Further to last week’s news that there had been a revolt at the Hawk & Owl Trust by former members and volunteers over what they perceived as the ‘poor management’ of the Trust (see here), the protesters, who call themselves ‘Friends of Sculthorpe Moor 2023’, have sent the following statement.
NB: I’ve redacted some of this as I don’t have the background information that might support some of the protesters’ allegations so they may be considered libellous if I publish them here. I think the unredacted text provides sufficient information for blog readers to understand the protesters’ concerns.
THE HAWK AND OWL – NOT TO TRUST
For the last few years the Hawk and Owl Trust has been shadowed in controversy. The most recent events are the pinnacle of a catalogue of actions which we consider clearly prove that this charity is simply unable to do, as it claims – conserve wild birds of prey and their habitats.
This week loyal and frustrated lifetime members and volunteers of the Hawk and Owl Trust peacefully protested at the Trust’s flagship nature reserve, Sculthorpe Moor in Norfolk. Whilst many people have felt uneasy about the Trust for several years, let’s try and remove some of the ambiguity and secrecy, which the Trust has built up, and articulate the exact issues with the Trust and the reasons behind the latest protest.
There are two main issues levelled at the Hawk and Owl Trust. The first is in what we consider to be the unethical treatment, bullying and intimidation of staff and volunteers. The second is that we do not consider the Trust is doing what it should in terms of conservation. In short, it has just become all about the money. We consider it is not raising and spending funds xxxxx, xxxxx and appropriately.
To start with the first issue. In the last 5 years, 5 employees (of just a handful of staff) of the Hawk and Owl Trust have been involuntarily and xxxxx removed from the Trust’s employment, using Members funds as collateral. Similarly, over 100 volunteers have either been “stood down”, discarded or even banned from The Hawk and Owl Trust. With no evidence or clear rationale, despite questions being asked. Why has this happened?
As most small charities will appreciate, volunteers are the backbone of activities and in many cases, such as the Hawk and Owl Trust, without them things simply cannot survive. In this case both Hawk and Owl Trust’s reserves have suffered greatly with this exodus and the Urban Peregrine Project, including its local community outreach projects, has been completely disbanded and shut down.
So why are people such an important part in this sorry conservation situation? Well without the right people the Trust can simply not make the right decisions or deliver its conservation objectives and that is precisely what we consider is happening. A key example of this is the recent removal of the Sculthorpe Moor Chief Warden, who has been at the Moor for over 21 years. This leaves nobody at the Hawk and Owl Trust with the appropriate licenses or training to handle schedule 1 raptors, such as the Peregrine Falcon, the symbol of the Hawk and Owl Trust. How unworkable and crazy is that?
Similarly, there is nobody left with the appropriate scientific experience and knowledge to successfully manage the Moor. Grazing livestock has been needlessly slaughtered, at great cost, because the only warden with stockman knowledge was made redundant. Important scientific studies at this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), such as amphibian and dragonfly (after 20 consecutive years of crucial data collection) can no longer be conducted because those who carried out these important activities have been banned, upon receipt of an email from the Chief Operations Director (COD). This is particularly concerning when there is not a single person left at the Hawk and Owl Trust with the appropriate skills to fulfil the justifiably strict conditions of the Natural England Beaver reintroduction license which is currently happening at Sculthorpe.
Because of what we consider to be the appalling mismanagement of staff and volunteers, there is a breath-taking catalogue of conservation failures, on behalf of the Hawk and Owl Trust, over the last few years. These have been raised with the Board of Trustees and the Hawk and Owl Trust’s COD, Adrian Blumfield. Every member of the Board has been made aware of these issues at one point or another but they appear to have chosen to ignore the problems for reasons which seem unfathomable and questionable.
Here are just a few of the conservation issues that volunteers or staff have experienced and raised with the Hawk and Owl Trust:
- Despite recent increases in many raptor species, the Hawk and Owl Trust cannot identify a single successful raptor nest box which they have established in the last 10 years. How is this conserving wild raptors?
- Threatening to remove an active Schedule 1 nest box unless funds were diverted, from the ecclesiastical nesting site, to the Hawk and Owl Trust.
- Repositioning an active, and perfectly good, Peregrine Falcon nest box to accommodate a webcam, resulting in the new nest not being used and unsuccessful breeding.
- Supplementary feeding of Barn owls for well over the recommended timescales so they become dependent.
- Not adhering to their SSSI responsibility by properly maintaining critical wildflower meadow habitat, which could be seen as an act of eco-vandalism.
- Installing of inappropriate nest boxes and failing to maintain them, making them unfit for purpose and ultimately unsuccessful.
- Inability to have a voice or opinion about Natural England’s decision to remove wild Peregrine chicks from active nest sites, despite being presented with an alternative solution of using wild rehabilitated juveniles.
- Failure to follow clear DEFRA guidelines regarding, handling, reporting and testing raptors at the height of avian influenza, within a high-risk location.
- xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx.
- Poorly managed and underpublicised the beaver reintroduction and now with the removal of the Moor’s Warden, it now has no license holder for the beavers.
- xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx.
The Hawk and Owl Trust has gone on record saying that they “Understand that a small number of people previously connected with the charity in various ways are resistant to the positive progress and management changes that have been made.” Firstly, as a concerned group, their numbers heavily outnumber the board of the Hawk and Owl Trust. There is well over 50 people protesting, including at least a dozen legators, who have cancelled bequests. Given that the average bequest in the UK last year was £40,000, it amounts to a lot of money being lost by the Hawk and Owl Trust.
The protesters are not “resistant to the positive progress and management changes that have been made” and have tried to engage with the Hawk and Owl Trust over that last 5 years. However, they have actually grown tired of waiting for change. Watching little, if any progress in the conservation of wild raptors over the last few years and members money being wasted on what we consider to be unrelated and unnecessary frivolities. For example, a huge animal shed that can no longer be used to its full potential because of the obvious lack of animals and animal handling skills left at the Trust.
The Trust went on further to say that “Any criticism of the charity is completely unwarranted, misplaced and risks undermining the work being undertaken.” However, everything above is documented and evidenced. The protesters now think that they were probably too tolerant and patient in the past and it is high time that the Chairman and Trustees fulfilled their responsibilities and let everyone know what work is being undertaken in support of their charitable objectives.
If things are allowed to continue as they are at the Hawk and Owl Trust, there is a significant and very real risk that Norfolk and the UK will lose a key SSSI and an extremely important habitat for the exact wildlife that the Trust claims it is trying, but quite clearly in our view, cannot and is failing, to protect.
ENDS
In the interest of fair reporting, blog readers are reminded of the statement issued by the Charity Commission and reported last week:
“We carefully considered concerns raised with us about the governance of The Hawk and Owl Trust. Based on the information provided, we determined that there is no regulatory role for us at this time.”
Raptor Persecution UK 
That is a pretty damning account, even if some claims have been amplified, the loss of such crucial, skilled staff, has to be crippling to their aims and objectives. As these removals must be a matter of fact perhaps the “charity” should explain the rationale behind them. Surely their members have a right to know?
Possibly a FOI to the Charities Commission is warranted?
They stopped getting any of my money when Merricks got them into bed with grouse moor owners and I’ve not paid much attention since. Perhaps their membership needs to pay more attention. Their trustees etc were always land owner top heavy, force change and if change doesn’t happen take your membership money elsewhere, we have too many conservation organisations treading water or worse at a time of wildlife crisis, Time for action.
I agree with you on this. A peregrine project I am involved with decided it did not want to join the Hawk and Owl Trust urban peregrine initiative purely because the Trust lost all credibility when it joined forces with the grouse moor owners. It seems something is coming home to roost now!
I did exactly the same for the same reason.
Exactly what I did!
Likewise. As soon as dear Phil agreed to bed with the opposition, I stopped my membership. Still can’t believe so many stayed for so long but I guess they were supporting Nigel who had given well over twenty years to the project. So sad for all the volunteers who have given so much.
A rather sorry situation. Nigel Middleton basically is Sculthorpe Moor – it wouldn’t be the nature reserve it is without him – and his removal raises serious questions – for those to be brushed aside so with such an arrogant tone reflects very badly on all concerned, in particular the ‘chief operating officer’.
Sounds like Nigel Middleton should be running the Trust.
What are they doing getting rid of specialist licence holders, moorland experts etc losing control of beaver reintroduction and expert licenced raptor handling and inkompetence over SSSI protection…….the organisation needs some serious investigation surely.Where do its funds come from?
Can we see annual finance report??
The 2022 annual report at Companies House shows about 2 million – raised by Nigel Middleton (declared redundant without consultation!) and Angela Glynn (contract ended as ‘fund-raising no longer needed’!). They put up the entrance fee for non-members at Sculthorpe to £8 because they’re short of money !
Similar strategies were used at Shapwick Moor with similar outcomes, including the demise of the North Somerset and Bristol Group, and then, as. Ow, the trustees declined to engage.
Not only the loss of one successful Local Group but two , South Gloucestershire, now a successful independent Charity doing the important work it used to do for HOT. Trustees were asked to investigate perceived, vindictive behaviour, after some long term volunteers were banned from working at Shapwick. Rather than follow their own procedure for dealing with a complaint they held a discussion ! Sadly no prizes for guessing the outcome.
About 2 years ago myself and a friend tried to get Fakenham council to take a small SSSI meadow back that they had leased to Hawk and Owl Trust as Nigel Middleton had stile knocked down kissing gate removed bench that was once next to pond all gone. Pond was dug out by members of princes trust has not been cleaned out since council let them rent it.
There is no owls or hawks any more certainly no wild life in small pond …. We would get masses of Damsel flys …herring
Frogs Toads Ducks and a small band of chickens that lived near fishing lakes.
I was down there when he was doing all this and ask him why said it was to be grazed with sheep . We know the land has to be grazed has been ever since I have lived here which is now 40 years the land has always been assessable for people.
It really was a little sanctuary. I asked Nigel Middleton why he had done this with chains on gates destroyed all that was there he said didn’t what people on there also not to feed the chicken but could feed the ducks that lived there told him at that time chickens had always been on field at least 30 year. Found him quite arrogant and very full of his own self importance.
This is a letter giving our experience of the Hawk and Owl letting a meadow go into disrepair printed I. Todays Fakenham and Dereham Times
In last weeks Dereham & Times (July 27) an article reporting on criticism of the Hawk & 0wl Trust provoked an answer from the trust stating “any criticism of the charity is completely unwarranted and misplaced and risks undermining the work being undertaken
A flower meadow in Fakenham Goggs Mill was left to the people of Fakenham to enjoy. Orchids and unusual flowers and insects flourished. A few years ago
the council put it under the care of the Hawk and Owl Trust. It I has gone to rack and ruin the pond has gone access has been blocked off and despite efforts to get it restored we received sympathy but no action but no action I find the Hawk and Owl statement very arrogant.
Suzanne Jennings. Hayes Lane Fakenham
NR21 9ER
suejennings877
With regards to the two comments about the council Land, I believe that much of the problem here is that during lockdown nothing was able to be done to these areas. Whilst I can understand people being annoyed at the loss of access, there are likely to be a number of underlying reasons for this such as protection of the animals used for grazing and safety of the public. Before negative comments are made the writers need to obtain and examine the facts.
With regards to the revolt. I fully support this and wish I could have been present and joined the protest. The Reserve would not exist if it wasn’t for Nigel. I have known him for many years and he put his heart and soul into creating what is there today. Without him and his experience and amazing fundraising abilities (along with others) there would be no reserve and most likely no Hawk and Owl trust. The way that himself and other staff members both volunteers and paid have been treated is unacceptable. So much for being democratic and the freedom of speech, it is somewhat childish and pretty stupid to dismiss and ban people for voicing their opinion. It seems like the management has fallen apart, people handling skills are non existent. At the moment I believe there are just two trainee wardens at Sculthorpe assisted by remaining volunteers, despite their best intentions the trainees are not going to have the knowledge needed to manage the habitats, control water levels etc as this is something that takes years to learn and of course they now have no mentor !!