Lax Membership Checks

My membership Number is 90321785 and I visit Saltholme every month and have never been asked for my membership card/number I would suggest we are missing out on funding
  • Hi Eric, thanks for letting us know. Can you please email me at craig.mcneil@rspb.org.uk as I'd love to chat a little more about the issue.

  • I’ve also seen that at other RSPB reserves where there’s an admission for non members of the RSPB as well, as they never checked my RSPB membership card or anyone else’s. Compare that to the National Trust and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust where they scan everyone’s membership card and are very strict about that. I know that there are 2 of my fellow RSPB Local Group members who’ve noticed this happening at RSPB reserves as well.

  • We always check at Minsmere.  I'm pretty sure Bempton and Rainham Marshes check cards as well.

  • Clare Bailey said:

    We always check at Minsmere.  I'm pretty sure Bempton and Rainham Marshes check cards as well.

    Well actually Clare, my Cousin and his family visited Minsmere a few years ago as family members of the RSPB and they had forgotten to bring there membership cards with them on there holiday. My Cousin mentioned this at reception and the RSPB staff at reception believed him without checking. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust have ways off been able to check whether you are a member or not on there computer by checking if they are members of that organisation if that member forgets to bring his or her membership card by checking there address on there computers. I don’t know whether the RSPB can check this on there computers or not like the Wildfowl Trust. I was pleased that they believed they where members. But it just shows if this happens on a regular basis at RSPB reserves, the RSPB could be losing lots of money doing this at reserves where there is an admission charge.

  • Also on visits to RSPB reserves Lochwinnoch and Leighton Moss, they never checked my RSPB Membership card either. On my trip with my Local Group in September 2017 there where a number of non-members of the RSPB on our coach trip and they never checked to see if they had a membership card. Luckily they where honest enough to pay. But that is what I mean by the RSPB being lax in checking whether someone is a member or not.

  • Unknown said:

    We always check at Minsmere.  I'm pretty sure Bempton and Rainham Marshes check cards as well.

    Well actually Clare, my Cousin and his family visited Minsmere a few years ago as family members of the RSPB and they had forgotten to bring there membership cards with them on there holiday. My Cousin mentioned this at reception and the RSPB staff at reception believed him without checking. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust have ways off been able to check whether you are a member or not on there computer by checking if they are members of that organisation if that member forgets to bring his or her membership card by checking there address on there computers. I don’t know whether the RSPB can check this on there computers or not like the Wildfowl Trust. I was pleased that they believed they where members. But it just shows if this happens on a regular basis at RSPB reserves, the RSPB could be losing lots of money doing this at reserves where there is an admission charge.

    [/quote]That was a few years ago, when we only had the means to check people's membership status in the week - it was impossible at the weekend.  Nowadays we're set up to do a quick online check whenever we're open.  That's a lot easier and quicker.

  • That’s good to know. I wish other reserves would do that. Leighton Moss never checked my membership card or others as well separate from my Local Group last September.