RBST Membership Announcement.

All members of RBST make everything we do possible. We are really proud of our progress, but there remains much to do. The continued support of our members really does make a difference and is genuinely appreciated.

2021 saw RBST implement its first comprehensive conservation strategy in many years. This is ensuring all our resources, both staff time and money, are being used efficiently and effectively to conserve and promote our native livestock and equines.

We are supporting breeders to find ways to sell their meat, wool and other produce. And we are continuing to promote the breeds and their products to farmers and consumers.

To make things easier for people keeping native breeds, we are working with government to secure a future for the local abattoir network and to introduce more honest food labelling.

With agriculture policy changing post Brexit, we are lobbying for native livestock keepers to be properly supported under the policies that replace the current EU subsidy system.

We have reviewed the Watchlist to ensure we are following the most up to date science and best practice. As a result, we can identify the breeds facing the biggest challenges and direct our resources to where they will have the biggest impact.

Details of our priority projects are set out in the Ark magazine.

The RBST membership fee has not increased for many years. However, to do everything comes at a cost, and unfortunately those costs are going up. As a result, RBST has had to make the difficult decision to increase its membership fees to reflect this.

The new membership rates from 2022 are set out below.

New Membership fees

Individual Annual           £45.00              Individual Monthly         £3.75

Joint Annual                  £65.00              Joint Monthly                £5.45

Young Person Annual    £31.50               Young Person Monthly    £2.63

Family Annual               £76.50              Family Monthly              £6.38                           

Overseas Annual          £65.00             

Life Member (one off)   £999.00

We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all of our current members for their vital and valuable contribution to the survival of our rare and native breeds.

Christopher Price

Chief Executive