News archive
October 2007
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Group Leader's Annual Report - 2007 AGM
Our membership numbers are now the second highest since the early 80's with 350 members.
INDOOR MEETINGS - are the mainstay of any local group. We are very lucky that our meetings are always well attended (an average of 110 over 7 meetings).
Slightly down on the previous year, but the high winds and rain were a con-tributing factor. The speakers were of a high quality - from 'Grizzly Bears' to 'A Journey through Texas'.
Our Christmas Social Evening in December had a lower attendance than usual.
Again the weather was poor on that evening. However, the members that ventured out had a good time, with seasonal music provided by Stoke-sub-Hamdon Band and the usual quiz devised by the committee and group members.
FIELD TRIPS - good numbers again with 68 different members/visitors coming along on one or more outings. We saw 110 species of birds, so if you came on every field trip you did very well! Bittern and nightjar were the highlights of the final two trips of the season. Beginner birdwatchers are especially welcome on all our field trips.
OUT AND ABOUT - part of the remit of a local group is to go out and about to meet the general public and spread the word about the work of the RSPB and encourage people to join the Society and hopefully our group. We did this in several ways:
Coffee mornings at South Petherton and East Coker and sales at the St. Gildas Day Centre, Langport.
We had stands at the Lowland Games at Thorney, Langport and the National Amateur Gardening Show at Shepton Mallet.
Sales, memberships and generally talking to the public is what we do at these events.
We gave talks and film shows to at least 8 groups; gardening clubs, W.I.'s, the Trefoil Guild, Photographic Society etc.
We held an 'Introduction to Garden Birds' evening for the National Trust at Montacute House, for the staff and volunteers, which was a great success. Hopefully to be repeated at another NT property in 08.
THE GROUP NEWSLETTER which is published twice a year in August and February. Always an excellent read with contributions from 16 different members, excluding the 'Did you See'? section.
VOLUNTEERING - we have two members who help at West Sedgemoor with the wildlife walks. Also at least three members who work in a practical way on the reserves at W. Sedgemoor, Greylake and Ham Wall. Members also volunteered for The Beached Bird Survey, WEBs Counts, The Volunteer & Farmer Alliance & minding the ever popular pin badge boxes.
FINANCIALLY we continue to make a significant contribution to the Somerset RSPB Reserves each year, with our funds going towards their conservation work.
We donated £4,732 (year ended 31st March 07) as follows:
£2,400 from group funds.
£1,254 profit on RSPB sales.
£1,078 from sale of pin badges.
I think it appropriate to mention THE DAY CENTRE, where we have been meeting since 1984. I joined the group in October 1983 and can remember, just, the first meeting here, a social evening, in January 1984. We will be sorry to leave this lovely venue, which our speakers continually comment on as been one of the best they visit. October will be our final meeting here before the Centre is demolished to make way for a Waitrose supermarket. We have been reliably informed that the new HENHAYES CENTRE will give us more space, more comfortable chairs and up-to-date facilities.
At this point I would like to mention that the Committee are quite happy to run the group on your behalf but we always welcome constructive criticism and new ideas.
Finally, my thanks to the committee, our volunteers and you the members for your continued support and involvement, which makes my job as group leader very worthwhile.
Denise Chamings