Volunteer this Autumn to help badgers - September & October

Badger Trust is looking for a team of volunteers for our help centre for two months, responding to reports of badgers who have been injured, killed or in need of rescue. 

Badgers are particularly busy in the autumn months and each year we receive hundreds of calls and messages about badgers that have been injured on the roads or causing issues with householders. We make sure our badger group network receives those messages quickly, so badgers are not left in pain or distress. We also give advice to householders, so they can reduce the impact and don’t harm badgers.

Why are there so many badger deaths and injuries in the autumn?

The autumn is a busy time for badgers, they are foraging to put on weight before the winter and young badgers may be leaving the sett and striking out on their own. 

Mating and territorial behaviour will peak in the autumn and some badgers may be displaced from their usual territory. 

Some of their favourite foods are back on the menu, such as crane fly larvae and sweetcorn. Unfortunately this can also bring them into conflict with humans as they damage gardens or eat crops.

What you will be doing

Triaging emails on our badger helpline and directing reporters to the badger group that covers that area for badger rescues. You will also be sharing data on Road Traffic Collisions with the local group (when available). This helps volunteer groups have an accurate picture of badger territories and traffic hotspots in their area, which is vital for their work.

You will have a full training package and be paired with a supervisor.

When & Where?

You can volunteer from the Badger Trust Office in Brighton during office hours, or you can volunteer at home.

It can be stressful to deal with lots of emails about badger rescues and you will only be assigned to volunteer 1 day a week for this two month period - about 8 or 9 sessions. You will be covering the morning 8am - 12pm, when most of the reports are made.

We want reports of injured badgers to be responded to quickly, ideally within an hour. This means you will need to be available and able to check your messages regularly throughout the time you are volunteering. 

What you need

• confident in responding to emails to a good standard.

• Your own laptop or desktop computer (we do have a limited supply to loan on request.

• happy to speak to people on the phone (most of the work is over email, but you will need to call one of our team if a badger is in need of rescue)

• Have time to dedicate to responding to emails throughout the morning, one day a week.

• Able to attend a training session

• Happy to work independently and ask for help when you need it.

• Able to respect and protect personal information (basic GDPR training will be given).

• Desire to help badgers!

What you will get out of it

You will get to work closely with Badger Trust to make a real difference for badgers.

You will receive full training on the helpline and find out more about badgers and the problems they face.

Gain experience in a contact centre service and using a CRM.

How to Apply

Email our team at hello@badgertrust.org.uk, letting us know what days you would be available for training and volunteering.

Not sure? Drop us an email and we can give you a call back and answer any questions.