ACCESSIBILITY (TO BE AVAILABLE TO VETS PRACTICES, WILDLIFE RESCUES & DRIVERS)

Our phone lines & email access.

 

WEBSITES & ONLINE COMMUNICATION/LOGISTICS

I design, build, maintain and update the UKWT and the Wildlife Care Badge websites.  It’s a lot of work but it would cost £1000s to have someone else doing it. 

 

I pay a small monthly fee to keep our websites (this one and the WCB and the UK Wildlife Rescuers one) up & running.  I also utilise other communication software like Zoom & other platforms, to run UKWT & the WCB. 

 

I also pay for software to process WCB applicants through their Knowledge Assessments (£24 a month).

 

COVERING FUEL COSTS

Fuel for Volunteer Drivers.  A lot of Drivers are amazing and don’t ask for it but we should have money to fund it all the time, if needed.  I sometimes offer fuel to Finders or Vets practices to help support them if they are transporting the casualty themselves.

 

TAXIS

Sometimes it is easier to get a Finder to jump in a taxi to get a wildlife casualty to a Vets or Rescue, if it is very close by.  (Sometimes this is our only alternative if a Volunteer Driver can not be found).  We can help Vets Practices & Wildlife Rescues fund this.

 

GROWING OUR DRIVER NUMBERS

Recruiting & equipping new Drivers (Carriers & Disinfectant).

[Recently, this has meant looking at Facebook ads, adverts in local newspapers and writing press releases to expand our reach to non social media uses across the UK and getting in touch with local newspapers across the UK.  I could have hired someone to do this, it is a CRUCIAL job that will be the difference between transporting or not, in some areas.  Instead I am doing it mostly by myself, to keep costs down.]

 

ADMIN WORK

Ah the endless admin work...  From getting new Volunteer Drivers set up, to keeping our databases and maps updated, adding new WCB Holders to our map, looking up local newspapers across the country, etc etc.  It's hours of work, every week, in order to operate as efficiently as possible, day in and day out.

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LEGAL FEES

Sometimes we pay solicitors for one-off commissions to prepare documents on certain issues that might be causing confusion (like keeping Birds in captivity, according to the current legislation) or getting ongoing legal advice over the transportation of trickier species, like Grey Squirrels and - currently - Birds.  We always do our best to run as a professional, efficient, high welfare organisation (helping high welfare Vets & Rescues to help wildlife) so really understanding our legal rights and the legal rights of wildlife helps us in our day to day challenges.

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FINALLY... WHY DOES THE 'WILDLIFE CARE BADGE' HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH UKWT AND WHY DO I USE SOME UKWT DONATIONS TO HELP FUND IT?

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Wildlife Rescue & Rehabbing in England, Wales & Northern Ireland is completely unregulated which makes it very difficult to know which Wildlife Rescues to support.  With the very best of intentions, injured/orphaned wildlife are often being rehabilitated by members of the public with very little training or knowledge on wildlife care and yet they have (as they are working to be as professional as possible, to their credit) presented themselves as a 'Wildlife Rescue'.

 

From UKWT's point of view, there's no point helping wildlife casualties at all if we can't be sure of them being transported to knowledgeable, expert care.  This is why we rely on the Wildlife Care Badge Map of proven, high welfare Rescuers, to know who to provide transport support to.

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The WCB was developed over 2021 (with me - Alana - Project Managing it; all of the ideas and content came from Wildlife Professionals) through a uniting of Wildlife Experienced Vets, small 'Home Premises' Rehabbers, larger Wildlife Rescue Centres, General Practice Vets and other Wildlife Professionals.  Since our launch in February 2022, here's all that we have achieved.

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