Oxfordshire Badger Group
*** Registered Charity No. 1186850 ***

Volunteer codes of practice and guidelines

This page describes various volunteer activities that our members can take part in. Here you will find protocols and guidelines that should be followed to help make sure your work is effective, legal and that you keep safe.

Important COVID19 Notice

Please be aware that all volunteer work needs to follow government guidance on social distancing and maintaining biosecurity. We ask all members to act responsibly during these exceptional times.

Please read and take note of recent guidance issued by the Badger Trust, which we have adopted to enable us to continue our activities where it is safe, legal and essential to do so.

This is a moving situation and OBG will comply with any updates. Please follow any new or changed government guidance or further restrictions as they are announced.

Read Badger Trust Guidance on COVID 19

Road traffic accident (RTA) reports

Download OBG's one page guidance on what to do at the scene, what to look for and how to report. Contact details for advice/ emergency calls.

Protocol for reporting Badger Road Caualties

OBG PROTOCOL FOR BADGER ROAD CASUALTIES

Adobe Acrobat Document 107.8 KB

Download

Badger Rescue

OBG will take an injured badger or orphaned cub to a rescue centre if appropriate.

We follow the Secret World Protocol for rescue and rehabilitation (see chapters 3 and 4).

Visit Secret World

Wildlife crime reports

Wild life crime should be reported to the police to obtain a crime number. Also inform OBG and Badger Trust

Our protocol will be available for download shortly. We follow Badger Trust guidance which is available on their website:

URGENT: Write to your MP re DEFRA Consultation on vaccination and culling

'Be in no doubt, DEFRA's proposals mean that badgers could be vaccinated in the summer and shot in the autumn".

"A betrayal of public trust and government promises to phase out badger culling in favour of badger and cattle vaccination."

We ask everyone who cares for badgers and supports the vaccination effort to contact their MP and ask them to raise this in parliament.

The Badger Trust's Open Letter to George Eustace, Secretary of state responsible for the bTB strategy explains the concerns in detail.

Helping badgers in summer

Go to Badger Trust article and advice

Badgers and other wildlife suffer during prolonged dry spells. Badgers rely on worms as their main food source. But worms go deep underground in dry periods. Badgers may have to travel longer distances and may behave oddly in their search for new sources of food and water. This can result in increased damage to gardens and crops

Please supply fresh water and consider moderate supplementary feeding. Badgers will appreciate peanuts, dog biscuit, juicy fresh fruit. Don't provide milk, dairy or meat products.

Vaccination starts 20/06/2020

OBG is delighted to be able to vaccinate again this year. We will be following additional COVID19 safety protocols. Despite this, the vaccination team plan to double the area covered by the programme.

Please help with fundraising if you can. There are many ways to support us - including shopping online!

Visit our fundraising page

COVID19: Badger Trust guidance to Badger Groups

OBG is following guidance issued by the Badger Trust. We will continue to operate and ensure our activities and those of volunteers comply with government guidance on social distancing.

All face to face meetings are on hold for the foreseeable future.

OBG will continue to provide a badger rescue service where possible to do so safely and providing our local wildlife hospitals and veterinary practices have capacity

Please continue to report any badger road traffic accidents or other sightings. This can include sett survey and monitoring carried out during your permitted daily exercise.

Obviously we will all need to comply fully with any additional restrictions that may be announced in future.

We are updating the members section of this website to make more resources and information available to you all.

Please check back regularly

Linda Ward, 03 June 2020.

Link to Badger Trust COVID19 Guidance

OBG Registered Charity Number 1186850

Oxfordshire Badger Group was added to the Register of Charities just before Christmas 2019.

Our Aims are:

to promote, for the public benefit, the conservation and protection of badgers, their setts and habitats in Oxfordshire and elsewhere; and
to advance the education of the public on the ecology, behaviour and protected status of badgers, their setts and habitats

Busy times ahead as we look to fundraise for the first full year of vaccination and adjust to our new charity status !

OBG needs to know where badgers are to help them