RSPB Scotland seek Perthshire volunteers

Volunteer for just four hours per month and make a big difference for wildlife. Find out more in this article from RSPB Scotland. 

RSPB Scotland is looking for volunteers in Perthshire who could make a big difference for nature just by looking after a box of pin badges.

RSPB pin badges were launched in the 1990s, and there are now more than 200 designs available, from garden birds to basking sharks, ladybirds and even Highland cows. Boxes of badges are sited at over 7,000 outlets throughout the UK, with avid collectors keen to get hold of any new designs.

The pin badges are sold for a donation of just £1, but raise around £1m every year. In 2018, donations from pin badge sales totaled £240,000 in Scotland alone.

Volunteers are needed to help manage existing pin badge sites, as well as looking for new locations where a box might be welcomed. The role is suitable for a wide range of ages and abilities and can take as little as one hour a week.

Alyssa Parker, one of RSPB Scotland’s Community Fundraising Officers, said:

"Looking after a box of pin badges is something that almost anyone can do. We have businesses that are already hosting a pin badge box, but you might also know a shop or café near you that would be happy to take one. Your role would then be to look after that box, top it up with badges as often as needed, and collect and bank the money.

"With just these simple tasks, pin badge volunteers can make a huge difference to the RSPB’s work, as individual boxes can collect hundreds of pounds a year. That money goes back into things like our work on local nature reserves, education projects with children, and helping to support struggling species."

If you would like to know more about becoming a pin badge volunteer, or if you’d like to host a pin badge box, please email communityfundraisingscotland@rspb.org.uk. For other volunteering roles available with the RSPB in your area, go to www.rspb.org.uk/volunteering.