Over the years ConFuzzled has raised almost £200,000 for charity, and we are bee-lighted to announce The Bumblebee Conservation Trust as our chosen charity for ConFuzzled 2022!

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust

The plight of the bumblebee…

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust was established in 2006 by lecturer Professor Dave Goulson and PhD student Ben Darvill at Stirling University. The 24 species of bumblebee in the UK, represent approximately 10% of the world’s bumblebee species but their research discovered that in the last 100 years, two species have become extinct and eight of our remaining species are in serious decline and are now included on one or more devolved government’s Priority Species lists.

Gardeners have long known about the importance of bumblebees for pollination.  These wild bees are iconic, charismatic and captivating insects and provide a vital “free-bee” role in pollinating much of the food on our plates, garden and wildflowers as well as fruits and seeds for birds and small mammals. They are incredibly efficient and effective pollinators of 70 of the 100-crop species that provides 90% of food worldwide and act as a useful and powerful indicator of the health of our environment – but their numbers and distribution are declining.

We run science, conservation and awareness-raising projects, encouraging our supporters to help increase the number and distribution of our valuable bumblebees in national and regionally focused projects across the UK.  Each project aims to inspire and educate local people to understand about the importance of bumblebees and give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to make a difference in their local community for pollinators.

Our vision is to create a world where bumblebees are thriving and valued and our mission is to increase the number and distribution of bumblebees. The Trust bases its policies and practical conservation work through constant evaluation of scientific research and best practice, and our current activities include:

• Creating and restoring wildflower habitats in the areas where rare bumblebees need it most
• Landscape-scale conservation projects around the UK
• Employing more conservation staff, and creating and delivering more innovative projects to help bumblebees
• Ensure we are the go-to place for bumblebees by developing our communications, social media and accessibility for all
• Giving land managers, farmers and local communities’ practical advice on enhancing biodiversity for the benefit of bumblebees and other wild pollinators
• Working with schools to inspire our very youngest audiences about the wonders of nature and the amazing lives of bumblebees
• Surveys, called BeeWalks, so that we can better understand where our bumblebees are and where they are not.

You can find out more about the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, our projects and how you can help the bumblebees by visiting our website at: bumblebeeconservation.org

Previous Years

In previous years, we’ve been fortunate enough to work with some amazing charities, and have raised a grand total of £195,470.25, all thanks to the incredible generosity of our attendees!

Charity	Amount Raised
2008: The Badger Trust	£1,600
2009: The Badger Trust and The Manchester Dogs Home	£2,000
2010: Wildlife Heritage Foundation	£6,200
2011: International Otter Survival Fund	£10,000
2012: Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary	£7,700
2013: STA Ferret Rescue	£11,484
2014: The Cat Survival Trust	£14,265
2015: Fat Fluffs Rabbit Rescue	£13,552
2016: Prickles Hedgehog Rescue	£21,946
2017: The Badger Trust	£21,113
2018: Vale Wildlife Hospital	£26,037
2019: Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre	£33,300
2020/21 Virtual CFz: Secret World Wildlife Rescue	£26,271

Suggest a Charity

If you have a UK based animal charity that you would like to see us support at a future ConFuzzled, feel free to drop us an email at charity@confuzzled.org.uk