About Us



    The Sand Martin Trust fledged as a Scottish charity on the 12th May, 2000.   However, it had been a long time in the nest.   1971 could beSand Martin building given as the laying date of the first egg, as it was during that year that our Founder built his first death-trap of an artificial breeding site.   Fortunately he sold the property and removed the site before it was occupied, and learned his first lesson.   There must be security of site tenure before an artificial Sand Martin breeding site is built.

    But why so long before taking charitable status?   Our Founder enjoyed his long-term study of the Sand Martin (from 1965 and ongoing) and supplying information to those requesting it and tried to ignore the cost.   What he wasn't prepared to ignore was the fact that if someone appreciated his help so much that they wanted to donate to the cause, he personally was liable for the tax.

    However he ensures that the Trustees are able to apply some strict rules about your money donated to The Sand Martin Trust.   Not one penny is spent on salaries, wages, expenses or consultancy fees.  



    Are we a unique charity in this respect?   Perhaps not, but it does ensure that anyone involved with The Sand Martin Trust receives no benefit other than the pleasure of being involved in our work.   For you it means that your donation will directly help provide additional safe breeding sites for Sand Martins.
Four Sand Martins at a safe breeding colony with young looking out of two nest holes


Two adult Sand Martins with two young looking out of nest hole 

The Sand Martin Trust's Charitable Purposes are:-

   To conserve the Sand Martin species and to conserve the natural habitats and recreate habitats of the Sand Martin

    To advance the education of the public in the ecological requirements of the Sand Martin generally and more particularly in the need for safe breeding sites and to carry out research necessary for the conservation of the Sand Martin
   
(The normal definition of 'habitat' applies:  'the natural home of an animal or plant' and for practical purposes this is interpreted by The Sand Martin Trust as that area necessary for the physical integrity of the actual breeding site and for Sand Martins to use the site without undue disturbance)

   



 
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nks


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