"The National Bat Helpline provides an emergency service for bats and people who encounter them. The helpline staff and volunteers engage with approximately 15,000 people every year, they are able to advice and educate in a way that would be difficult by any other means. It’s critically important that this service is maintained and improved in order to make sure we don’t lose the huge gains made in bat conservation over the last decade.”   -  Chris Packham, Bat Conservation Trust President  

More troubling change is coming in the form of cuts to funding to the National Bat Helpline. Natural England's ongoing review of the Bat Advice Service, which is currently delivered by the BCT Helpline and Volunteer Bat Roost Visitors to householders and churches in England, puts the National Bat Helpline in a very precarious situation.

Our last public appeal raised over £8,000 for the Helpline but this still leaves a very significant funding gap. It is therefore with a great sense of urgency that we are asking for your help to raise a further £30,000 to help the National Bat Helpline, including our work on ensuring the public deal safely with bats and the Out of Hours Service. The Helpline service is a crucial part of delivering positive change for bat conservation and we will continue to pursue all avenues to ensure that this vital support to the public can continue.  Now more than ever we could use your help. Your donation, no matter how big or small, will contribute to supporting the National Bat Helpline during this period of uncertainty and the changes that are to come. Please donate and share widely.