Join the Gloucestershire Wildfowling and Conservation Association
Please note that we have no vacancies until after the current season (2021 - 22)
If you fill the form in I will respond and hold your details until March/April when we start to take members on for the following season. Please consider the Try Wildfowling Flights in the meantime.
We restrict our numbers of new members to ensure that they get enough opportunities to get out and to ensure a good ratio of instructors to Associates on our Bird ID course.
The Gloucestershire Wildfowling and Conservation Association promotes responsible, sustainable wildfowling on the Upper Severn Estuary.
The association welcomes applications from anyone that is interested in taking part in the ancient craft of wildfowling on the shores and wetlands of the River Severn.
Benefits of membership include:-
- Full training in wildfowl identification.
- Access to over twenty miles of prime Severn wildfowling.
- Full BASC membership.
- £10,000,000 third party liability insurance.
- Active social events calendar.
- Regular Newsletter.
- Junior members welcome.
- BASC Affiliated club.
Associate Membership is to cost the same amount as Full Membership. Their first year's subscription is to be made up of a non refundable application fee of £30 charged on joining any waiting list, the balance to be paid on joining.
If no waiting list, then the amount can be paid in one instalment.
Currently (21-22 season the total cost is 195 inc BASC membership)
To apply online for membership of the Gloucestershire Wildfowling and Conservation Association fill in the form here , no payment is required until your application has been approved:
PLEASE FILL IN ALL SECTIONS MARKED WITH AN * OR THE FORM WILL NOT BE SENT.... Once filled and 'submit' has been pressed scroll back and confirm no section marked in red that they have been filled incorrectly....THE SYSTEM WILL ONLY TELL YOU IF SENT SUCCESSFULLY, NOT IF IT FAILS.... THEN WE DONT GET YOUR ENQUIRY.
More information below :
Join the GWCA
The Gloucestershire Wildfowlers and Conservation Association is affiliated to BASC therefore the GWCA membership fee includes BASC membership, so you do not need to renew your individual BASC membership. (our membership runs from July to July) If you are also a member of another BASC affiliated club you can claim the duplicate membership fee back from BASC, providing it has 6 months or more to run. Please note that the BASC membership arrangements are changing later this year and will effect our subs from next season.
The GWA has access to about 30 miles of foreshore on both sides of the Severn estuary (about 3,500acres, of which over 50% is held as reserves and no shooting areas for conservation purposes) and Associate members are entitled to shoot on all of our marshes but must be accompanied by a full member when they do so. This is to ensure that newcomers learn the details of the boundaries of our different shooting grounds and the potential dangers on some marshes. There is a limit of 4 visits a season at Frampton by associates.
On joining we give all associate members access to maps and details of our marshes, a list of full members who have volunteered to act as mentor to new members and a record book to keep track of the marshes visited. We also arrange a number of guided shooting visits to our main marshes in the early part of each season. We give access to the members area of the website which has more information about the club, our marshes, news and other information. The majority of our members are now online which makes it possible for us to send newsletters more frequently and we regularly send general communication about club news and events by e-mail. Email is our default means of communication. We also have a private Facebook page.
Although there is no fixed period for which it is necessary to be an Associate member before progressing to full membership, it is usually taken to be one season. This gives the opportunity to shoot, to attend the marsh walks we hold in the summer, shooting visits to the main marshes, to attend the social events and also to complete the wildfowl identification course which we hold every year. The course is designed to teach anyone from a complete novice the skills to identify quarry species, judge range etc... we do require all members to pass this before they can become full members. The course this year is held at Slimbridge over 4 Sundays in November. The first 3 are training days and the last a test. There is a separate cost of entry to Slimbridge, but dependent on how confidant you are you can reduce the number of days attending.... but you have to pass to progress!
Having visited the most popular marshes and completed the ID course Associates are invited to come to one of our monthly meetings for a brief interview with the committee to ensure that the committee is confident that you know everything you need to know to shoot independently in a safe and legal manner, whereupon you can become a Full Member.
The GWA is a friendly and accommodating club, we strive to make the introductory process as smooth as possible for new members whilst ensuring that when Associates become full members they have the knowledge and skills to maximize their enjoyment of wildfowling.
New members join as Associate members, this costs the same as full membership, currently £195 per year and there is an application fee of £30 which is due on being placed onto the waiting list and is non refundable. On starting as an associate, that fee will be deducted from your first years subscriptions.
There is also a 'taster flight' available via the website if you are interested. the cost of this is £25 but that can be refunded against your membership cost if you join within 12 months.
If you have any questions please e-mail the Membership Secretary Luke Weaver on lukew5069@ymail.com .
If you still wish to continue and join, I will send you a renewal form to sign ( shows that you will have read the risk assessment bits on the website and bank details if you wish to pay by bank transfer)