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RED SQUIRREL VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARDS LAUNCHED

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The Red Squirrel Survival Trust (RSST) has today launched its exciting new Red Squirrel Volunteer of the Year Awards. This new awards scheme represents an opportunity for red squirrel conservation volunteers all over the UK to be recognised and rewarded for their hard work in the fight to save the red squirrel.

There are four award categories. The Unsung Hero award celebrates those people who go about their work quietly, achieving things that make the group tick such as secretarial work, writing newsletters, running membership schemes or fundraising. The Leading Light award is for those who take the message of red squirrel conservation out into their local communities, to schools and local businesses, and who works hard at establishing links the local press and landowners.

The Red Squirrel Champion award is for volunteers who have been on the frontline of practical action within red squirrel conservation, possibly for many years, working against tenacious populations of grey squirrels and against personal time constraints to give red squirrels the advantage. Lastly, the Red Squirrel Lifetime Achievement award will honour an individual who has made a major contribution to red squirrel conservation over a number of years, who may come from any of a number of different fields (including research, the media, politics, practical action or financial support).

RSST Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales has called volunteers ‘the backbone of red squirrel conservation’. There are an estimated 3,000 volunteers involved in red squirrel conservation across the UK. It is largely thanks to the dedicated efforts of volunteers that the fight to save the red squirrel from threatened extinction is now in a position to succeed and this is the time to celebrate the huge amount of commitment, energy and passion of individuals who have made a real difference to saving our national heritage.

Miles Barne, chairman of RSST, said, ‘I am delighted that this splendid new awards scheme will finally give dedicated red squirrel volunteers the recognition that they so richly deserve for their efforts in protecting this beautiful animal.’

For nomination forms and further information, contact RSST at:

Red Squirrel Survival Trust

4 East Bank House

Tide Mill Way

Woodbridge

Suffolk

IP12 1BY

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prince of wales RSST Red Squirrel Survival Trust RED SQUIRREL VOLUNTEER Red Squirrel Champion Red Squirrel Lifetime Achievement RSST Patron Miles Barne

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