17th February 2021

Ambassadors for Bats

The Bat Conservation Trust is over the moon to announce the wonderful English folk singing star, Kate Rusby, as our first Ambassador. Read more about the Ambassadors for Bats here.

Bats are some of the more misunderstood and undervalued animals on Earth and our Ambassadors Programme is a new way to help change that, to win hearts and minds.

Kate is one of the best-known English folk singers. Her beautiful vocals and musicianship have won her wide and enduring appeal. Next year, with a back catalogue of 18 albums, she celebrates 30 years in the music industry during which she has played to worldwide audiences and gained a Mercury Prize Award. Her latest album, Hand Me Down, was released in 2020 and charted at number 6 in the Official Album Charts.

And we can reveal Kate’s other passion is bats! She said: "Bats, bats, aw lovely, fabulous, mysterious bats! I have had a love of bats for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the same village I live now, and we are blessed to have bats flitting about the evening sky in the summer months. I was encouraged to watch them as a child, performing their aerial acrobatics and chattering away.

“I feel an added affiliation with bats as they are nocturnal animals, just like musicians! We both dwell in that quiet stillness, darting about from place to place. I have appreciated their company even more at times of loneliness, just to know they are awake and vibrant is a great comfort."

“Every spring, I get this feeling out of nowhere and I know my friends, the bats, will be about soon so I sit each evening and wait to spot them. That first sighting is always a gorgeous moment, the world is OK, the bats are back!

“They are beautiful, fascinating, incredible, musical, mystical little creatures. We need to look after them, keep making them safe and welcome, so that our great grand-children, and beyond, will be able to gaze on them in wonder and treasure their company and what an honour that is."

The Bat Conservation Trust very much welcomes the important roles and creative talents that well-known names bring to conservation. They have influential voices, which our threatened wildlife lacks and they can be inspiring role models who amplify our messages.

We feel it is more important than ever to raise the positive profile of bats and our work, both with decision makers and the general public. Our Ambassadors can help in many ways. They support our vision of a world rich in wildlife, where bats and people thrive together. And as a relatively small charity with no reserves, our Ambassadors can help us with vital fundraising appeals, education and awareness raising and sharing their love of the wonderful world of bats to new audiences.


More about Kate: https://katerusby.com/about/

Photo: © David Angel

More about bats:

Population declines: www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/threats-to-bats

Why bats matter: www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/why-bats-matter

Ways to help bats: www.bats.org.uk/support-bats