I'm glad to be circulating this to all NEHBG group members and I encourage everyone to have a read and get involved wherever you can. The new guidance for badger groups about how to respond to planning consultations/applications is really useful and has been produced by the Planning & Development Working Group for which I'm the lead Badger Trust trustee. It comes hot on the heels of the "Best Practice" guides for planners, ecologists and developers which we published in late August and should be a really useful tool for groups like ours and especially those of you who get involved in planning application issues and enquiries. I'm speaking at the Badger Cull Protest in Westminster on 20th October so please come along and support the cause if you can make it on the day. Hope to see you there! Nick.
Dear Badger Group Members
We have lots to share with you this week; firstly, our fantastic new guidance document to help groups comment on planning applications that may affect badgers. There is a final call for interest in the volunteer recruitment training for groups, an update on the DEFRA protest we attended last week where our new Chair of Trustees, Rosie, made a powerful speech against the badger cull, and information on a new Badger Cull Protest being held on 20th October. Finally, it is Brocktober! This year, our key message for #Brocktober and National Badger Day is to make #Spaceforbadgers. Tell us what you do by tagging us in your social media posts.
How to respond to a council planning consultation on behalf of your local Badger Group (England) We are delighted to share this new guidance document with you, as we know this is a hugely important and ever-pressing matter for all groups. This guide gives help and advice to badger group members who may be unfamiliar with the planning process and unsure how to seek the best outcomes for badgers when faced with a proposed development. Download your copy from the Space For Badgers Folder in the Shared Groups Resource Library > The document, originally written by Darren Parker, Vice Chair of Essex Badger Protection Group, has been enhanced and adapted with the support of the Planning & Development Working Group. The guide is intended to complement Badger Trust’s 'Badger Protection: Best Practice Guidance for Developers, Ecologists and Planners (England)', and we hope that these will help you in your efforts to help badgers affected by developments in your area.
This is the last call for interest in the 'Volunteer Recruitment' training for groups. We know many of you struggle to attract and retain active volunteers, yet active volunteers are vital to continue your group activities. Having the skills and know-how to engage effectively and retain volunteers can only help your group and take the pressure off of those of you currently taking on a lot. We cannot express enough how important this training could be for your group. Active volunteers are vital to everything groups do, and this can give you tools to maximise recruitment and retention. The training would be an online Zoom session and explore various aspects of volunteer recruitment from an experienced NCVO trainer. We would need to charge around £10 per person, and Badger Trust would subsidise the rest, but it cannot proceed unless we fill around 30 spaces. Please email Sally at Groups@badgertrust.org.uk by MONDAY 16th OCTOBER and let us know:
If you and your group are interested (name of Badger Group).
How many places do you think you might need?
Do you have any questions?
Badger Trust at DEFRA Protest Powerful speech from Rosie Wood, Chair of Trustees, against the badger cull Last week, Badger Trust's Chair of Trustees Rosie, Executive Director Peter and Groups Coordinator Sally attended the protest outside Defra offices in London. The event was organised by Chris Packham and his team in response to the State of Nature Report. The report highlighted that 1 in 6 species risked extinction and identified unsustainable farming and fishing, as well as climate change, as being the main causes of the loss of wildlife. Rosie gave a powerful speech against the badger cull, highlighting that badgers face all of these same threats against wildlife, yet they also have the onslaught of the continuing government-backed badger cull, which is wiping them out from parts of the country. Rosie reiterated that the narrative must be focused on cattle, not badgers, to deal with this disease. Various badger groups were in attendance, as well as NGOs and organisations representing the whole spectrum of wildlife, plant life, nature and climate. Chris Packham said, “We have to act far more rapidly, and that’s why I’m keen to motivate these charities to ask their membership to stand up and be counted to take more action than we have done".
We're celebrating the beauty and wonder of badgers and all that wildlife and nature bring to us. And this year, we’re encouraging everyone to learn to Make Space for Badgers. We know National Badger Day and Brocktober come at a time when many of our Badger Groups and their local badgers live through the badger cull in their areas. We don't want to take away from the devastation felt about this in any way, but we are determined to share positive, education about badgers and join in this national celebration of them. We need to share why they are so important, why we love them, why they should be protected, and ensure our messages about badgers are shared widely to educate and inform, and most importantly, encourage everyone to make #Spaceforbadgers! Please share your Brocktober and National Badger Day events and social media posts with us using #Spaceforbadgers, #Brocktober and #NBD23. Download the Brocktober and National Badger Day Social Media Post Graphics > Plus, more informational resources to share in the Shared Groups Resource Library >
Badger Cull Protest Event 'The Badger Protest - Ten Years On' has been organised by the steadfast Betty Badger (AKA Mary Barton), and we are certain that badger groups will want to know about it to join in. When: Friday 20th October 2023, 11 am to 2 pm. Where: Old Palace Yard Westminster SW1P 3JW. Event Information from the organiser: Come along and show the government that we will never stop fighting against the Badger Cull. Over the past ten years, the government has shot nearly a quarter of a million Badgers in this cruel and unscientific slaughter of our beautiful Badgers. There was some faint hope when they promised an end to the Cull, but Therese Coffey has just announced that the Cull will continue. Let's make this the biggest Badger Protest since the early days. Bring your Badger suits, masks, and placards. Bring your voice and your passion. Bring your family and friends. Badger Trust will be there, will you? Speakers are yet to be announced, but full updates will be on the organiser's Facebook Event Page >
* Tory MP Tracey Crouch says badger cull is 'cruel and unnecessary * * Badger cull ban scrapped to fight bovine TB * Environment Secretary says the need to protect farmers against the ravages of the disease is top priority. * Badger Trust praises inclusion of animal cruelty in Online Safety Bill *
Diary Dates & Group Resources! Next Badger Trust Grant Deadlines Monday 23rd October 2023 - Final round this year! More detailed grant Information >
Groups Quarterly Meeting Wednesday 22nd November, 7pm Join us for the last meeting of the year. Register > Group Resources The shared library has lots of resources for groups, so please take a look. Groups Resource Library > eNews links Review previous enews updates or link to them in your newsletters. Access links to previous newsletters > Please share Badger Trust news with your members or ask them to sign up for these updates.
If you have any questions about any of the information in the newsletters, need advice or support with something, or just want to chat about your group and badgers, please do contact us! Whatever you're up to for badgers, we'd like to hear about it! Let us know via groups@badgertrust.org.uk and we can profile your wonderful work nationally. Sally Jones Groups Coordinator

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