BCT operates a National Bat Helpline to provide almost 15,000 enquirers a year with easily accessible and accurate information, including getting injured bats to the care they need. The Helpline’s role in advising and supporting people who come into contact with bats is an important part of BCT’s work towards our vision of a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together.

Why get Involved?
We need your help to provide an excellent service that benefits bat conservation.

We are now recruiting volunteers to the Volunteer Bat Care Helpline (VBCH), in which volunteers will answer the bat care calls we receive. Please find the
link to apply below.

About the role
As a volunteer on the VBCH, you will answer calls from members of the public who have found grounded, injured or lost bats. You will provide advice on a range of situations and put bat finders in touch with local bat care volunteers where possible.

During each Bat Watch volunteers can expect to help several callers rescue the bat(s) they have found. We hope that volunteers will be able to sign up to 2-3 Bat Watches per month between May – September.

A Bat Watch is up to 4 hours (including a 30-minute break), please see below for Bat Watch times.

* - please note these are during office hours.

Requirements

All you need is:

• A computer with internet access
• A speaker/mic or headset to use with your computer, as phone calls will be received using an internet app on your machine
• A phone with reliable reception for contacting support staff where needed

You do not need to have prior experience in conservation to volunteer, as full training and support is provided. Anyone who is interested in helping bats is welcome to apply! Volunteering for the Helpline is a great way to get involved in conservation from the comfort of your home, and we consistently receive feedback from volunteers that it is a very rewarding experience.

We are looking for volunteers who are:

• Comfortable with using IT/the internet
• Have good record-keeping skills
• Are willing to speak to members of the public about bats and the work of BCT
• Willing to spend additional time reading training materials, as there is a lot to learn!

Training

Returning summer volunteers (2023 or 2024) will receive a refresher training video. Each new or returning summer volunteer (pre-2023) must attend an online training day in April as well as complete some introductory online training in their own time. This year’s training dates are:

• Saturday 5^th April
• Tuesday 8^th April
• Thursday 10^th April

Training days will run between 10:30am and 2:30pm with breaks.

The VBCH Summer 2025 season will begin 12th May 2025.

We hope volunteers will sign up to Bat Watches until September 2025 and there is always the option to continue volunteering after September.

Click 'apply' to find out more and how to get involved!