 for the work of 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 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 3500+ but we have received notification of 269 new members in the last quarter.
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. Thanks to Maurice
Ewart for co-ordinating these activities particularly as he has now resigned from this post.
We welcome Stuart Banks as 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.
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.
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 tourist spot, supermarket, retail store, hotel or pub-restaurant.
This requires servicing once a month. This year £1760 has been raised by the group.
A PROMOTER FOR THE RAFFLE
Could you fill any of these roles and continue
to expand the efforts of the Bexley Local Group?
JOHN TURNER
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 re-cycling
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 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 the support she gives
me.
How about joining this list of volunteers and
enhance the work of the RSPB?
Group Leader
As I stated in the newsletter my five-year tenure
as group leader ends next year and a replacement is needed. Nobody has volunteered to join
the committee to learn the ropes and take over. The group has 12 months to find a new leader
or it will then be under notice of closure by the RSPB.
|
