News archive

July 2009

Wednesday, 29 July 2009

Bedfont Lakes Country Fayre - July 2009

Bedfont Lakes Country Fayre - July 2009

A big thank you to the team who turned out for the Bedfont Lakes Country Fayre on Sunday 26th July, for your time and energy taking part or helping in whatever way for this event. For those of us there, I think we were lucky with the weather (just getting slightly damp for the last hour or so), the company was fantastic and the raspberries and cream even better! (Thanks to Mick and Geoff)

Successes.....and failures!

Dave's plants made £139.50
Graham's cards 15.00 (profit to RSPB)
Pin Badges took 17.00
Bird box 10.00
Donations 13.85
RSPB Sales 12.23

Total £207.58
RSPB Sales

Sorry everyone, but no memberships! (It may have had something to do with Simon having retired injured at the fence before take-off) but I think those who were there will agree that the Fayre had a very different feel this year. The number of Stands was down considerably and I think punter numbers were down. The punters were mainly walking 6 - 8 feet from the stands, therefore making it difficult to engage in any sort of conversation. We usually have long conversations with already existing members but even these were few and far between. But then we raised nearly £200 not bad for a grey damp Sunday.


Mary Braddock

Wednesday, 22 July 2009

Street Collection at Sainsbury's

Each year the Group makes two or three street collections locally. We do not raise cash from the public to improve our own finances. Every penny the public gives us is sent to RSPB headquarters to be spent centrally on things we particularly want to support, and we are confident contributors will be glad to support as well. Currently these are: projects to benefit wildlife in marine and coastal environments; conservation of lowland heaths; and work with school children. Heathland conservation is always close to our hearts here in Surrey-- we have the largest lowland heath in the world at the marvellous Chobham Common site, not to mention several other heaths with superb bird life.

On Saturday 11 July, a few of us stood by turns at the entrances to Sainsbury's store on The Causeway, Staines, and smiled our "Good Day" smiles at the shoppers. People are usually a bit too preoccupied to turn to us when they have an empty trolley, a long list and a time limit. But when they have a full trolley and the sense of a job well done, many kindly add to the weight of a collector's tin. And those Saturday shoppers were very generous. Five of us, between 10.15 and 4.45, collected just a little over £300. We were very grateful to the donors, and felt that we too had done a good job. The RSPB's work needs a lot of money, and Staines folk had made a valuable contribution to that work. Thank you to all who responded to our smiles.

David Shenton

Tuesday, 14 July 2009

North Kent Marshes guide for August and September 2009

Just released - the North Kent Marshes guide for August and September 2009. Please click on this link-

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