and the Hawk Talks all have to be stuffed into envelopes

One of the busiest parts of my job is running the membership section of the Trust. With nearly three thousand members, there is not a day goes by without something that needs actioning, whether it be new members, change of addresses or general queries. The membership scheme has changed a great deal from its early days, and I thought this might be an opportunity to tell you about some of those changes.

Staff contemplating the intricacies of a members' evening activity

Originally the scheme was set up by Reg and Hilary as they felt guilty charging admission fees to regular visitors, who often used to end up helping them around the park. One evening around the Rayburn in Hilary's kitchen, where most new ideas for the park were thought up, the suggestion of a membership scheme was made. One of the helpers there that day, Bruce Reed Henry, said, "You can put me down as the first member", and rightly so, when the scheme was launched in 1989 he was no 1.

The initial membership scheme ran from Jan 1st of each year and early newsletters were in a basic typed form that was photocopied and sent to members. By setting the renewal date in January, it meant that membership renewal payments would be received when the Conservancy was at its most desperate for funds. As time went on the newsletter became more of a newspaper format, and there was the introduction of colour photos.

HawkTalk became a professionally printed glossy magazine

Over the years the membership numbers began to increase and it was decided to give more than just newsletters, so Members' Evenings were launched. These have always been designed to be fun evenings where young birds get the chance to make initial flights in front of friendly crowds, and staff get the chance to relax and let their hair down. There have been many firsts on member's nights: flights from horseback, medieval stories, flying a cast of falcons, flying to music, and unforgettably this year a Trust dog obedience championship. A highlight has always been the raffle with amazing prizes that everyone wants to take home with them; who can ever forget the Cilla Black hankie!!

Again the design of Hawk Talk changed and became a professionally printed glossy magazine, sent out three times per year. Hawk Talk not only keeps everyone up to date with the latest news at the Trust, but also promotes forthcoming events, informs on our conservation and breeding programmes, and is a great way to ask for much needed help. We also used to hold 2 members' trips per year in the winter, where a coach of members would go on 'behind the scenes' trips to other collections. These were great fun, and we were often treated as royalty, with the opportunity to get close to many exotic species. Sadly, the high cost of coach travel and declining interest led to these trips being stopped.

members' working days were introduced

By this time, lots of members asked if they could do more to help, and members' working days were introduced. Initially twice a year, they were the chance for members to come along to rake leaves, wood stain, and generally get the park together for re-opening. The amount of work that gets done on these days is staggering, especially as it is only for a fish and chip supper, but saves so many staff man hours, allowing them to get on with other maintenance and building projects. Woe betide us if we have to cancel a day due to bad weather, and after the cries of "can't we do more", in 2005 we introduced a third working day.

A members' evening competition

By the time I took over the running of the scheme it was decided to operate a year round membership, so that whatever time of year you joined, your membership automatically ran for 12 months. This helped spread the finance throughout the year, as the introduction of our Gift Vouchers had helped to reduce the financial burden of the winter months. We launched special offer schemes to encourage visitors to become members during their visit here, and the summer holiday sees a major uptake of this scheme. Two years ago I introduced a renewal reminder letter, and the opportunity to pay by Direct Debit. This hopefully reduces the numbers of members who do not renew after their first year, and is an easy way to remember to keep your membership running.

The membership scheme is constantly changing and evolving, but is always aimed at making members feel part of the Trust and its work. It is a vital source of funding for the Trust, and off shoots of the membership scheme such us volunteers and the 100 Club help so much with the day to day running of the Trust. Of course some members just see membership as a season ticket, but the majority feel that they are part of an extended family and that they are helping with everything that we do. For a small collection, a membership of nearly three thousand is amazing, but we hope that through our newsletters, Members' Evenings and working days, we can still keep that small, intimate feeling for years to come.

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