RSPB names and thanks 27 'celebrities and influencers' who help to 'raise its profile'

Alison Steadman (photo: Andy/ London via Wikimedia Commons)

THE RSPB has published its 2024 list of  'Celebrities and Influencers'.

This year it names in its annual report 27 individuals - nine fewer than last year.

The best-known of these are probably actress Alison Steadman, broadcasters Mike Dilger  and Iolo Williams plus comedian Bill Bailey.

Among those no longer on the list - for reasons unknown -  are actor Samuel West, TV gardener Monty Don and business entrepreneur Deborah Meaden of BBC-TV's Dragons' Den fame:   

The full 2024 list is: 

○ Jack Baddams 

○ Bill Bailey 

○ Mya Bambrick 

○ Sam Bentley 

○ Leif Bersweden 

○ Hannah Bourne-Taylor 

○ Carl Bovis 

○ JJ Chalmers 

○ Dr Mya-Rose Craig 

○ Mike Dilger 

○ George Hassall 

○ Aneeshwar Kunchala 

○ David Lindo 

○ Kate MacRae 

○ April Mayne 

○ Dara McAnulty 

○ Jim Moir 

○ Stephen Moss 

○ David Oakes 

○ Lev Parikian 

○ Sophie Pavelle 

○ Nancy Sorrell 

○ Alison Steadman 

○ Hannah Stitfall 

○ Michaela Strachan 

○ Iolo Williams 

○ Hamza Yassin 

Says the society, Britain's largest wildlife charity with almost 1.3-million members: "We should like to thank these people for supporting our campaigns, events and projects, and for helping to raise the profile of the RSPB."

Last year's list read as follows:

○ Mya Bambrick

○ Carl Bovis

○ Steve Brown

○ Gordon Buchanan

○ Gillian Burke

○ Lindsay Chapman

○ Mya-Rose Craig

○ Lizzie Daly

○ Mike Dilger

○ David Domoney

○ Monty Don

○ Indy Kiemel Greene

○ George Hassall

○ Lucy Hodson

○ Kabir Kaul

○ Dr Amir Khan

○ David Lindo

○ Kate MacRae

○ Dara McAnulty

○ Megan McCubbin

○ Deborah Meaden

○ Stephen Moss

○ David Neilson

○ David Oakes

○ Ollie Olanipekun

○ Lev Parikian

○ Nadeem Perera

○ Ben Porter

○ Alison Steadman

○ Hannah Stitfall

○ Michaela Strachan

○ Arlene Stuart

○ Dougie Vipond

○ Samuel West

○ Iolo Williams

○ Hamza Yassin

Last year, the bird charity also published a list of  nine 'ambassadors', but this has been dropped from the 2024 annual report.

The names on the 2023 ambassadors' list were: 

Indy Kiemel Greene 

Lucy Hodson

Megan McCubbin

Nadeem Perera

Ollie Olanipekun

Samuel West

Steve Brown

David Domoney

Deborah Meaden

Monty Don (photo: Mark/ Brighton via Wikimedia Commons)

The Wryneck says: There is something strange - disquieting  even - about the RSPB's decision to draw up a register of 'celebrities and influencers'. It seems to brings down the serious business of bird protection and nature conservation to showbiz level. No disrespect to those named (some of whom may indeed be embarrassed by their inclusion), but in the world of conservation, are we not all equal? To create an upper-echelon category of VIP 'celebrities' does an injustice to all those ordinary members and staff who shun the limelight but whose contributions are, in many cases, likely to be of far more lasting significance and value.