An Update On 2026 Plans For Funding UKWT, Ongoing…

GROWING OUR UKWT COMMUNITY, PERSONALLY & PROFESSIONALLY…

PERSONALLY…

EXPLAINING AN UNEXPECTED SIDE EFFECT - THAT’S HELD US BACK A BIT - OF OUR EXPLOSION OF SUCCESS… Our new UKWT way of working - switching from coordinating transports to providing Drivers Teams to Wildlife Rescues & Vet Practices - that launched late 2024, has led to a huge explosion in transporting almost 4 times as many animals this year (almost 800 animals gone out to/transported AND a Gull family helped in situe too).

However, it’s had one unexpected side effect which I hadn’t foreseen, and only became really aware of when we were so busy that I didn’t have time to address it.  This side effect was that, when we were picking up wildlife from Vet Practices and especially members of the public, to take to Wildlife Rescues, most of those that we were picking up from thought that we were just an extension of the Rescue: they didn’t know that UKWT existed, even after we had picked up from them.

Whereas a good chuck of our funding stream, in the past, has come from those we picked up from, we HAVEN’T HAD EVEN ONE DONATION from anyone that we have picked up from this year.  Equally, our busy times previously boosted our community growth and online followings - those who had newly found about us started following us - which resulted in increased longer term support.  THIS YEAR: we haven’t seen any growth at all from anyone we’ve picked up from.  Our busy months have been great in terms of helping a lot more animals, which is why we’re here, but we haven’t had the ‘balancing out’ growth of an increased following, to help us fund it all.   This has led to us really struggling as the year has gone on, and our original following has been a bit worn out.

[*Add to this what every organisation is experiencing, of social media organic reach dropping, with Facebook/Instagram showing unpaid posts to a lot less of our following: it’s been a bit of a ‘perfect storm.]

So, to rectify this…

• UKWT DRIVER IDS - All Drivers will have fab, bold & colourful ID, to present themselves with, when picking up wildlife casualties/orphans from MOPs & Vet Practices.

• LEAFLETS - I am creating leaflets for all Drivers to have, to pass to MOPs when we’re picking up an animal from them.  The leaflets will look like this…

• REACHING OUT THIS WINTER: I am going to be reaching out, by text, to everyone we have picked up from this year.  I’m going to, first & foremost, thank them for helping the wildlife that we picked up from them (taking them in and keeping them safe until we could get to them) and then I am going to explain who were are, in a few words, and invite them to follow us.

• GETTING IN TOUCH ONGOING: I’m going to be getting in touch, by text, with MOPs, after a kind Driver has picked up from them: I’ll be personally thanking them for helping the animal that we picked up from them and inviting them to follow UKWT, to keep abreast of all that we’re doing.

• ESTABLISHING A SOLID MONTHLY DONOR BASE - Over the winter, I’m going to be doing all I can to grow our ‘monthly donor’ support base.  This is a huge priority.

• GETTING OUT & ABOUT... I'VE HAD WHAT I HOPE COULD BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA: IN PERSON 'GETTING PREPARED TO HELP WILDLIFE EVENTS' - I am going to reach out to lots of organisations to run in person 'Getting Prepared To Help Wildlife' events for them, around the UK. There would be a small event fee, just enough to cover the cost of the travel, so that I’m not taking away funds from UKWT. By running these events in person I can take Driver Recruitment Flyers with me too & invite those I meet to join up, should they want to. I can also invite them to help us to grow our online community (even inviting on tiny monthly donations) to set us up to keep going & growing. I can take a donation pot & small amounts of merchandise with me, to sell at the events too. [Finally, before/after running the events, I can make the most of being in the area: I can invite our local UKWT Drivers for a meet up & also walk a bit by myself, asking local cafes & other hot spots to feature our Driver Recruitment Posters].

PROFESSIONALLY…

• SPONSORSHIP (ENABLED BY THE PLAY YOUR WAY GAME) - This is actually one of my areas of strongest experience and I LOVE getting to connect with UK companies who are doing great things themselves, and by working together we can help each other achieve our separate goals.  Even better is only working with vegan & cruelty free sponsors, as we share a mutual vision already: animals being recognised as people, and all of us deserving to live our best lives.

I have had sponsorship collaboration ideas drawn up for a long time and - now that winter has come - I can properly throw myself into bringing on what I hope will be long term professional partnerships, to enable a starting minimum of £3000 a month to fund UKWT, ASAP.  [These are not going to be Christmas time conversations however, as small companies will be making the most of the Xmas rush and won’t be very inclined to chat about sponsorship opportunities that won’t benefit them before the new year.  These are new year conversations to have, to set us up for Spring].