Bats continue to face huge challenges in terms of their long term conservation. They are the 3rd least favourite mammal in the UK, after mice and rats according to a OnePoll survey (2015)! This survey also showed that 1 in 5 people either dislike or hate bats. While fear and misconceptions rapidly spread and remain rooted for many generations to come, respect and appreciation for bats takes a long time to nurture.

At Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) we devote ourselves to not only changing these negative perceptions of bats but also to conserving bat populations and their habitats. The National Bat Helpline is immensely important to both these goals and in 2016 alone, the National Bat Helpline team answered 14,781 enquiries.

However, the future of the National Bat Helpline as we know it is uncertain as Natural England are reviewing the future of the Bat Advice Service, which is currently delivered by the Helpline. BCT is contracted by Natural England to organise and oversee its bat casework across England, with the vital help of Volunteer Bat Roost Visitors. These dedicated volunteers provide a free roost visit service to anyone who has bats in a residential property or church and requires further advice, beyond that which can be provided on the phone or in an email.

It is therefore with a great sense of urgency that we are asking everyone to help us raise £10,000 to help with the National Bat Helpline and continue to educate more people on the beauty, wonder and value of bats. The Helpline Bat Advice Service is a crucial part of bat conservation and we believe it underpins much of the bat conservation work and will continue to make the strongest case possible for this vital support to the public to continue.

Your donation, no matter how big or small, will contribute to support the National Bat Helpline during this period of uncertainty and the changes that are to come.