About The Worcestershire Wildlife Recorders
Harry Green MBE
Aims and Objectives
The aim of the Worcestershire Recorders is to encourage biological recorders to come together to celebrate the county’s rich wildlife and to share their knowledge and understanding. Members are encouraged to add records of all species both to the local Biological Records Centre database and national recording schemes, and to write up their studies in the journal Worcestershire Record. The intention is that data will enhance knowledge of the species present, enable changes in populations to be followed, and provide information for wildlife conservation.
Worcestershire Record was originally created as the journal and newsletter of both the Worcestershire Biological Records Centre (WBRC) and Worcestershire Recorders and production is overseen by the Worcestershire Recorders Committee. The first issue appeared in November 1996. It is issued twice a year and has developed into a natural history scientific journal.
History of the Worcestershire Wildlife Recorders
The WBRC was founded in 1978 with staff funded by a government grants scheme aimed at providing work for unemployed graduates. The new WBRC was the responsibility of Worcester City Council and based in Worcester at sites associated with Worcester Museum. When this funding ended, the WBRC was able to continue, thanks to a small band of naturalist volunteers. After prolonged negotiations, responsibility for the WBRC was passed from Worcester City Council to the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust (WWT) and it moved to the Trust’s headquarters at Lower Smite Farm in 1995. The Trust has housed and supported the WBRC ever since. After the move to permanent quarters the day to day operation of the WBRC was undertaken by volunteers: a small dedicated team working at the new office and a large support group of local naturalists.
Eventually the WBRC became an independent Company and Charity accommodated at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s HQ and Simon Wood was appointed manager. Thereafter the main funding was provided by Natural England, Worcestershire County Council, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and others through Service Level Agreements and grants. Further important income came from the sale of site data to consultants usually associated with planning projects. The WBRC is not a membership organisation so Worcestershire Recorders was created as a WBRC support society funded by its members who, at the beginning, were the hitherto Supporters Group of the WBRC.
WORCESTERSHIRE RECORDERS CONSTITUTION
(Revised June 2024)
Worcestershire Recorders is a not for profit group whose principal objective is to encourage the collection, collation and publication of biological records and their storage at the Worcestershire Biological Records Centre.
Objectives and Activities
- To support the Worcestershire Biological Records Centre in their activities to record biological species across Worcestershire.
- To organise or commission educational activities, workshops and other activities contributing to the objectives of Worcestershire Recorders.
- To ensure that summaries of data collected are, from time to time, published and become available in the public domain.
- To hold field meetings for recording specific sites.
- To hold an Annual Recorders Meeting to include an Annual General Meeting.
Membership
Membership will be open to any person and comprise those people subscribing to the journal and newsletter, Worcestershire Record, on payment of an annual membership fee to cover all family members in a single household and one copy of the Worcestershire Record. Any additional copies required will be chargeable. Fees will be determined by the committee from time to time and payable in January each year.
Committee and Officers
Worcestershire Recorders will be managed by a committee which shall consist of at least six and no more than 15 members who will be elected at the Annual General Meeting. Any individual subscribing member of Worcestershire Recorders may stand for election to the committee.
A request for nominations will be issued with an appropriate edition of Worcestershire Record. The list of nominations will be published with the agenda and papers for the annual meeting, not later than 14 days prior to the meeting. In the event of more nominations being received than there are vacancies on the committee, a vote by show of hands will be held at the annual meeting. Members unable to attend the meeting will be able to notify their preferred nominees to the chairman who will cast their votes by proxy.
The committee shall elect its own chairman and such other honorary officers as it deems necessary. The honorary officers will undertake the day to day management of Worcestershire Recorders and its finances including subscriptions, donations, grants and any other contributions.
The committee will normally meet at two-monthly intervals (six times a year) with a minimum of four meetings annually. Members of Worcestershire Recorders can attend if they wish; non committee members will be encouraged to participate in discussions and to contribute ideas for enhancing the work of the group but will not be eligible to vote.
Worcestershire Biological Records Centre Board
The Annual General Meeting will nominate and elect three (up to six) members to the management board of the Worcestershire Biological Records Centre (Registered Charity No 1096279) The Board nominees should be members of the Recorders’ Committee so that they fully understand recorders’ views and can ensure these are correctly transmitted to the WBRC Board for consideration.
Finance
The honorary officers will undertake the day to day management of Worcestershire Recorders and its finances including subscriptions, donations, grants and any other contributions and payments.
Three committee members are to be registered signatories with the bank holding Worcestershire Recorders accounts, cheques and any mandate changes to be signed by any two. One or more signatories will be authorised to use online banking systems; they will gain approval by e-mail from at least one other signatory for each online payment from the bank account. Copies of such approvals will be retained.
The income and property of Worcestershire Recorders will be used solely for the promotion of its aims and objectives and will not be paid or transferred to members, committee members or honorary officers of the group. A report of the group’s finances will be presented to the committee at each meeting, to the Annual General Meeting, and be published annually in the Worcestershire Record. The annual accounts will be prepared by the treasurer and examined by an independent person.
Communication and Publications
Worcestershire Record will normally be published twice each year and distributed to all members, certain libraries and academic institutions. Updates and significant developments will appear in Worcestershire Record.
A report will be prepared for the Annual Recorders Meeting at which the chairman will be available to take questions and comments from members; the report will be published in Worcestershire Record.
Worcestershire Recorders will maintain a publicly available internet website. The contents of Worcestershire Record will be published on the website approximately one year after the physical publication.
Educational activities, workshops and other activities contributing to the objectives of Worcestershire Recorders will be widely advertised and open to members and the public on payment of a fee.
Dissolution
If upon winding-up or dissolution of Worcestershire Recorders there remains, after payment of debts and liabilities, any property or funds these will be transferred to the Worcestershire Biological Record Centre (Registered Charity No 1096279) or to another charitable organisation with similar aims and objectives and will not be paid to or distributed among members of Worcestershire Recorders, the committee or honorary officers.
