We are really pleased that the Association of Local Environmental Records Centres (ALERC) has recently become a Community Interest Company – a not for profit company whose income will be reinvested to further expand and raise the profile of records centres across the UK.

After three years of work behind the scenes by a number of biodiversity records centres, including GiGL, ALERC has been set up to represent the interests of local biodiversity and geodiversity records centres in the British Isles, and to promote standards and services in biodiversity and geodiversity data collation and provision.

The Association’s stated objectives are:

  • To promote and encourage the completion of a UK-wide network of local biodiversity and geodiversity records centres.
  • To promote and develop good standards of practice in the collation, management, dissemination and analysis of biological and geological records.
  • To promote Local Records Centres regionally, nationally and at a UK level to potential users and suppliers of data.
  • To provide full representation of the UK with country specific solutions and equal emphasis on the individual countries requirements.
  • To develop and promote accreditation schemes for biodiversity and geodiversity records centres and their staff.
  • To encourage and facilitate networking between centres to enable exchange of ideas, collaborative working, developing joint tools and sharing good practice.

GiGL is committed to becoming a member of ALERC and will be represented on its working groups where appropriate.