SOS Young Birders Support Scheme
Are you passionate about birds? Are you aged between 16 and 25?
The Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS) is here to help you develop your skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm for birdwatching and bird conservation.
Through the SOS Young Birders Support Scheme, we offer practical and financial support to young people in Sussex who want to deepen their understanding of birds and take part in bird conservation projects across the county.
To date bursaries given through the scheme have supported young birders to gain greater access to nature and birds through the purchase of field guides, optical or ringing equipment or by providing travel bursaries and accessibility equipment. This has helped young people to increase their birding knowledge and ID skills, carry out bird surveys and even support ambitions for a career in conservation. Another grant recipient used their new optics to help out at a youth birding event, showing birds to others and inspiring more young people to be passionate about birds and conservation.
Successful applicants can receive up to £500 to help with:
Essential birding equipment such as binoculars
Field guides and identification resources
Fees for selected training courses
Travel expenses for attending field trips and courses
A year’s membership of the Sussex Ornithological Society, including copies of the two most recent Sussex Bird Reports
Applications are considered twice a year, deadlines are 1st April and 1st October.
For more information or to request an application form, please email Jack Thompson at jackthompson.work@gmail.com.
With thanks to our supporter, Opticron.
Young Birders’ Support Scheme6th May 2024Earlier in the year, we launched the Young Birders’ Support Scheme, to encourage the next generation to develop an interest in birding. The Scheme offers funding up to £500 for equipment, field guides, training and travel costs.
The first seven successful applicants have now been selected. Aged between 18 and 24, these young men and women all impressed us with their enthusiasm: some are keen to learn more about ringing and taking part in surveys, others wanted to improve their identification skills (by sight and sound) and most asked for help with funding courses. SOS is planning to host two training days to cover these topics, with the first one, on bird identification, taking place in June. We will also be covering costs of courses run by BTO and Field Studies Council, as requested.
We have provided binoculars, scopes and field guides to several of the applicants, who have all been keen to let us know of the feedback they will provide to show how they have used the support we have provided.
We will be accepting further applications later in the year, with a closing date of 1st October.
Thanks to Opticron for their generous sponsorship of the scheme.
SOS Young Birders Support Scheme20th February 2024
Earlier in the year, we launched the Young Birders’ Support Scheme, to encourage the next generation to develop an interest in birding. The Scheme offers funding up to £500 for equipment, field guides, training and travel costs.
The first seven successful applicants have now been selected. Aged between 18 and 24, these young men and women all impressed us with their enthusiasm: some are keen to learn more about ringing and taking part in surveys, others wanted to improve their identification skills (by sight and sound) and most asked for help with funding courses. SOS is planning to host two training days to cover these topics, with the first one, on bird identification, taking place in June. We will also be covering costs of courses run by BTO and Field Studies Council, as requested.
We have provided binoculars, scopes and field guides to several of the applicants, who have all been keen to let us know of the feedback they will provide to show how they have used the support we have provided.
We will be accepting further applications later in the year, with a closing date of 1st October.
Thanks to Opticron for their generous sponsorship of the scheme.
