Swifts come to the UK every summer from Africa to breed and raise their young. They rely on cavities high up in our buildings to nest due to a lack of natural habitat. Swifts are rapidly declining due to loss of nesting sites by building works, roof repair and renovation. Swift numbers in the UK have now declined between 40-50% and they are globally threatened. Every year, in Forest Hill, numbers returning have been less and less and this is the picture across towns and villages all over the UK.

Providing artificial nest boxes high up on our buildings to replace the ones they have lost is seen as a crucial way of trying to reverse their decline. City councils and volunteer groups up and down the country have put up swift nest boxes and people are rallying together for this cause.

Swifts are amazing birds. They are in continual flight for 10 months of the year, eating, sleeping and mating in the air. They only ever land to nest when they arrive here in the UK and other European countries. They scream and scythe their way through our skies and their arrival heralds the start of our Summers. Swifts bring joy to many. They enhance our local biodiversities and enrich our communities. They are very clean, not destructive and do not pose a health risk.

Lewisham homes and the Breyer Group (a construction company) have agreed to help Forest Hill SE23 & Lewisham Borough Swift Group install swift boxes on any of their buildings that are suitable. This is great news and a a super opportunity to help preserve this beautiful species.

Please give any amount you can. Any amount pence or pounds will be great! We are going small with 25 nest boxes at first and if this is a success we will hopefully get to do many more in the future all over London.