Terms and Conditions of Individual Associate Membership

1. Associate Membership Applications
  1. Applications for associate membership will be considered by the BWRC who have the right to refuse applications.
  2. By submitting an application form by email, the Associate Member is deemed to have signed the application form.
  3. All information provided by you to us must be true and accurate at the point of applying. In the event of a change of circumstances such as moving jobs, change of contact details you must notify the BWRC by phone, email or in writing so that our records are up to date.
2. Membership Payments, Renewals and Cancellations
  1. Associate Membership is £15 per person per calendar year starting on 1st April. Associate Membership will be activated at point of approval of the application but payment must be received within 30 days of application.
  2. Payment can be made by cheque, BACS or Standing Order. If Associate Membership payment remains outstanding we will notify you by telephone, email or letter.
  3. It is the member’s responsibility to advise the BWRC of their intention not to renew. Subscription payments not received within one month of becoming due will result in the membership being considered lapsed and all services or benefits may be suspended pending payment. However, Associate Membership charges will continue to accrue, until resignation is received in writing, subject to the cancellation procedure outlined below. To cancel your membership you will need to notify us in writing stating a reason which will be recorded for internal use only. Refunds will not be given for cancelled memberships.
Individual Associate Membership rights and responsibilities.
  1. Associate individual non-voting membership of the BWRC does not count as membership for legal purposes; therefore Associate Members do not have any voting rights, legal obligations to act in the interests of the BWRC, or any liability to contribute to the assets of the BWRC on dissolution.
  2. Associate membership belongs to the individual and not to the organisation regardless of who pays for the membership. Any dispute arising from this must be resolved by the member and their organisation. You will be issued with a membership number which you should use when calling us to help identify you quickly.
  3. It is the Associate Member’s responsibility to keep their membership number confidential. The BWRC reserves the right to withdraw Membership or to prevent any Member from renewing if the Member is misusing the membership benefits (for example, allowing someone else to use the benefits of their membership package).
4. Associate Membership Benefits
  1. Associate Member benefits are only available if subscription payments are up to date.
  2. Associate Member benefits may change without notice.
  3. Associate Members are permitted to use the BWRC Associate Member logo (not the Associate Organisation logo) for the purposes of self-promotion, but not for the promotion of a wider organisation.
  4. If an Associate Member is found to have contravened the terms and conditions stated in 4.3 membership may be terminated by the BWRC without prior warning.
5. Terminating Membership
  1. The BWRC reserves the right to withdraw membership or to prevent any Associate Member from renewing membership if the Member brings the BWRC into disrepute.
  2. The BWRC reserves the right to withdraw membership if the Associate Member is deemed to have misused the membership privileges.
6. Variation of Terms & Conditions
  1. These terms and conditions may be revised from time to time. If they are revised, we will post or email the revised version to you. It will be your responsibility to keep up-to date with all such changes and your continued membership shall be deemed acceptance of any changes to these terms and conditions.

Terms and Conditions of Individual Associate Membership

1. Associate Organisation Membership (AOM) Applications
  1. Applications for AOM will be considered by the BWRC who have the right to refuse applications.
  2. By submitting an application form by email, the AOM is deemed to have signed the application form.
  3. All information provided by you to us must be true and accurate at the point of applying. In the event of a change of circumstances the AOM must notify the BWRC by phone, email or in writing so that our records are up to date.
  4. Associate Organisations are required to provide evidence of engagement in external staff and/or volunteer development relevant to wildlife rehabilitation (this must be external to the associate organisation but does not have to be a BWRC event). BWRC reserves the right to withhold/ withdraw membership in the absence of adequate evidence of CPD (a minimum of one event every two years).
2. Associate Organisation Membership Payments, Renewals and Cancellations
  1. Associate Organisation Membership costs £75 per organisation per calendar year starting on 1st April. Membership will be activated once the application has been approved and the first payment has been received.
  2. Payment can be made by cheque, BACS or Standing Order. If Associate Membership payment remains outstanding we will notify you by telephone, email or letter.
  3. It is the AOM’s responsibility to advise the BWRC of their intention not to renew. Subscription payments not received within one month of becoming due will result in the membership being considered lapsed and all services or benefits may be suspended pending payment. However, AOM charges will continue to accrue, until resignation is received in writing, subject to the cancellation procedure outlined below. To cancel your membership you will need to notify us in writing stating a reason which will be recorded for internal use only. Refunds will not be given for cancelled memberships.
3. Associate Membership Rights
  1. AOM of the BWRC does not count as membership for legal purposes; therefore Associate Organisations do not have any voting rights, legal obligations to act in the interests of the BWRC, or any liability to contribute to the assets of the BWRC on dissolution.
  2. AOM belongs to the organisation regardless of who pays for the membership. Any dispute arising from this must be resolved within the Associate Organisation. The Organisation will be issued with a membership number which you should use when calling us to help identify you quickly.
  3. It is the Associate Organisation’s responsibility to keep their membership number confidential. The BWRC reserves the right to withdraw Membership or to prevent any Member from renewing if the Member is misusing the membership benefits (for example, allowing someone from outside of the organisation to use the benefits of their membership package).
4. Associate Membership Benefits
  1. Associate Organisations are permitted to use the BWRC Associate Organisation logo for the purposes of self-promotion on any of their organisational materials, including website.
  2. Associate Organisations are entitled to purchase an unlimited number of tickets for BWRC events at the membership price, providing that those tickets are for the exclusive use of paid staff or regular volunteers for the Associate Organisation
  3. BWRC will provide e-mail notifications to up to 10 e-mail addresses within the associate organisation. The associate organisation is then free to circulate BWRC notifications to other staff and volunteer members of the associate organisation.
  4. BWRC may agree to promote events organised by the Associate Organisation if asked to do so, at the discretion of the BWRC board of trustees
  5. AOM benefits are only available if subscription payments are up to date.
  6. AOM benefits may change without notice.
5. Terminating Membership
  1. The BWRC reserves the right to withdraw membership or to prevent any Associate Organisation from renewing membership if the Associate Organisation risks bringing the BWRC into disrepute.
  2. The BWRC reserves the right to withdraw membership if the Associate Organisation is deemed to have misused the membership privileges.
  3. If an Associate Organisation is found to have contravened the terms and conditions stated in 5.1 and 5.2, above membership may be terminated by the BWRC without prior warning.
1. Variation of Terms & Conditions
  1. These terms and conditions may be revised from time to time. If they are revised, we will post or email the revised version to you. It will be your responsibility to keep up-to date with all such changes and your continued membership shall be deemed acceptance of any changes to these terms and conditions.

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Wildlife Images and Social Media

A vital aspect of many wildlife rehabilitation centres (WRCs) is active engagement with the public in order to seek ongoing support and donations, as well as educating the public. Social media has greatly facilitated the ways by which WRCs can engage with the public. Images posted of wild animals in care are often used to provide updates on the status of specific casualties, raising awareness of important issues, and for attracting attention to posts / support needed, and provide a valuable tool to communicate with the public. It is important that any images of animals in care that are to be used in social media posts are taken:

  • in a manner that presents the professionalism of the wildlife rehabilitation (WR) sector;
  • clearly promotes the highest standards of welfare and husbandry;
  • do not damage public perception of wild animals and their conservation value.

The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to provide clear guidance for wildlife rehabilitators on taking and using images of wildlife casualties. The rationale for the eight principles included in this code is provided at the end of the document.

A note of the use of images for clinical reasons.

The BWRC recognises the value and benefits of using imaging technology in the assessment, diagnosis, and monitoring of wildlife causalities in WRCs. This code of conduct is focused only on those images used in social media posts, although the principles detailed below apply equally to the use of images taken for clinical reasons where possible.

General principles

  1. No animals should be removed at any time from any enclosure / place of rest for the sole purpose of taking images/filming;
  2. Appropriate PPE should be worn by all persons visible in any posts, especially anyone in direct contact with the animal;
  3. Where possible, handling of animals for the purposes of taking images should be minimised and use only gentle restraint;
  4. Animals in images should be presented in their normal body posture unless images are taken during a veterinary procedure or initial physical assessment;
  5. Images used in social media posts should have a clear explanation of what the image(s) show, and ideally the reason(s) for including the image (e.g. education, financial assistance etc)
  6. Hand-reared animals should be presented in a clear and professional manner i.e. it is clear that they are being reared professionally and not kept as pets. Appropriate PPE should also be worn.
  7. The use of imaging technology / cameras to record images or film wildlife causalities should be associated with a clear Standard Operating Procedure and risk assessment to reduce the inherent risks of cross contamination.
  8. Images that include wildlife casualties should ideally be taken in the WRC environment only (with the exception of recording releases). Images taken of the location and context of rescues (e.g. for gathering evidence, educational purposes) should not be taken in priority of providing immediate care and assistance to wildlife casualties.

Our rationale underpinning the Code

Handling and the representation of wildlife in images

Current best practise in the WR sector is to actively minimise handling of any animal casualty during their residency. Direct physical contact between conscious wildlife causalities and humans is likely to be one of the most stress inducing events that is experienced by them in their lives. Handling stress is also additive to any stress being experienced due to their recent trauma. For these reasons no animal should ever be handled for the sole purposes of taking images. Animals in images should be in presented in their normal body posture. Mammals, reptiles and amphibians should not be held suspended in the air without firm support and / or in a manner that radically alters the animal from its typical resting body posture. It is not appropriate to present images of mammals that are being held by the scruff of the neck with or without support, unless during their capture or during the process of a physical assessment. It is essential that images of wildlife casualties are presented in manner that highlights the message that “all wildlife needs to be kept wild”. Images of people handling wildlife in a manner associated with handling pets, such as overhanding, cuddling, stroking etc. are not acceptable at any time. Where possible, key messages that wildlife rehabilitation requires the input of highly knowledgeable, experienced and trained professionals in partnership with registered vets and veterinary nurses, should be emphasised.

The use of PPE when handling animals in images

It is especially important that all social media images from WRC portray the very highest standards of health and safety and professionalism, and recognising that all wild animals are potential sources of infectious and zoonotic diseases. As with any veterinary or health assessment undertaken in a WRC, the appropriate PPE should be worn at all times when handling a wild animal, including for the purposes of recording images/filming. It is expected that those in direct contact with any animals in any image released or available to the public should be wearing such PPE. Taking images in the WRC should be associated with a clear SOP and risk assessment. This is needed to ensure hat all parties are aware of the routes of cross contamination when using camera technologies in proximity to sick and injured wildlife.

A note on the use of “Selfies” in WRCs

A wildlife “selfie” is an image/video of someone intentionally posing with a wild animal, as opposed to a photograph being taken when the animal is undergoing an assessment or being rescued by which the contact is necessary and not related solely to the purposes of taking a photograph/filming. Wildlife “selfies”, whether they are taken with animals in the care of a wildlife rehabilitation centre, with exotic pets or in the wild have a detrimental impact on public understanding of how to behave or interact with wild animals. The popular wildlife selfie trend, for example, leads to members of the public holding onto young birds and posing with them perched on their fingers or shoulders on social media, further encouraging others to do the same.