The RSPB is not rich and we depend on the generosity of members of the public for financial support – and the funds raised by local groups are vital. Over the last 30 years, they have raised over £5m for conservation.
Many of them have well-established ways to raise funds: coffee mornings, plant sales, pin badges, raffles, etc. Some of them organise boat trip, quizzes, they write and publish books, we have even had volunteers putting on a Father Christmas costume and running a Christmas car park to raise funds.
One of the more recent ways that the groups have stepped up for nature has been through Love Nature week.
The Chesterfield Local Group fundraiser, Pete Furniss organized two teams to bring their buckets along to two collections and together they raised an amazing £525.00.
Meanwhile, Oxford Local Group member, Lyn Ebbs, collected at her local garden centre in Oxford with some unusual but persuasive fundraising tactics:
Donor: “Sorry, I don’t have any change.”
Lynn: “It’s OK. The bucket takes notes.”
Donor’s wife: (laughing) “That’s the best one I’ve heard – give her a fiver!”
The Orkney Community Group held a street collection and raised £137.38 in just one day! Here are Graham Brown, Kathie Brown and Wendy Adams from the group, enjoying collecting for the RSPB. Pauline Wilson organised an amazing team of volunteers who enjoyed fundraising so much that they did a bag packing collection at a Co-op a week later!
As part of the week, Cynthia Douglas and Brian Nolan, from the Galloway Local Group, recruited lots of keen volunteers to take part in collections in Dumfries. Brian even dressed up as a Blue Tit to help raise as much money as possible!
Other fundraising events include a 40th Anniversary Event organised by the Bath & District Local Group with speakers Chris Packham and Peter Holden, it was attended by 800 people and raised £3,000.00. The Worcester & Malvern Group ran a Sponsored Bird Watch and raised £1,780.00.
Organising Bird Boat trips have continued to be a very successful event for the Poole & District Local Group. Similarly the South Lincolnshire Local Group runs cruises on the River Witham/Welland out of Boston. And the Liverpool Local Group runs the Liverbird Mersey Wildlife Cruises.
The Maidstone Local Group organises an annual Wine and Wisdom event which raises over £500.00. And the Havering Local Group hold quiz nights and run a 100 Club raising around £1,000.00. Our Lancaster Local Group hold book sales that raise over £600.00.
Woodbridge Local Group hold the annual Havergate Adventure which takes around 450 people to Havergate island and raised £2,391.00, they also hold concerts and in previous years it was the Nightingale Quintet.
A number of our groups such as the Fermanagh Local Group, are also involved in Community Fundraising managing Pin Badge and Collecting Boxes. And many groups like the Cardiff & District Local Group make the most of RSPB National events such as Feed the Birds Day.
Without the amazing talents and generous gift of time from our volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to achieve all the marvellous things that we do for nature and conservation.
There is a myriad of ways that their ingenuity shines through, if you are creative and want to have fun I am sure they would welcome you and your ideas.
No matter what you think you are, you are always and in all ways so much more!