Friends of Welney celebrate 20 years
We are going to be saying happy birthday to the Friends of Welney this summer as they celebrate their 20th anniversary. Members of Friends of Welney will be invited to a special evening held at the reserve to say thank you for their hard work.
Set up in 1991, the Friends group were initially a gathering of people who all had a common interest in wildlife, enjoyed spending time at WWT Welney and wanted to help support the work carried out here.
They have come a long way since their humble beginnings and have played a vital role in some of the developments that the reserve and visitor centre at Welney have seen over the years.
The Friends of Welney have helped with fundraising, which has enabled certain improvements to visitor facilities and have provided help within the centre during busy times. Some examples of what has been acheived with contributions from the Friends include: wildlife cameras and screens, Friends hide, several reserve vehicles and most recently the development of our dragonfly ponds (opening summer 2011).
Friends of Welney have donated time in the centre at busy times both in the cafe and on special event days by running stalls and talking to visitors.
Much of the fundraising is achieved though supporters of the Friends of Welney but they also have a calendar of talks and outings which enable members and non-members to mix with others who enjoy learning about wildlife whilst raising money through raffles.
The monthly evening talks run from September to April, with the meeting in May as the Annual General Meeting.
Trips that have been in the past before have included meeting at Wicken Fen, RSPB Snettisham and Landguard Point where more experienced members of the group have helped those with less birdwatching knowledge.
If you would like to become a member of the Friends of Welney (subscription of £3 per year, does not include admission to the reserve) to help support the group and their fundraising for the reserve at Welney, you can gain reduced entry to evening talks, newsletter three times a year and entry to special events/tours at Welney (staff availability permitting) - just ask in centre or email info.welney@wwt.org.uk for a leaflet.
