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What It Takes To Run & Grow UKWT (And The Wildlife Care Badge, In Turn)...

Updated: 6 days ago


An average day - during the quieter winter months I average a 50hr working week, which has gone up to a 115hr week, on our busiest summer week - features a mix up of every activity listed below, and sometimes all of them in one day…

ALL of this work is so that a UK wild creature in trouble (poorly or injured or orphaned) can be picked up and got to the RIGHT PLACE for a fair go at a second chance at a new wild life, as is shared HERE.

[There’ll be even more work done than is listed below, but this provides a strong idea of just how much effort goes into running UK Wildlife Transporters (and the Wildlife Care Badge, on whose map we rely). 


I am just one person doing this, right now…]



I am on the computer, doing…

FOR UKWT


  • TRANSPORTS: On the very odd occasion that I now organise a relay for an animal (as it’s always a last resort) I can be on the computer working out a route and finding Drivers & matching up swap over points for up to 5 hours at a time, if it turns out to be VERY tricky transport to organise.


  • DRIVER ADVERTS: I am creating & posting new Driver Recruitment Adverts (either nationally or for specific areas).


  • CHECKING FOR NEW DRIVERS: I’m checking our Driver Database, daily, to see if new Drivers have signed up.


  • PLANNING: If new Drivers have signed up (after I’ve texted them to book them in for a call) I look at their location compared to maps of the Wildlife Rescues/Vet Practices that we support (see HERE) to see which Drivers Teams they can be popped onto.


  • PERSONAL INTERACTIONS: I am answering emails from people interested in becoming a Driver but not yet ready to sign up: answering questions that they have.


  • IF A DRIVER STEPS DOWN: Sometimes Drivers step down (we have a turnover of between 5% - 9%, as we are incredibly lucky that most of our Drivers stay with us for years) and most of the time I offer to help them to sell their kit to a new Driver or I make sure that they leave with our thanks for all that they’ve done.


  • POSTERS: I am designing & sending out new UKWT Driver Recruitment Posters for kind people to share around on our behalf.


  • GROWING OUR DRIVER TEAMS: I’m responding to new Wildlife Rescues & Vet Practices wanting Drivers Teams (and getting them set up - we grew from 35 teams at the start of last year to 53 this year).



FOR THE WILDLIFE CARE BADGE


[I was one of the cofounders of the WCB. In the absence of government regulation of Wildlife Rescues, it's currently the only Wildlife Rescue map/database in the UK that features Wildlife Rescues who have proven standards of care, akin to actual licensing (annual onsite checks, exams on wildlife care passed & high welfare practices proven through record keeping and an ongoing vet relationship, every quarter throughout the year).  Without the WCB Map, UKWT cannot run.  We rely on it to know where to take wildlife to, entirely.]


  • NEW WCB HOLDERS: I am answering emails from potential new WCB Holders, who want to find out more & chat about how to go about it.


  • ORGANISING MEETINGS: I am organising events like our WCB Open Meetings or our WCB Webinars or WCB meetings to develop new templates that help new Rehabbers get started, like THIS ONE.


  • HOSTING MEETINGS: I am HOSTING our Web Open Meetings and/our WCB Webinars / other WCB meetings, on zoom.


  • WCB KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENTS: I am organising & hosting our WCB Knowledge Assessments, which take place on zoom.


  • MORE FAB MEETINGS: I am on zoom, having fab meetings with great organisations, with a mind to hopefully collaborating to achieve our mutual goals together, faster.


  • SUPPORTING VET PRACTICES: I am getting emails from a lot of Vet Practices at the minute, which is great, asking for support on treating wildlife in practice.  I reply to these and send them the link to THIS SUPPORT.  (I am also adding to this support page with new documents occasionally, like when myself & some WCB Holders put together an advice sheet for Vet Practices on spotting a nursing mummy hedgehog so that she could be taken straight back home by the finder).


  • KEEPING THE WCB TICKING OVER: Every quarter, I jump on 5 minute zoom calls with WCB Holders (each one individually) to do their quarterly ‘accountability’ (they show me records that they’re keeping & proof of an ongoing working relationship with a Vet).


  • RENEWING FAB WCB HOLDERS: At different points throughout the year, I oversee the WCB Holder annual renewals of their badges, you can check them out on our WCB PAGE.


  • WCB GRANT AWARDS: Every month, I organise the WCB Grant (£100) to be won by a WCB Holder.


  • DEVELOPING NEW BADGES: I am working with Wildlife Rescuers & Veterinary Professionals to develop new WCB badges (like our new ‘Bird Of Prey’ badge that’s in development.


FOR BOTH


  • DRIVER TEAM ORGANISATION: I’m scanning through our Drivers Teams (which features Teams for WCB Holders, amongst others) to see which Teams need to be bulked up with more Drivers - urgently - to get us comfortably through the year: saying ‘yes’ to every transport request for a wild creature in trouble.


  • ACCOUNTING: I am keeping on top of our UKWT Accounts (which also factor in all of the funding of the Wildlife Care Badge) keeping a record of our incomings/outgoings - and our impact - as the year goes on.


  • COMPANY ACCOUNTS: I am submitting our WCB & UKWT Accounts to HMRC / Companies House, annually.


  • OUR ONLINE PRESENCE: I am on our social media, trying to make sure that the work we do and our end goals reach people in the most effective ways, to help both the Wildlife Care Badge & UK Wildlife Transporters to keep going & growing.


  • FUNDRAISING: I am FUNDRAISING every way that I can think of, to try & help as many animals as possible to emergency care: organising raffles, responding to very kind donations, designing & posting endless fundraising posts, sharing them as far as I can, to try and raise what we need.  I am putting together Sponsorship Proposals, so that we’re not so reliant on donations.  I am emailing updates on what funding has been used for, to our Donor mailing list.  And on & on….




I am on the phone, doing…

  • TRANSPORTS: WhatsApp - Overseeing 53 Teams, across the UK, making sure it’s all running as smoothly as I can make it (trying to make sure that EVERY transport request is met quickly and compassionately) & sometimes finding a Driver can be complicated, so these can take a bit longer. (On our busiest summer month there were 15 animals transported, from different pick up points in the UK).


  • STANDARDS: I am on the phone a few times a week with our Wildlife Care Advisor, making sure that our Drivers Guidance is still up to a high standard and doesn’t need improving (with the latest research findings constantly being published) and often chatting over different transports & making sure I am always doing right by the animals that come under our temporary care.


  • WELCOMING ON NEW DRIVERS: Every new UKWT Driver has an approximately 30 minute ‘welcome call’ to make sure they know how UKWT runs & what it all involves.  If they’re still happy to come onboard at the end of the call, they get popped onto local Drivers Teams.


  • NEW PLACES: I am finding about new Wildlife Rescues who weren’t on our radar before (and who meet our criteria) and adding them to the WCB Map of approved Rescues that UKWT can take wildlife to.


  • WCB: I am chatting to current WCB Holders about new ways to develop & keep growing the WCB (often they get in touch with great new ideas).


  • NEW WCB HOLDERS: I am speaking on the phone with potential new WCB Holders, who want to chat through the process of becoming WCB Holders.


I’m sitting with a notepad, doing…

  • THE BIG VISION: Keeping the WCB & UKWT on track & growing requires me to constantly remind myself as to WHY I think that’s it’s all so important, and what the end goals are, so that I never take us off on a less impactful tangent and so that I never compromise on our animal welfare standards or what we’re trying to achieve.  The END VISION is paramount.


  • FUNDRAISING: Fundraising is the HARDEST part of running the WCB/UKWT, by far!  When I shut down the computer, often I’m sitting down with a notebook & a coffee, working out new fundraising or sponsorship ideas, to keep us funded & growing (as there are SO many wildlife casualties/orphans out there, still currently missing out on a second chance, until we can grow to have Drivers Teams in their areas to support them).


In person (most of the time I am on the computer/phone, but occasionally not) I am…

  • VISITING VET PRACTICES: Visiting & meeting with Vet Practices in person.


  • VISITING WCB HOLDERS: Visiting & meeting with WCB Holders in person.


  • PUTTING UP POSTERS: I am cycling / waling around, putting up UKWT Driver Recruitment posters myself.


  • HOLDING IN PERSON EVENTS: I have started holding live ‘Getting Prepared To Help Wildlife’ events.



I can’t do it alone.  Please become a monthly donor, if you can.  Even £1 a month makes a big difference.  Please check out the donation options HERE or email me at Alana@ukwildlifetransporters.org if you’d like to set up a monthly standing order to our bank account.



 
 

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