RSPB to close five shops across its nature reserves nationwide

The society says the initiative is prompted by financial consideration as its income struggles to keep up with costs. 

One of the first reserve shops to close, early in the New Year, will be at RSPB Rainham Marsh – favourite birdwatching destination of actress and author Alison Steadman – on the outskirts of London. The RSPB explained that, at some of the nature reserves’, facilities are planned for closure or potential change of management, including five retail facilities, one cafe, and four visitor centres across a total of seven sites:

The following are set to close:

• Loch Garten Nature Reserve, Abernethy, Scotland – retail facility
• RSPB Newport Wetlands, Newport, Wales – retail facility
• RSPB Dungeness, Kent, England – retail facility
• RSPB Fairhaven Lake Visitor Centre, Lancashire, England – retail facility and visitor centre
• Rainham Marshes in Essex, England – retail facility and cafe

However, the future management of the visitor centre at Rainham Marshes “will be explored over the next 12 months” and the nature reserve will remain open.

Additionally, the RSPB is reviewing options for the future of Flatford Wildlife Garden, Suffolk, and RSPB Rye Meads, Hertfordshire, during 2025, including a potential change of management.

Shops at what the society calls its “flagship” reserves are likely to be spared, but there could be other closures later in 2025 and beyond.

An RSPB spokesperson said: “The economy has not been in the best of shape in recent years.  Every one of us is feeling the cost-of-living crisis and inflationary pressure, and many people are having to make difficult decisions in their day-to-day lives to make ends meet. This situation also impacts the RSPB, and indeed many in our sector, in several ways, including increasing cost pressures as suppliers put up prices and rising energy costs across our large estate. 

“Our income is growing but not fast enough to keep up with rising costs. To give a sense of this, it took £150 million to deliver our work two years ago. Today that same work will cost us £165 million, a 10% cost rise.

“Like any responsible charity, we are always trying to make sure that the money that we receive from our members and supporters is spent in the best possible way. We have therefore been looking at our reserve networks to make sure that what we are doing in these places makes sense financially.

“At some, a very small number of facilities are planned for closure or potential change of management. This includes five retail facilities, one cafe and four visitor centres across a total of seven sites.”

The statement ended: “We are committed to keeping our members informed about these changes, and we will next update them in the RSPB Magazine in December."

The charity’s full statement, including futher updates to their education programme, can be read here.