Facing the Future – BDS in 2022

14 January, 2022

Article by:
BDS, The British Deer Society, British Deer Society

The past two years have been extremely challenging. Throughout the pandemic, The British Deer Society (BDS) team has worked hard and been there for our members, the deer sector and the wider public. This has been a challenge but in a time of uncertainty, reduced income and rising inflation, we controlled our costs and delivered exceptional services and support.

As we start 2022 BDS like many charities and organisations are assessing the impact of the pandemic and the current economic climate. We have recently conducted a full price review of our membership and training costs and where possible, we have decided to absorb as many costs as we can.

Training

We have not increased any of our training prices since 2019. At the same time, the Society has invested in our training and team adding more value into all areas of our training delivery. We are therefore delighted that we will be able to continue to offer the same professional training throughout 2022 at 2021 prices.

Membership

We have also reviewed our membership costs and decided to keep membership contributions the same with one exception. The Society will bring family membership in line to match the current contribution of two adult memberships. In addition, for members who may find paying monthly easier than annually, we are planning to introduce a new monthly membership subscription in the first quarter of this year.

As a charity, we rely on your generosity and if you have not done so already and are eligible please make sure to tick the gift aid box when you join or renew membership. When you confirm Gift Aid it costs you nothing but gives BDS much needed extra resources to conduct more research and offer more support and services.

How Your Membership Is Making a Difference

We are often asked what a BDS member gets for their donation. When you sign up for BDS membership you are helping us promote the management and welfare of the UK wild deer population. BDS is one of the very few charities doing this work and we have made huge steps forward in ensuring the UK’s wild deer population is managed by extremely professional people and controlled by legislation.

You also enable us to campaign and educate on key deer issues including deer welfare, preventing deer collisions, wildlife crime, health, and safety. We are continually conducting research into deer health and sustainability. In addition, our website and deer app are extremely valuable tools and provide the users with instant ways to report deer sightings and gain valuable information on the UK wild deer population – and it is free!

Our technical advice is superb and helps hundreds of people with deer-related queries every month. The BDS training team has been recently described as ‘the best’ in the country, and it is only getting better as we continue to invest in the team, develop our training packages, and educate and train more people. Our deer journal is a great read and full of useful information and together with our email newsletter DeerBytes keeps our members and the public up to date with everything that is going on with the UK’s wild deer population.

By joining the BDS you are helping us to continue this great work. It is one of the simplest steps you can take to help improve our countryside, create a healthy and sustainable UK deer population that remains in harmony with the environment.

BDS thanks all our members and supporters and we wish you all a happy, safe, and peaceful 2022.