RSPB admits reserve-wide cutbacks likely to 'have impact on staffing and volunteering' across reserves network

                                                                

The RSPB's HQ - The Lodge in Sandy, Bedfordshire, where management have been thrashing out how to cut costs 

IT could be a worrying start to the New Year for scores of staff and volunteers at the RSPB's 200-plus reserves.

Because costs are outpacing income, the society is exploring ways of mothballing or offloading some reserves and ceasing retailing of books, optical equipment, gifts and birdfood at others.

But it is also seeking to trim bills by cutting back the  hours worked by wardens and staff.

It is feared that, for some employees, reduction in pay will force them out of the jobs they love.

A consultation exercise has been ongoing since earlier this year, and it was thought more detail would be provided either at the annual meeting in October or in the December edition of its quarterly magazine.

But either the management has not reached any decisions or it is preferring to exclude members from the information loop for fear of generating publicity which it fears might be harmful to its reputation.

However, a single sentence in the December magazine is perhaps an indication of what, to a greater or lesser extent, will happen in 2025. 

It reads: "Proposed changes are likely to have an impact on staffing and volunteering across our nature reserve network."