Governance and Accounts
View current and previous annual reports and accounts for BTO, details of Annual General Meetings and information about how BTO is governed.
Annual Report and Accounts
89th Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23
View the latest Annual Report and Accounts as a PDF, or browse in the window below.
Previous Annual Report and Accounts
Hard copies of the Annual Report & Accounts are available; please contact:
- Andrew Scott, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU
- annualreport [at] bto.org (subject: Request%20for%20Annual%20Report%20%26%20Accounts)
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is the meeting of BTO Members at which the Board of Trustees present their annual report on the preceding year, and the Members elect new Trustees and appoint Auditors. It may also be used to make changes to BTO’s governing documents (the Memorandum and Articles of Association).
AGM 2023
Notice is hereby given that the 83rd Annual General Meeting of the British Trust for Ornithology was held on Saturday 18 November 2023 at 2 p.m. by videoconference.
Please note this was a members-only event.
The agenda and supporting papers are available to download:
BTO AGM 2023 Agenda
BTO AGM 2023 Agenda (PDF, 182.55 KB)BTO AGM 2023 Voting Form
BTO AGM 2023 Voting Form (PDF, 141.75 KB)BTO AGM 2022 Minutes
BTO AGM 2022 Minutes (PDF, 133.82 KB)
Paper copies may be obtained by telephoning 01842 750050 or emailing agm [at] bto.org.
Memorandum and Articles of Association:
How BTO is governed
Our Patron
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, became Patron of the BTO in 2020, assuming the patronage from His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh who held the role for over 30 years.
The patronage reflects the close alignment between two of The Prince of Wales's long-standing areas of interest– supporting communities to protect their natural environment for future generations, and helping children and young people to build their skills, confidence and aspirations – and the growing body of work that the BTO is doing in these areas.
BTO volunteers gather the all-important data that fuel our understanding of the natural world, providing a solid evidence base that supports informed decision-making and conservation action.
Through active participation, BTO volunteers not only make an important contribution to society but also receive mental health and well-being benefits. BTO is passionate about spreading these public benefits throughout society.
With the support of His Royal Highness, the charity wants to deliver the benefits of public participation in science through nature to many people, including those communities that have traditionally been under-represented.
BTO is, for example, currently working with its Youth Advisory Panel to deliver a diverse, vibrant community of young birders with accessible youth-led opportunities, inspiring young people across society to engage with nature and science.
The Board
The Board is ultimately responsible for all matters of BTO. Because BTO is incorporated as a company limited by guarantee, its members are Directors as well as Trustees. The Board delegates tasks and matters of detail to other committees and to the Senior Leadership Team, leaving it time to deal with primarily strategic matters. The Board meets four times a year, in March, July, September and December.
Regional Network Committee (RNC)
The Regional Network Committee (RNC) is responsible for planning and supervising a long-term programme of volunteer surveys, ensuring that the concerns of survey workers are addressed in survey planning and evaluation, and monitoring prompt feedback to them. It appoints Regional Representatives and liaises with the Surveys Team in supervising Regional and Country Representatives. The Chair of the RNC sits on the Board and is supported on the committee by two members of the Board and six other members. The RNC meets twice a year.
Ringing Committee (RIN)
The Ringing Committee (RIN) is responsible for the ringing operations of BTO. The Chair of RIN sits on the Board and is supported by two members of the Board, four members elected by ringers and two other members. RIN meets twice a year. RIN currently has three sub-committees: the Ringing Standards Select Committee, the Cannon-netting Technical Panel and the Special Methods Technical Panel.
The Finance & Risk Committee (F&R)
The Finance & Risk Committee (F&R) is responsible for financial controls, plans and reports, and risk management. The Chair of F&R sits on the Board and is supported by three Board members, including the Honorary Treasurer. The Committee meets four times a year, normally quarterly. Urgent business may be transacted by email or teleconference.
The Governance & Nominations Committee (G&N)
The Governance & Nominations Committee (G&N) is responsible for Board processes more broadly, Board development and succession planning, BTO organisational development, and strategic HR. The Chair of G&N sits on the Board and is supported by two Board members. The Committee meets annually in spring each year; other business is transacted by email or teleconference.
The Youth Advisory Panel (YAP)
The Youth Advisory Panel is responsible for ensuring that BTO is working with young people in an inclusive and engaging way. The panel will be working on a Youth Engagement Strategy throughout 2020, helping BTO better meet and support future generations of birdwatchers. The panellists represent a variety of backgrounds, ages, and regions and are supported by BTO staff members.
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