About The Trust Since 1992 the Berwick Swan and Wildlife Trust has rescued, treated and released over 1000 swans, but countless other sick and  injured animals have been brought to us from as far afield as Newcastle, Edinburgh, the Lothians, and the west of Scotland. All wild  creatures deserve our help, and each one that is successfully treated and returned to the wild helps to maintain the rich variety of  the natural world, and contributes to our own enjoyment of it. Why the Trust Was Formed  The initial impetus behind the creation of the Trust was to provide support for the local Berwick swan herd. It was recognised that,  being concentrated in one place, a single environmental catastrophe could prove very costly to a colony of this size. A major pollution  incident in the Tweed estuary might, for example, affect not just the resident swan population but numerous visiting birds from other  regions as well. It was therefore felt necessary to provide some form of safety-net in the event of an emergency. It was an incident in the autumn of 1991 which led to the establishment of the Trust. A chemical spillage from a factory contaminated  many of the swans, and only the swift action of a small band of volunteers under the direction of local vet David Rollo averted a  disaster. Emergency facilities were set up and several hundred swans were captured, decontaminated and rehabilitated locally and at animal care centres before being returned to the river. In the event only a handful of swans were lost, but had it not been for the  dedication of this small team the story would have been very different.  The sheer scale of this rescue operation highlighted the need for some form of permanent support for the swan herd, and more  volunteers were recruited to help set up a Charitable Trust which would care not only for the swans but other wildlife both north and  south of the border. The following May the Trust was formed and the public were invited to make donations or to join as paid-up  members. The response was excellent, with 290 new members recruited in the first year, and offers of help from businesses and  charities. Local businessman William Leith kindly gave permission for a large empty lobster shed on the quayside in Berwick to be  used as a Rescue Centre. NWET Swan House*  The Lobster Shed - unofficially christened ‘the Swan Hilton’ - was soon in use, and over the next seven years over 700 swans were  treated there. It was, however, only a temporary solution, and in 1998 the council announced plans to demolish the building as part  of a quayside development scheme. It was imperative that suitable new premises were found quickly, and in March 1998 the Trust  launched an appeal to raise funds to buy a permanent treatment centre in Berwick. Donations flooded in, including a generous grant  from Northumbrian Water Environmental Trust (NWET), which finally allowed the Berwick Swan and Wildlife Trust to complete the  purchase of premises on the outskirts of the town. The NWET Swan House was officially opened in April 1999 by Berwick MP Alan Beith.  NWET's generosity has also enabled the Trust to adapt and equip the building, plant trees and create ponds on the site, and build  recovery sheds and aviaries. Following the death of our founder and vet David Rollo, it was decided to rename the Swan House “The David Rollo Centre” on the occasion of the Trust’s 21st birthday in June 2013. * Please note that to keep disturbance to a minimum, visits to the Swan House are by appointmennt only. How To Contact Us Our Address : Berwick Swan and Wildlife Trust, Windmill Way East, Ramparts Business Park, Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 1TU. For all enquiries : Please call Trust H.Q. on 01289 302882 and have a pen and paper ready to jot down the number you require. Or  e-mail us at : swan-trust@hotmail.co.uk (Please note : If you do not put anything in the subject line your message will be automatically deleted) All donations payable to BSWT c/o Derek Roughton, Yew Tree Cottage, Branton, Alnwick NE66 4LW.   Telephone 01665 578365