African Bird Club seeks new Chair

The African Bird Club (ABC) is looking for a new Chair and is welcoming candidates.

ABC was formed in 1994 by a community of people with a common interest in African ornithology and a shared concern for the future of African birds. From those small beginnings, ABC has grown into an international association of more than 1,200 members in more than 70 countries across the globe – dedicated to conserving birds and their habitats across the continent of Africa and related islands, and to further ornithology in this region.

ABC is therefore a critical player for conservation in Africa with a strong track record of helping to preserve the region's birds and their habitats. Since the Conservation Fund was launched in 1996, it has made grants totalling almost £600,000 to support more than 330 projects in 51 countries and territories of the ABC region.

The post of Chair of Trustees will be vacant from October and the club is seeking a suitable person to provide leadership and direction to the board, ensuring that they fulfil their responsibilities for the good governance of the charity and delivering its strategy. The club requires someone with the time to devote to the role and be committed to achieving the charity's objectives, along with strong leadership and interpersonal skills. 

Previous experience as a chair or trustee of a charity would be advantageous but is not necessary. Knowledge of birds and the African continent are of course desirable, but the right personal qualities and commitment are essential. Further details are available here and ABC can be contacted via email.

ABC membership is open to all, and the club is run on a voluntary basis by charity trustees. The club also produces the peer-reviewed Bulletin of the African Bird Club, an authoritative app (Birds of Africa – an identification guide which in time will cover all the birds and countries in Africa, available to download for free from the App Store or Google Play) and the African Bird Image Database (AFBID – a photographic database developed by the ABC in collaboration with Bird Explorers and Birding Africa which now contains over 25,000 freely available images of more than 2,300 bird species).