Community Volunteering Opportunities

The Lockdown Woods project, managed by Newbury Friends of the Earth, originated at the beginning of the first COVID lockdown in March 2020. They encouraged families to grow their own trees from seedlings found in gardens and then planted them out in community events as new woodlands in the district.

Volunteers with the Lockdown Woods project have planted over 2000 native trees of over 25 species in five locations around West Berkshire. The Lockdown Woods team, together with corporate volunteers, carry out regular maintenance visits to all the small woods.

The Newbury Nature Corridor project is an extension of our Lockdown Woods environmental work, and will link two of the Lockdown Woods in Newbury via a Nature Corridor.

The woods in Goldwell Park and Barn Crescent, 2.5 miles apart by foot, will be connected through this initiative. The route between them includes significant landmarks such as the Kennet and Avon Canal, City Recreation Ground, St Bartholomew’s school, and the John Rankin schools, as well as residential streets with gardens and wide verges. The area includes nine sites managed by Newbury Town Council.

By capturing people’s imagination with the bold idea of linking two existing nature sites in town, we aim to encourage residents to take action to support local wildlife. Work with the relevant local councils to improve open spaces and verges for wildlife along the route is also key to the success of this project. This will all enhance biodiversity in the project area.

We hope this project will involve many residents and children, teaching a love of nature and giving skills to care for their environment. Newbury Friends of the Earth is also reaching out to local scout, church and other community groups to widen participation.

Contact details

Have a look at their website and Facebook group for more detailed information about this long-term project.

Wild Bracknell is a local environmental group that aims to engage with the public in dialogue to raise awareness of nature and encourage engagement in projects. Some projects are large such as creating green corridors and pollution surveys. Other projects are small such as building a hedgehog box or sowing wild flowers in your garden.

Please share pictures, sightings, tips, news, advice, and anything nature related within the borough; this is a friendly space where we aim at consolidating a community spirit, and inspire people to take action for nature locally. There have been some organised activities such as swift walks and outfall (polluted water discharge) safari training, and there are currently talks about creating a Bracknell anti-litter society as a spin off, with the collaboration of local residents keen to bust litter.

Contact details

Please see the Wild Bracknell facebook page or email Barbara if you would like to get involved.

The group has been set up by people who live or work in Maidenhead and focuses on an area from Knowl Hill in the west, to Cookham in the north, Maidenhead town in the east and Fifield in the south, home to around 80,000 people.

Wild Maidenhead has been set up to help look after the wild things and wild places in the area. They want to discover, celebrate, support and protect our biodiversity, whether in the area's 3,000 acres of domestic gardens, or in parks, wildlife areas, nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). 
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They are interested in much loved, familiar species found in the area as well as rare, protected or threatened species. Hedgehogs, stag beetles, farmland birds, water voles, bees, owls, butterflies, house sparrows, wildflowers, swifts, swallows, house martins, dragonflies, slow worms, bats, frogs and toads are examples of local species that were once commonplace. In all cases, action can be taken to make a positive difference to the future for these and other species.

Contact details

Email: wildmaidenhead@gmail.com
Website: www.wildmaidenhead.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/wildmaidenhead

Wild Tilehurst are aiming for community awareness and involvement in nature through events such as bat walks, mindfulness walks, sharing experiences and citizen science.

Contact details

Please email Katie for more information.

The Hub is based in Unit 5/7 Nicholson Walk, Maidenhead.

The group is seeking volunteers to welcome visitors and explain the purpose of the Hub and the support we can offer to enable them to understand and reduce their carbon footprint. We also ask that you keep a record of visitors and any requests they may have. As the Hub is entirely run by volunteers there will be optional additional duties such as cleaning and tidying, as you would do in your own home.

Induction and training in the various ECO zones will be available.

Volunteers are covered by insurance and safeguarding policies while in the Hub.

Contact details

Please email the Hub or phone Angela Alexander for an informal chat on 0777 334 0693.

As a church, St Peter's are committed to Caring for Creation. They have installed a bug hotel and bird, bat and hedgehog boxes in the churchyard, and swift boxes on the tower. They have organised bat and swift walks to help educate their church and local community, and to increase awareness and enjoyment of nature.

They are hoping to organise litter picking events and have various equipment available for people to borrow.

Contact details

Pamela Rogers
Email: admin@stpetersburnham.org
Tel: 01628 664 338

Whitchurch Wildlife Environment Group help to provide and maintain wildlife habitat in Whitchurch. They create wildflower areas, maintain ponds, carry out surveys, provide bird houses and feeders for garden birds.

Visit their Facebook page or email Caroline directly.

Southcote GrowAllot inspire people to grow their own food in a sustainable way. They run tutor-led gardening sessions in their community garden. They have a large wildlife area with a pond, and also work with other community groups to maintain flower beds for pollinators in the local shopping centre.

Contact details

Website: www.food4families.org.uk/florian.cfm
Email: food4families@risc.org.uk
Tel: 07973 891396

Greener Winslow was set up in 2020 by a group of local people who want to do something locally about climate change and biodiversity loss.

Greener Winslow aims:

1. To research, promote and undertake activities that help reduce carbon output in the Winslow area
2. To promote and undertake activities that improve local biodiversity
3. To promote and protect local green spaces

Currently, Greener Winslow are working on finding spaces to plant trees, lending out a thermal imaging camera that could help people reduce their energy use, and planning wildflower planting in the area to increase biodiversity.

They are also holding a series of talks on relevant topics. 

Greener Winslow would love you to join us and bring any expertise you may have or, more importantly, your enthusiasm for some of these activities. You could help with tree planting, fundraising, or helping to communicate with residents via the website. You probably have a skill that they really need!

Contact details

Website: www.greenerwinslow.uk
Email: greenerwinslow@gmail.com
Tel: 07710 550057

Tracking the Impact is an exciting landscape-scale monitoring programme being delivered in the Chilterns AONB. 

Focusing on birds, butterflies and plants, the project offers opportunities to:

• carry out surveys on 1km squares
• attend survey methodology training courses
• attend species ID training courses
• join an active WhatsApp support group

By getting involved in the project, you will make a big difference to local wildlife in the Chilterns and contribute to national recording schemes. You will also get the chance to meet with other surveyors and get feedback on the project at regular workshops and events.

Contact details

Find out more and complete a simple online registration form here: www.chilternsaonb.org/trackingtheimpact

Contact Nick directly on 07785 527108 or email nmarriner@chilternsaonb.org

Leather Lane Conservation Groups' purpose is to conserve their beautiful local landscape -  with it’s rich ecology, and the fauna and flora that make it so special - so that it can be enjoyed by generations to come. They seek to inform their community about the importance of conserving the wildlife species present in this landscape of ancient holloways and lanes, and the ways in which they can help to protect biodiversity.

If you would be interested in learning more about local wildlife and their work to conserve it, they would love to hear from you. Volunteering opportunities available with the group are surveying, events and communications.

Contact details

To register interest, please email green.bridge@leatherlane.org

Swifts and Martins groups in Stony Stratford, Newport Pagnell and New Bradwell are local community groups which install artificial nest boxes and survey for natural sites.

Contact details

To find out more, please email Paul Dubery.

Wolverton Community Orchard (MK12 5AY) always needs volunteers during their Tuesday morning sessions to keep their space looking amazing. Mostly gardening related but no specific experience needed and the site is wheelchair-friendly.

Contact details

Please contact the community group via their Facebook page or email them directly.

Iver Environment Centre love welcoming volunteers. Gardeners are welcome on Wednesdays and there are monthly 'All Hands on Deck' sessions.

Contact details

Contact Iver Environment Centre directly via their website.

Hedgerley Conservation Volunteers are a group of local people who meet throughout the year to take action towards promoting nature and wildlife recovery.

They maintain two wildflower meadows (recently designated as Local Wildlife Sites), a community orchard, and some mixed woodland. Working parties range from coppicing and scrub clearance to removing invasive species and planting native wildflowers for the benefit of wildlife.

They are always looking for new members, so please get in touch if you are interested.

Contact details

Website: www.hedgerley.org
Email Neil
Phone Neil on 07947 280003.

Oxford City Farm is a community Farm in East Oxford. They grow vegetables, fruit and nuts, look after bees, chickens and goats, and manage the land to encourage wildlife.

Oxford City Farm give produce in exchange for help working at the farm. They host grow your own veg, composting, introduction to permaculture, seed saving and cookery workshops. 

Volunteering sessions offer an opportunity for people of all ages to get involved with some hands-on jobs on the farm or simply to come and enjoy the space and meet and feed the animals and have a cup of tea.

Everyone is welcome, especially families (please note adults will be responsible for their children's wellbeing and supervision at all times).

Contact details

Go along to the Community Farming and Open Farm Sessions - every Friday & Saturday, 10am - 1pm.

Having an idea of numbers via Eventbrite is really helpful for their planning, but you're still welcome to go to the farm if you can't book on Eventbrite. They ask all new volunteers to complete this form.

If you're going to volunteer, please go at the beginning to get the list of jobs and introduction.

www.oxfordcityfarm.org.uk

Kirtlington Wildlife and Conservation Society was formed in 1997 by a group of local wildlife enthusiasts. The group’s key aim is to look after local habitats and wildlife, and to encourage others to consider wildlife too.

The group is involved in a broad range of activities:

Current practical work

• Managing the village pond.
• Managing parts of the churchyard at St Mary’s.
• Scrub clearance to protect grassland flora and species surveys in the Quarry.
• Running four bird surveys including a Kirtlington Garden Bird Survey.
• Gathering data about local wildflowers, mammals, insects and birds.
• Working with the Cherwell District Council to help protect nesting sites for swifts.
• Connecting village gardens to form Kirtlington Hedgehog Street.

Monthly talks

• We hold monthly meetings between October and April to which we invite experts to speak on a wide range of wildlife and conservation topics. Click here to see our current programme.

Walks & visits

• We arrange occasional nature walks, including a dawn chorus walk, in and around the village, often led by local experts.
• We arrange occasional group visits to sites outside the village.

Contact details

Please email the group directly for further information.

https://kirtlingtonvillage.co.uk/kwacs

The Bicester Community Wellbeing Garden was established in 2018 on the site of the St Edburgs Church School. It has grown steadily since then and we have added a shed and small greenhouse. The garden is fully mature now and we need help maintaining the flower beds and also growing vegetables and salads in our 3 high planters and greenhouse.

The garden is open to the public on Wednesday and Saturday mornings (summer only) - we would like to increase that but need more volunteers to open the garden. Grassroots Bicester has a licence from Value Retail ( Bicester Village) and have applied to Cherwell District Council to designate the site as a local green space. 

Contact details

Please email Anne Marie for more information or come and say hello on a Wednesday morning.

Mill Lane Community Garden aims to develop an area that has been set aside by Nicolas King developers and is now under a 10-year lease with the Chinnor Parish Council for the use and benefit of the local community.

Their objectives are to create an area that will meet a variety of outdoor needs for Chinnor residents, with special consideration to the new neighbouring estate, local schools and other groups.

· Design a modern and inspiring outdoor space
· Designed for easy maintenance and achievable goals
· To set up a management group who will hold regular meetings to ensure the successful development and long-term maintenance of the area
· To open a bank account and obtain funding for the project
· To promote ownership of allocated spaces (pods) by families or groups
· To increase confidence in growing and maintaining this space
· To grow food to be shared
· To promote learning about growing and eating self-grown produce
· Inclusion of fruit and nut trees, the produce of which will be shared
· Flexible space for growing, picnicking and connecting with nature, with consideration for Covid 19 requirements
· Outdoor growing area designed for all ages and abilities with raised growing beds
· Extra effort to include the surrounding residents of Mill Lane and the new estate to promote community inclusion and blending
· Manageable growing space
· Parking for easy access for use by people with disabilities
· Long term maintenance of the area for the benefit for all.

Contact details

Please see their website: milllanecommunitygarden.com or email the group directly.

Created in 2017, the Salt Way Activity Group was set up to help preserve and maintain the two mile stretch of the Salt Way as it passes the southern side of Banbury.

Volunteering offers you the opportunity to transfer skills, learn how to identify plants, shrubs and trees or how to manage areas to enhance habitats and landscape.  As well as making a difference to our community, volunteering offers real benefits to your health and wellbeing too.

Volunteering activities have been shown to improve fitness and enhance mental wellbeing by combining outdoor exercise, increased contact with nature and the social benefits of group activity.

• Cutting ivy off trees and shrubs adjacent to the way, to reduce incidences of windblow.
• Coppicing trees and shrubs.
• Hedgelaying and creating new habitat.
• Letting light into areas periodically to encourage woodland flowering plants.
• Grant applications, letter writing, updating records, creating species management plans etc.
• Monitoring and learning about birds, butterflies, plants, reptiles etc.
• Reporting problems on the Salt Way.
• Tree and shrub planting.
• Planting out plug plants to increase the variety of native plants - a nectar source.
• Managing grassland - scything to encourage diversity; an almost meditative practice.
• Build bird and bat boxes for placement along the Salt Way.

Contact details

Salt Way Activity Group would love to hear from you.

Contact David Russell, Secretary on 07871 436456

Or email: contact@saltwayactivitygroup.org.uk

Sandhills Naturehood is an active group of local residents working together in private and public spaces to address wildlife and biodiversity decline and climate change. It is a fun and informative group open to everybody sharing wildlife sightings and ideas; discovering and learning together for the benefit of nature.

They work with partners including councils, local schools, Oxford Preservation Trust, and neighbouring nature groups in Risinghurst and Barton to improve, conserve and connect local green spaces.

Their activities to date include looking after street trees, creating mini meadows in green spaces, bulb planting, scrub clearance, activity and educational nature days, plant sales, and fundraising to help with the primary school.

Contact details

To get involved, please email Mark: sandhills.naturehood@outlook.com

Marston Community Gardening was established in June 2018 with a view to supporting and fostering local engagement in gardening, planting, and related activities that support environmental and ecological sustainability and enhance community life.

The group mobilizes volunteers to participate in projects to plant and cultivate trees, hedges, fruit, vegetables and flowers in Marston’s green spaces, roadsides, schools and allotments for the benefit and well-being of local residents – humans and wildlife!

In addition, group members share materials and practical support for gardening. The group has more than 500 active members from all walks of life (including students and staff from local schools, Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, and people of all professions) who get involved in various community projects. The group also works in collaboration with other local organisations such as Old Marston Parish Council, Oxford City Council, St Nicholas Primary School, New Marston Primary School, Court Place Farm Allotments, Oxford Farmhouse, Cutteslowe Park Horticultural Nursery, GoodGym, Friends of the Earth, Naturehood Marston, the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, and others to implement green initiatives locally. 

In response to the growth in popularity of all these activities, a range of off-shoot local sub-groups have sprouted up under the broad umbrella of MCG including Marston Forest Garden, Marston Energy Club, MCG Refill Station at the Marston Community Hub, and the Marston Eco Group, comprising a buzzing and growing Marston Hive.

MCG has received support and funding from Old Marston Parish Council, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Community Action Groups (CAG) Oxfordshire and B&Q.

MCG is a supporter of the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill and the CEE Bill Alliance Oxfordshire.

Contact details

Please email hello@marstoncommunitygardening.org.uk for further information.

The Trap Grounds Town Green & Local Wildlife Site comprises 10 acres of woodland, grassland, streams, and ponds, between the canal and the railway line in north Oxford.

Nearest postcode: OX2 6TF.

They welcome volunteers to do solo conservation work, and to join occasional work parties.

Contact details

For details, please email the Secretary: Catherine Robinson: cmrobinson.oxford@gmail.com

And visit the Trap Grounds website: https://trap-grounds.org.uk

Join a weekly volunteering group on Long Mead Wildlife Site. Mostly dedicated to propagating by hand and learning about floodplain meadow plants as part of the Thames Valley Wildflower Meadow Restoration Project, but also includes other activities through the seasons.

The group runs from 10.30 to 3.00pm but it is possible to come for the morning - 10.30 to 1pm.

or

Join the Nature Recovery Network, a community project in Eynsham where volunteering opportunities include: monthly bird surveys, monthly water quality surveys, quarterly invertebrate surveys (from March to September) and quarterly reptile surveys (from March to September).

Contact details

Please view the websites below for contact details:

Long Mead: www.longmeadwildlifesite.org.uk
Nature Recovery Network: www.nature-recovery-network.org

Kidlington Growing Spaces is run by the Parish Council to build community, promote local food growing, provide for local wildlife, foster residents' wellbeing and help manage our green spaces sustainably. Community gardening sessions are held regularly across various sites in Kidlington - please get in touch with them directly for more details, they'd love to welcome you!

Contact details

Email: growspace@kidlington-pc.gov.uk
Website: Green Spaces - Kidlington Parish Council

To be added to the mailing list to receive details of the dates by email, please complete this form.

Enstone Eco are a local volunteer group who aim to improve the natural habitat in the parish, while at the same time involving people, building community and having fun.

They have volunteering opportunities such as planting wildflower seeds along road verges and in Enstone churchyard, helping the school clear it's garden and pond and surveying local plants and wildlife using the iNaturalist app. They also put on events such as guided walks around the parish in areas of natural interest. This recently included a tour around the grounds of Heythrop Park Hotel followed by tea and cake!

Contact details

Website: www.enstone-eco.co.uk
Email: enstoneeco@gmail.com