Hawk Conservancy Trust newsletter Winter 20 Issue 86

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HAWKTALK WINTER 2020 ISSUE 86

HAWKTALK WINTER 2020 ISSUE 86

100 Club We would like to begin by saying how very proud we are of our members for their unwavering support of the 100 Club, for which we sincerely thank you. Like everyone, we had to adapt to COVID restrictions and felt unable to carry out our monthly winners’ draws from March to June. Once the situation eased, we invited two people independent of the 100 Club to make all four draws in July and witness the process. We are now thankfully back on track. As this year’s special evening for 100 Club members had to be cancelled, Tom Morath and some of the Bird Team have instead produced a short video exclusively for 100 Clubbers. The access information has been sent to all members, but if anyone has not received it, please do email us at hundredclub@hawkconservancy.org so that we can share it with you. At last in early October we made our first donation for 2020 of £5,000 to the Trust. This is going towards the completion of the six new, large aviaries behind the staff area. By the end of 2020, if membership numbers hold up, we aim to give another £5,000 towards rebuilding three aviaries near the Savannah Arena. We appreciate how uncertain and difficult times are for a lot of folk at this time, but if any 100 Club Members feel they might be able to afford another £5 per month for an extra share the money will go directly to aid the Trust’s work. Should any Trust Members reading this be unaware of the 100 Club or how we support the Trust, you can find out more at www.hawk-conservancy.org/support-us/the-100-club/. If you decide to join, we will be delighted to hear from you! Take care and stay safe. Thelma and John Cobbold

Christmas Gift Ideas

Volunteers of the Year

We’ve got Christmas all wrapped up for you this year with our list of unique and unusual gift ideas to ensure you have something to suit all loved ones. We offer gifts that won’t cost the planet. Why not consider giving the gift of memories this year with a voucher or ticket to one of our events or experiences?

CARDS If you choose to send e-cards , we have a range of our own ones you can send from www.dontsendmeacard.com/ecard/ SHk6. Simply donate what you would have ordinarily spent on cards to support us whilst sending your well wishes to loved ones. Win-win!

Each year, we award our rather coveted prizes of Volunteer of the Year. It is always very tricky to decide who should receive the two awards, Steadfast and Impact Volunteers, as we have so many dedicated volunteers deserving of these awards. This year has been exceptional in many ways, but particularly for how all of our volunteers have not only stuck with us, but really gone the extra mile to help us navigate these challenging times including continuing to work from home during lockdown. We would not have been able to re-open without our volunteers. The response to helping us prepare the park for re-opening was phenomenal and humbling. And, when we were able to re-open, we were both enormously grateful and relieved to have so many volunteers willing to sign up to our newly formed COVID-Safe Taskforce. It really made re-opening safely feasible and we can’t quite believe our good fortune to have such fabulous volunteers. All of these reasons mean that it has been impossible for us to select just two volunteers to receive an award this year. Instead, we’d take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to every one of our amazing volunteers. We could not have done it without you – thank you!

STOCKING FILLERS Our shop is stocked full with a wonderful variety of trinkets, keepsakes, educational gifts and toys. Here are some of our favourites which you can also buy from our website: 1. Hawk Conservancy Trust Top Trumps 2.Delightful animal cuddly toys Available in a range of sizes and species, including cuddly Secretary Birds! 3.Cute owl items Notepads, mugs, cushions, aprons and more! 4.Hawk Conservancy Trust 2021 Calendar

SPREAD THE COST Give a year full of wonderful days out at the Trust. As a member, we’re sure you know how perfect a gift this could be. To spread the costs throughout the year, you can pay for the gift membership as a monthly direct debit. For £5/month for an adult and £2.50/month for a child (Annual Membership), this offers great value! GIVE SOMETHING TO LOOK We offer a range of experiences to suit anyone wishing to get closer to our birds and learn more about them. These intimate sessions are limited to small groups. 2.Events: Adult £35 | Child £21 Choose from Owls by Moonlight or Sky Hunters at Sunset. These magical evening events include two spectacular flying displays and a delicious supper. 3.Afternoon tea: £24.95 including admission Treat a loved one to a special day out in the country with a sumptuous afternoon tea. Includes three types of cake, a selection of sandwiches, and tea or coffee. 4.Meet the Burrowers VIP Encounter: £19.50 This 30-minute session is the perfect extra to a day at the Trust to make it more special. Admission to the Trust charged in addition. 5.Adopt: From £55 The perfect gift for all bird lovers. This is a great way to support a bird and contribute towards care and maintenance costs, as well as supporting our conservation work. FORWARD TO IN 2021 1. Experiences: From £69.50

New Life Members

We welcome all new members and appreciate their support. We are pleased to have on board the following new life members: • Daniel Banks • Rachel Cook • Aidan Eardley • Craig Harris • Nina Seale • Veronica and Roly Dumont • Dr Carolyn Browne • Gary and Jill Umpleby • Nicola Vyvyan-Robinson • Caroline Owen • Andrea Baker • Tim Dawson • Susan Waite • Peter and Sarah Eales • Sultan Dajani • Timothy Sanders OBE • Sheena Langford