Joining the RSPB

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was founded in 1889 and incorporated under royal charter in 1904. It is dedicated to the protection of wild birds and the environment. With a membership of over one million (including over 14,000 junior members) it is the largest organisation in Europe of its type.

To run all the things the RSPB does there are around 1,000 staff and well over 7,000 regular volunteers who give their time to help wildlife. This might sound like a lot of people, but it actually costs little more to run than a single supermarket; as a charity, income is mainly from membership subscriptions and donations from the public.

The RSPB helps wildlife by...

• running over 140 nature reserves great places for birds, people and other wildlife! Many of Britain's rarest birds, such as the Dartford warbler, capercaillies and corncrakes nest on RSPB reserves.
• helping to uphold wildlife laws, helping the police to prosecute egg thieves and collectors, poisoners etc.
• being involved in vital research into what wildlife needs to survive.
• talking to politicians, landowners and anyone else who controls areas where birds live, to make sure that their actions are good for wildlife as well as for themselves.
• helping people to understand how the things they do affect wildlife. By examining how what people buy and eat, how they travel and even what they do in their leisure time it's possible to show that there's a much closer link between all these things and birds than most people think.
• looking into all the things that could affect wildlife, form changes in local government to planning permission for new buildings, from how electrictity is produced to pollution in the sea.
• publishing award-winning magazines, Birds and Bird Life, and Wingbeat, packed with colour photographs and lots of information about birds.

Membership

Joining the RSPB helps us to continue working to protect birds, wildlife and habitats. You can pay quarterly and there are concessions for pensioners and others. Information on the different levels of membership can be found at the main RSPB website :- http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/join/index.asp

By becoming a member, your money enables the Society to:

• Buy land and create new nature reserves.
• Manage one of the largest conservation areas in the U.K.
• Continue their vital work in conservation.
• Research into conservation issues and develop solutions to protect our wildlife.
• Lobby not just the British Government, but European and Local ones as well.
• Educate and encourage young people to take an interest in wildlife.

For futher information on joining the RSPB or for an application form please contact our Group Leader - John Davis on (020) 8640 4578 or by e-mail at GroupLeader@croydon-rspb.org.uk

[ Top of page ]