| Millpond Surveys start, every night for about a week! 31st July 2026 8.00 pm | Venue: Watch your emails for details of the meeting point for the start of the 2026 survey Contact: Steve Parker, Clare Sefton, Paul Robinson enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 |
| Waterway Survey – NBMP 13th August 2026 9.15 pm | Venue: Ramsbottom, Bury, details will be emailed nearer the time. Booking essential – reply to the email Contact: Steve Parker enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 |
| Waterway Survey – NBMP 21st August 2026 9.00 pm | Venue: Ramsbottom, Bury, details will be emailed nearer the time. Booking essential – reply to the email Contact: Steve Parker enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 |
| Monthly Trustee Meeting 2nd September 2026 8.00 pm | Venue: Venue: Online – Zoom Meeting Trustees Only Contact: Brian Robinson at enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 |
| Bat Walk Date: 4th September 2026 Time: 7.30pm | Venue: Hyde SK14 4PL Event hosted by Friends of the Tame Valley. https://fotv.org.uk/ Description: an opportunity for the local community to find out more about the bats living in their greenspaces. We will walk around the area using bat detectors to identify bat species present, and chat about bats. Contact: Sarah Whiteley enquiry@slbg.org.uk |
| Bat Walk Date and Time : Wednesday 9th September 7:45pm – 8:30pm | Venue: meeting point Wythenshawe Park This a is a private event for a specific Group Description: bat walk activity session for two cubs Groups and their supporting adults. Starting with a discussion and short talk, then detector demo. Followed by a short walk in a loop around the park. Finishing by collecting detectors and reviewing the activity as a group. The talk and walk is aimed at children from 8 to 10 years old. Delivered by South Lancashire Bat Group. Contact: enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 01617648850 |
| National BCT Bat Conference 11th -13th September, 2026 tbc. | Venue: Hybrid event at Warwick University or online at Your House, virtually. Your choice. But its better in person. The National BCT Bat Conference returns. Loads of talks/presentations, posters and workshops, with a Bat Walk on the Friday night www.bats.org.uk for further details |
| Bat Walk Date and Time : Thursday 17th September 7:30pm – 8:30pm | Venue: meeting point Wythenshawe Park This a is a private event for a specific Group Description: bat walk activity session for two scouts Groups and their supporting adults. Starting with a discussion and short talk, then detector demo. Followed by a short walk in a loop around the park. Finishing by collecting detectors and reviewing the activity as a group. The talk and walk is aimed at children from 11 to 14 years old. Delivered by South Lancashire Bat Group. Contact: enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 01617648850 |
| Bat Walk Date and Time : Friday 18th 19:30 September 7:30pm – 8:30pm | Venue: meeting point Wythenshawe Park car park, off Wythenshawe Road, M23 0AB This a is a private event for a specific Group Description: bat walk activity session for two explorers Groups and their supporting adults. Starting with a discussion and short talk, then detector demo. Followed by a short walk in a loop around the park. Finishing by collecting detectors and reviewing the activity as a group. The talk and walk is aimed at children from 14 to 18 years old. Delivered by South Lancashire Bat Group Contact: enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 01617648850 |
| Bat Walk Date: Tuesday 22nd September 2026 Time: 7pm start | Venue: Vincent Park, Godley, Hyde Event hosted by Friends of Vincent Park. Description: an opportunity for the local community to find out more about the bats living in their greenspace. We will walk around the park using bat detectors to identify bat species present, and chat about bats. We recorded three species last year – can we beat it this year? Contact: Sarah Whiteley enquiry@slbg.org.uk |
| Bat Walk – Plant MCR, Angel Meadows 24th September 2026 18:30 pm – 20:30 pm | Venue: Manchester, M4 4BB. A wonderful evening talk on an introduction to our Native Bats at the Altogether Otherwise studio, followed by a walk- through Angel Meadows to seek out our resident bats. A ticketed event, please book via the Plant MCR website. Contact at John Craig enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 for further details. |
| Bat Walk Date: 26th September 2026 Time: 6.45pm | Venue: Hyde SK14 4PL Event hosted by Friends of the Tame Valley. https://fotv.org.uk/ Description: an opportunity for the local community to find out more about the bats living in their greenspaces. We will walk around the area using bat detectors to identify bat species present, and chat about bats. Contact: Sarah Whiteley enquiry@slbg.org.uk |
| Bat Walk Manchester Metropolitan University 29th September and 06:30 pm – 9:30 pm | Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University Brooks Building and Green Spaces Bat Walk Brooks, 53 Bonsall St, Hulme, Manchester M15 6GX, meet in the park outside the building A bat walk through various green spaces close to the brooks building to seek out resident bats. Find out all about them on a fascinating evening with South Lancashire Bat Group. Under 18’s and vulnerable adults must be accompanied by responsible adult, parent or guardian. Contact: Daniel Heaton enquiry@slbg.org.uk 01617648850 Booking Essential via email |
| Bat Walk Date: 1st October 2026 Time: 6.45pm | Venue: Tottington Private event for Tottington Guides Description: a bat walk for Tottington Guides to learn about bats and using a bat detector. We will walk around the local greenspaces to discover which bat species are active in the local area. Contact: Sarah Whiteley enquiry@slbg.org.uk |
| Bat Box Check, Tatton Park September 2026 tbc 12.00 pm | Venue: Tatton Park. Meeting place tbc Bat box checks at the wonderful Tatton Park Booking Essential Contact: Steve Parker at enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 |
| Cheese Night 11, Tatton Park September, 2026 tbc 6.00 pm | Venue: Tatton Park. Meeting place tbc The annual event to mark the end of survey season. Booking Essential. Contact: Steve Parker at enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 |
| Monthly Trustee Meeting 7th October 2026 8.00 pm | Venue: Venue: Online – Zoom Meeting Trustees Only Contact: Brian Robinson at enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 |
| Bat Box Check, Haigh Country Park / Duxbury Woods October 2026 tbc 9.30 am | Venue: Haigh CP Hall Lane Wigan Yarrow Bridge Pub Bolton Rd (A6) Meet at Haigh at 9.30 am, after checking these boxes we’ll move onto Duxbury, finishing with a drink in the pub to warm us up! Booking Essential Contact: Steve Parker at enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 |
| Monthly Trustee Meeting 2nd December 2026 8.00 pm | Venue: Venue: Online – Zoom Meeting Trustees Only Contact: Brian Robinson at enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 |
| Christmas Do December 2026 tbc 7.15 pm till late | Venue: Details sent to bat group members – Restaurant in central Manchester |
| Hibernation Survey TBC – January 2027 9.30 am till sunset | Venue: Around South Lancashire – details will be sent to invited parties. |
| Wales Hibernation Survey January 2027 tbc 9.30 am till sunset | Venue: Wales – details will be sent to invited parties. |
| Bat Group AGM & Bat Talk Wednesday 3rd February 2027 7.30 pm | Venue: TBC. Contact: Brian Robinson at enquiry@slbg.org.uk or 0161 7648850 |
| Hibernation Survey TBC – February 2027 9.30 am till sunset | Venue: Around South Lancashire – details will be sent to invited parties. |
| Wales Hibernation Survey February 2027 tbc 9.30 am till sunset | Venue: Wales – details will be sent to invited parties. |
South Lancashire Bat Group is covered under a Public Liability Insurance policy, but no Personal Liability is covered. Anyone taking part in bat group events, including bat box checks, bat walks and hibernation site checks, does so at their own risk, and must be member of the group. South Lancashire Bat Group recommends the wearing of gloves and an up to date rabies vaccination when regularly handling bats (speak to a Trustee for more guidance on when this is needed), which should be carried out in accordance with the current guidance from the Bat Conservation Trust.
Throughout the winter, various Hibernation surveys will be arranged, however these are by invite only.
Training workshops are available to members of the South Lancashire Bat Group as they are intended for group members to expand their knowledge and provide better understanding of bats and increase skills to benefit bat conservation through the work of the group. The workshops are not suitable for those specifically seeking licence training for consultancy, but will be useful for all.
Anyone wanting to attend any SLBG event in order to obtain experience and then subsequent signing of any log-book, must notify the event leader only, prior to the event(s), as SLBG has a policy in place for this.
Trapping surveys will be arranged for the group, by email to all members. At the time of writing these surveys include the National Nathusius Pipistrelle Project and the Small Myotis Project. Places can be requested but may be limited due to the nature of the survey type. Where place cancellations cannot be filled, this may lead to reduced invites to future surveys.
For SLBG members who want to book events, please note we now have a policy for this in line with our insurance and safeguarding arrangements. The policy can be seen in both the Members page, and Governance pages of the website.