British Association of Nature Conservationists (BANC) Website

BANC's History: Making a difference

BANC and ECOS were born out of the masters degree in Conservation at University College London (UCL) by committed volunteers, keen to raise the profile of the environment to new audiences in political, social and economic circles. From these informal beginnings, BANC became a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee in 1987.

Leading conservationists welcomed the energy and enterprise that brought BANC into being. The RSPB's Director, Ian Prest, was among the early supporters and became a Vice-President, as did Norman Moore, the Nature Conservancy Council's Chief Advisory Officer. Max Nicholson was interviewed for a notable article in the first edition of ECOS. As the first organisation to link the conservation of nature to politics, social issues and economics before the mainstreaming of environmental concerns, BANC's advent was widely welcomed.

BANC's track record of engaging leading thinkers to analyse current and future trends and opportunities in conservation began early in the organisation's history. In 1984, Bill Adams, later Professor of Geography at the University of Cambridge, wrote Implementing the Act: A study of habitat protection under Section II of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This was followed by a series of critically acclaimed publications addressing issues relevant to the development of nature conservation, which have influenced conservation thinking and action:

The Ecological Conscience: Values and ethics in British conservation (1986);
Gaining Momentum: An analysis of the role and performance of local authorities in nature conservation (1986);
Forests for Britain (1987);
The Conservation Business: Fundraising strategies and management in nature conservation organisations (1988);
Fragments of Paradise: A guide for conservation action in the dependent territories (1988);
Ground Truth: A report on the Prime Minister's first green year (1989);
Trade Unions and the Environment (1990);
Economics of the Environment: The conservationist's response to the Pearce Report (1990);
Councils for Wildlife Guide(1990);
Conservation in the 1990s: Priorities for the new agencies (1991);
Survival of the Fairest? Can women make it to the top in the conservation movement? (1991);
The Bowers Report on Environmental Economics (1992);
Golf Courses: Friend or foe of the countryside? (1992);
Conservation Comment: England's Green Horizon (1994);
Local Government Reform (1995);
Future Nature (1996);
Philosophy and Nature Conservation (1997);
Wildlands (2003).

By the 1990s, BANC was influencing opinion-formers through its high-profile conferences and other activities, in addition to its publications. Key achievements include:

co-ordination of the Working Panel of Local Authority Ecologists (1988);
the UK Dependent Territories project, leading to the establishment of the
UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (1988);
the Business Strategies in Conservation project and conference (1988);
a proactive role in the genesis of the European Habitats Directive (1988);
active representation on Wildlife and Countryside Link (1988);
Atmospheric Pollution , a UCL/BANC conference (1988);
SSSIs - Working for Wildlife conference (1988);
Disappearing Peat, Conservation and the Media conference (1989);
BANC runs the Councils for Wildlife Awards Scheme, with 200 entries (1989);
Planning Gain - Implications for Nature Conservation conference (1990);
Conservation of Sea Lochs conference (1990);
21st Century Forests conference (1991);
a significant role in establishing the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM) (1991);
Golf Courses: Friend or Foe of the Countryside? conference (1991);
founder member of the Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE) (1993);
Green Uprising conference (1993);
Wilderness conference (1995);
Agriculture and Nature Conservation conference (1996);
Narratives of Nature conference (1997);
Nature in Transition conference, in partnership with the National Trust (1999);
Nature Conservation: Who Cares? People, Politics and New Perspectives conference, in partnership with English Nature (2002).

During the first twenty-three years of its existence, BANC, like many volunteer-run organisations, has had a fluctuating history of activity and organisational capacity that reflects the commitment and energy of its volunteers. A committee structure was established in 1998 and the first strategy and mission statement were developed in 1990. A Development Officer, Paul Evans, was employed from 1988 to 1991, when funding problems intervened and BANC has had no staff since.

In 1995, a business plan was prepared for the first time and membership services were franchised to Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust, an arrangement that still persists. Membership was approximately one thousand at this time and BANC was becoming more sophisticated, undertaking an ECOS readership survey and developing a marketing strategy. After a membership survey in 1997, BANC's activity declined until 2002, when Council decided to develop BANC through the preparation and implementation of this strategic plan and a business plan guiding its work until 2005.

Honor Gay, Chair of BANC, August 2002