My love of Greater horseshoe bats started when I worked for North Somerset Council in 2000 and I was asked to write the Biodiversity Action Plan for this beautiful bat with the help of the fabulous Dave Clark, Dave Villis (South Gloucershire Council), Mike Oxford and Laurent Duverge (Vincent Wildlife Trust) among others.  

Dave Clark took me on dawn and dusk surveys of stone barns, I watched as he ringed baby GHB bats, we went orange surveying an old ochre mine and I fought claustrophobia doing an all-day hibernation survey in a disused limestone mine - good memories.  

I moved back to Sussex in 2003 and I haven't seen a greater horseshoe bat since.  Since 2000, both Dave Clark (2004) and Dave Villis (2021) have passed away - I stayed in contact with the lovely Dave V until no more Christmas cards arrived this year.  He died of cancer in July - I didn't even know he was ill.

To think that Greater horseshoe bats - the cutest of bats - are once again breeding in Sussex is so joyful.  Dave and Dave would love that.  I also dedicate this fundraiser to Alastair Wrigley (2012), another bat-worker, who would love this news.

So, for the bats and in memory of my friends, I'm going to do the Mid-Sussex Triathlon (400m swim, 25K cycle and 5K run) to raise vital funds for the Vincent Wildlife Trust to purchase this important maternity roost in Sussex. 

Here are more details, and do watch the video as it gives a real insight into this wonderful species.

Sussex Bat Appeal – we need your help! – The Vincent Wildlife Trust (vwt.org.uk)

Sussex Bat Group, Vincent Wildlife Trust and others are working hard to safeguard the greater horseshoe bat species by purchasing and restoring a roost site in Sussex. But we need your help. To be successful, we must raise £350,000 over two years. As well as monies from the Sussex Bat Groups own reserves, we've received very generous help from our local bat groups, Surrey, Kent, Essex, London and Hampshire; plus additional, fantastic support from PTES, bat group members, local ecology companies and Southwood Foundation. 

Altogether, so far, we have already raised just slightly in excess of £118K.We now two months to raise the balance of £82k and have been fundraising. We have two months to raise £82K. Once the purchase is completed, we then hope to progress to raise further funds through both fundraising and grant applications for the necessary restoration and improvement of the roost building. This is estimated to be in the region of £150K.