Page 20 - Bumblebee Conservation Trust Buzzword Magazine July 2020

By Dr Barnaby Smith, Public Engagement Manager

Making an impact

Membership - going green! We know from recent membership surveys

that many of you are very interested in how
your financial support helps the Trust, and
By Claire Wales, Individual Fundraising Manager specifically what impact the Trust makes
using the money received from sources
such as membership income, the cash
What an amazing response we have had 3,400 members. If you would prefer to still appeal, and individual fundraising.
to our ‘going green’ initiative! receive your renewal reminder by post, The regular unrestricted income we receive
please let us know. from our membership, and the welcome
Thank you to each and every one of you
who has decided to ditch the paper to help If you receive your Buzzword electronically receipt of unrestricted income raised by
save the planet and the bumblebees. We and pay by cash, card, or cheque, you will individuals, is crucial in allowing the Trust
now have 2,821 members who receive still receive a letter. Please contact us if Photo: Bilberry bumblebee (Bombus monticola) by Keith Broomfield to both explore and subsequently take up a
all of their communications electronically you are happy to receive your renewal by wide variety of new opportunities. It allows
and a further 140 members who get email. us to invest in the development of new
their Buzzword magazine by post but By making these simple changes, we can systems to support our core administration,
membership renewal reminders by email. reduce the amount we spend, look after supporting areas such as finance,
Thank you. the environment and help the bumblebees. membership services, and diversifying our
outreach activities. It also supports Trust
Some of our members still receive their We are working with Planet Mark to staff in continually developing new science,
Buzzword by post, which is fine, as many achieve sustainability certification, so we engagement and conservation projects
people prefer to hold a magazine and will be able to give you an update next ensuring we maintain our position as one
collect past editions to refer back to. April on what we have managed to save, of the UK’s premier species conservation
However, if you would be happy to receive and how much our conservation work, and charities.
your renewal by email, please let us know. the bumblebees have benefited.
Three examples of where your support has made an impact over the last 12 months are:
The next stage of ‘greening’, will be to If you would like further
email our membership renewal reminders information on these • Core financial support for the administration of BeeWalk, our national recording
to those members who pay by Direct Debit, proposals, or would like to scheme monitoring the abundance of bumblebees on transects across the country
Standing Order or via a single or recurring receive your renewal by • Investment in new IT provision through upgrading staff computing facilities, and
payment through PayPal, where we hold email, please contact us: introducing Office 365 over last winter - this has made a huge difference to the
an email address for this individual, even if efficient running of the Trust, particularly since mid-March due to COVID-19
they get Buzzword by post. That’s around membership@
bumblebeeconservation.org • Investment in the development of new projects,
including major proposals for multi partner rare

telephone 01786 594 130 species work in England, Scotland and Wales,
which we will share in future Buzzword editions.
Member Portal v Unrestricted income is essential to ensure the Trust
remains an effective and sustainable organisation,
allowing us to make successful investments to provide
a bright future for the UK’s bumblebees.
Thank you for your support.
Photo: Great Yellow bumblebee
20 (Bombus distinguendus) by David Wood 21
20