Between 30 September and 6 October, we’re celebrating RSPB members and thanking them for all they do.
If you’re a member of the RSPB, you’re the beating heart of everything we do. We can’t protect and restore nature without you. This week, 30 September to 6 October, we’re celebrating the huge contribution all our members make and showing that simply by being a member, you’re doing something amazing for nature every day.
When you join the RSPB, you’re joining a community of brilliant people who have signed up to be part of something bigger. They’re nature lovers, outdoor adventurers, brilliant birders, environmental champions and wildlife-friendly gardeners, all flocking together, to play a vital part in protecting and restoring our wildlife and wild places for all of us, but also for generations to come.
We were founded as a membership organisation. In 1889, a small group of women came together in a drawing room in Manchester to form the RSPB. They raised awareness of the plight of birds facing extinction because of a fashion for feathers. Now, more than 100 years later, we’ve 1.2 million people on board. But we never take this for granted. We know that each and every one of you is so important in helping us to save species, restore and protect wild places and move toward a world where wildlife and all people thrive.
Okay, we know we shouldn’t say it, but we believe we’ve got the best members going. It’s your passion, enthusiasm and commitment to making our world a better place for nature and us which means we have been able to do some amazing things. Here are just some examples of what you’ve made possible.
You’ve helped care for some of our most precious wild places. RSPB nature reserves make up more than 159,000 hectares of the UK, where a staggering 18,700 species make their home.
You’ve spoken up for nature-friendly policies which have made a real difference to our wildlife, from stopping industrial sandeel fishing to the successful lobbying for the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill in Scotland.
You’ve acted for nature in your homes and communities through activities like Big Garden Birdwatch. Our flagship event saw more than 600,000 people take part, many of them members like you.
Thank you.
Just by being a member, the monthly financial contribution you make enables us to target conservation work where nature needs it most. This is vital because it allows us to react quickly, such as dealing with the devastating outbreak of Avian Flu which hit our seabirds in 2022.
Thanks to your financial support it also means we can manage more than 170 nature reserves across the UK, essential refuges for wildlife and places for people to enjoy.
When we make the call, you answer in your thousands. Members like you can always be relied on to speak up for nature when it needs us most. Whether it’s signing petitions, attending events or marching through the streets with colourful banners and rousing chants. With so many members, we have a loud powerful voice, helping to put nature centre-stage in a world fraught with competing interests.
Many of you don’t stop at that. You also donate your precious time and experience as volunteers. Others take actions in their gardens or community spaces that help wildlife. And every year you enjoy trips to our nature reserves, buy from RSPB shops, and take part in RSPB raffles and other fundraisers.
Over the coming week, we’ll be sharing more stories on social media and our website celebrating the huge impact that we’ve made because of the long-term support from our members like you. Keep an eye out!
The more members we have, the more we can do. If you’ve been inspired to join the RSPB, we’d love to welcome you on board. Join us today and together we can help protect and restore the wildlife and wild places you love.
