Our Charity Partnerships
Ever since the start of Vine House Farm Bird Foods back in 1998, we’ve financially supported charitable organisations which share our values around wildlife conservation and the wider environment. Indeed, all of the proceeds from the very first bird food we sold went to the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.
Since those humble beginnings, we’ve gone on to donate nearly £2.5m to The Wildlife Trusts.
BTO Takes Centre Stage: Continuing Support For UK Wildlife Conservation
From October 2023 onwards our main focus of support shifted to the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology), though we will continue to support individual Wildlife Trusts across the UK.
BTO are a non-governmental, non-campaigning organisation focused on securing the future for birds and nature. They use our science, monitoring and data to inform good environmental decisions and inspire others with the wonder of birds. The heart of BTO encompasses three key areas: Birds, Science, People. They have been at the forefront of bird monitoring and research since 1933. We share our vast body of knowledge through blogs, masterclass articles, training courses and events, and more. Data is collected by BTO and partner organisations about the UK’s birds in interactive tools like BirdFacts and Birds on your Doorstep.
We also support smaller organisations including the Turtle Dove Trust and the Countryside Regeneration Trust.
Find out more about our work with BTO
Our Philosophy Of Giving Back
The principle reason we financially support these charitable organisations, is a philosophy which is based around a strong belief that a successful business shouldn’t only be about maximum financial gain for the owners.
Indeed, our entire farm in the Lincolnshire Fens is managed with wildlife and the wider environment in mind, and in so doing we make multiple compromises on farming land use which means, for example, we’re not growing the optimum level of crops on all the land available – by dedicating acrearge to.
Of course, and like any business, we need to make a good profit, but actually for us the benefit of doing so is partly that we can share more of it with organisations which can then put it to good use for the benefit of birds and other wildlife.
The cost of our giving entirely come from our own funds, and in no way is passed onto our customers – all of which are guaranteed excellent value for money from our high quality products and with free delivery. That said, our customers do of course enjoy the added benefit of knowing that, by buying from Vine House Farm, they are in turn supporting the same charities as we are.
Our Continued Relationship With Individual Wildlife Trusts
Although our relationship with the central office of The Wildlife Trusts in Newark has come to an end, we are continuing relationships with some individual Wildlife Trusts. These relationships will work in a similar way to that of the BTO outlined above, adding more to the total of nearly £2.5m already donated.
Following a review in early 2023, The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, based in Newark, decided they would no longer pursue a national bird food partnership and our agreement ended on October 1st 2023.
We’ve donated nearly £2.5million to The Wildlife Trusts during our time together, of which we are immensely proud and thank our customers for their support. Craig Bennett, CEO of RSWT, seen here receiving the £2million cheque from Lucy & Nicholas in 2021.
Countryside Regeneration Trust
For this organisation Nicholas is President, and with a broad objective around encouraging sustainable farming with the environment and wildlife always in mind, its values are very much aligned with ours. thecrt.co.uk
Turtle Dove Trust
Our very own Nicholas Watts MBE is the Chairman of the Turtle Dove Trust, and along with other measures to help the species breed on our land, we have a release pen as part of the organisation’s captive breeding programme. With Turtle dove numbers have declined by a staggering 94% since 1995, it is a species we put a high priority on within our wider habitat and land management policies. turtledovetrust.org.uk
Charities we support through our Farm Shop & Café
Our new Farm Shop & Café has allowed us to expand on the number and type of charities we support and the way we do so. Our team nominated specific Charities which mean a lot to them, and St Barnabas Hospice, Lincolnshire, was the chosen charity for 2023. stbarnabashospice.co.uk