Dear Community Network Member

BTCV has been working for over 50 years to help local people reclaim green places.  From May 1st, we will have a different way of introducing ourselves.

Right now, with cuts in public expenditure, and one third of the UK’s natural assets in danger of being lost or degraded, our work is more important than ever.

We are delighted to have the involvement of more than 2,000 community groups in our Community Network.  And to have hundreds of thousands of volunteers involved in our own environmental projects.  But we think that all those people deserve better recognition and support for their vital work.

For a long time, people have had difficulty with our name.  The full name “British Trust for Conservation Volunteers” is long winded and complicated.  And the initials, “BTCV”, are easily muddled up.  We need to simplify the way in which we introduce ourselves, so that people can understand and remember who we are.

From May 1st, we will introduce ourselves simply as “The Conservation Volunteers”.  Please visit our new website at www.tcv.org.uk , where you can see a short film explaining why we have made the change, and a copy of Roots, our supporters magazine, which has some great news about the fantastic work being carried out by conservation volunteers all over the country.

People have always been at the heart of The Conservation Volunteers.  It is the dedication and effort of volunteers and communities that helps to protect green places and make them special.  It is the goodwill of landowners and partner organisations that helps to mobilise and focus volunteer effort.  And it is the support of funders that has helped us to keep going for over half a century.

Thank you all for being part of the BTCV story over the last fifty years.  And thank you for your continuing involvement with The Conservation Volunteers.

Tom Flood CBE

Chief Executive