News

A young woman using a mobile phone to take a photo of the inside of a church

Call for volunteers to survey the nation’s churches for bats this summer!

20th May 2021

Bats in Churches is appealing for volunteers to come forward and help search for evidence of bats in their local church this summer. Here’s why we need your help – and some of the surprising and exciting results we’ve discovered so far.

Claire Boothby taking part in the Bats in Churches volunteer survey by collecting droppings from a scatter on a wooden surface

July 2020 Update: Getting the ball rolling again

25th August 2020

The latest news from Bats in Churches as the project faces the challenges posed by the pandemic head-on and prepares for a season of bat mitigation works in project churches.

A small, greyish bat with noticably long ears, hanging from a stone wall facing the camera

Rare bat discovered by our survey volunteers

16th July 2020

A rare grey long-eared bat has been discovered at a church in Devon, much to the excitement of Bats in Churches volunteers and partners. So why is this such an important find?

A medieval painting showing St Andrew holding a cross, the painting had red and black pigment showing against a white wall

Re-opening guidance for churches post-lockdown

16th June 2020

There are a lot of new rules and regulations on keeping your church building safe while re-opening it during the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s some advice and tips that might help, from cleaning guidance to preparing for social distancing.

Aerial view of church with steeple, with churchyard, houses and far views

Bats in the Belfry

8th June 2020

Bats in Churches training and survey officer Claire Boothby introduces the project, its aims, the challenges, and shares some of the questions we’re hoping to answer.

February 2020 Update: Full steam ahead for the Bats in Churches project

2nd February 2020

The latest news from Bats in Churches including early wakeups from hibernation (back to sleep with you!), stained-glass bats and new churches joining the project.

November 2019 Update: Bedtime for bats, but the team is busier than ever!

2nd November 2019

The latest news from Bats in Churches including co-ordination work with churches, bags of help from Tesco and a cleaning workshop.

Volunteer Bat Roost Visitors, Roger & Sylvia Jiggins

Volunteers nominated for Natural England award

8th October 2019

Meet the expert Volunteer Bat Roost Visitors from Essex Bat Group who are in line for an award from Natural England.

July 2019 Update: The bat survey season continues!

2nd July 2019

For many of our female furry friends, the sole pup of the year has been born and, while they aren’t yet flying very successfully, they’re growing stronger fed by their mother’s milk. Keep your eyes peeled near known maternity roosts for pups on the ground as they’re learning to fly and if you see one…

Bats in Churches project takes off!

1st April 2019

The Bats in Churches project is now officially underway with the new team on board and committed to seeing the project through over the next five years. The end of last year saw solutions successfully developed for the three pilot churches, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund confirm a grant of £3.8 million, securing the…