Get ready for Bat Box Checks – 29Feb24

SBG VISIT TO HEAL REWILDING.

Do come along to our visit to Heal Rewilding near Witham Friary. There will be an initial presentation and talk in the farmhouse, before a short walk around part of the site, including teas, coffees, and biscuits of course.

• Sat 23rd Mar 2024 at 11 AM.
• Lower West Barn Farm, Bindon Lane, Witham Friary, Frome, BA11 5HH
• They appear on Google Maps as ‘Heal Somerset’
• what3words is ///units.rollers.eyepieces

Please park in the visitor parking as there won’t be enough space by the farmhouse. Find out more about Heal on their website: https://www.healsomerset.org.uk/

We have opened this event up to members of the Wilts (and Avon) Bat groups as well.

No need to book, see you there!

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Bat Box checks coming up

Its time to get ready to see bats up close at our Bat Box checks this spring. We have now published the full program for the year, and spaces are limited so please reserve your space early. There are lots of events planned, so come along and get involved!

• Sat 23^rd Mar’24 – SBG visit to Heal rewilding (see above)
• Sun 21^st April ’24 – Edford Bat Box Checks
• BAT GROUP AGM – Sat 27^th APRIL 2024 2PM (see below)
• Sun 5^th May ’24 – Harridge Bat Box Checks
• Sun 12^th May ’24 – Great Breach and Ham Wall Bat Box Checks
• Fri 17^th May – Highbridge Big Bat Count
• Sat 25^th May ’24 – Levels Bat Box Checks

For details on how to join these events please see the Upcoming Events page on our website: https://somersetbat.group/events/upcoming/

BAT GROUP AGM

We will hold our AGM 2024, in Othery Village Hall again, central Somerset. Please come along to have your say in the running of the group

• Sat 27^th April  @ 2PM
• Othery Village Hall, Fore Street, Othery, Somerset TA7 0QU
• Google Map link – OS map link

We will not be trying to do a hybrid Zoom/live meeting this year as we found in past years this was not a good experience online. The agenda and pre-meeting notes will be published on our website in early April.

• https://somersetbat.group/about/meet

If you would like to:

• raise any matter as AOB at the AGM,
• stand for the committee of SBG, 
• or send your apologies if you can’t attend

Then please email us ASAP:  somersetbatgroup@gmail.com

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Could you be our new Bat Group Secretary?

We are still looking for a new Secretary. You can find out all about this important role here.

This role might be suitable for a one person or perhaps a job share. If one person was interested in the socials and communication (email/web) side of the role, it could easily be split with another person.

If you are interested, please do email us before the AGM – somersetbatgroup@somersetbatgroup

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MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL time.

It’s the time of the year to think about membership of the bat group. There are currently:

• 66 members who last paid membership in 2023, and can renew now.
• 36 ex.members who last paid membership in 2022, and we would welcome them to re-join.

We will send an email to each member detailing your current membership status, so please check your inbox (and spam).

It costs just £5 per household to rejoin the bat group (free for students/unwaged), and your renewed membership would then run until our April 2025 AGM, on 26/4/25.

For regular members, you might like to consider taking out lifetime membership, which is just £50 per household.

Please pay your membership subs by BaCs or Paypal then complete our online membership form to update your information.  Full details on our website: https://somersetbat.group/join/

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Welcome to our new Lifetime members

The group would like to warmly welcome the following members who have taken up lifetime membership in the last month:

• SBG0021 – Suzanne
• SBG0022 – Hannah
• SBG0023 – Brynley
• SBG0024 – Clare

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