Celebrating Volunteers at Sherwood and Budby
We’re marking Volunteers Week (1st-7th June) at Sherwood Forest and Budby South Forest by promoting opportunities to join our amazing volunteer community.
Roles as varied as housekeeping and maintenance at the Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre, working in retail and catering, taking on the role of a costumed guide and assisting with practical conservation work at Nottinghamshire’s only National Nature Reserve are available.
Visitors to the reserve during the Platinum Jubilee Weekend, which coincides with Volunteers Week, will be able to find out more about how they can get involved.
Carol Hallam, Community and Volunteer Development Officer at Sherwood Forest and Budby South Forest, said: “Volunteers play such an important role in the day-to-day operation of the reserve and the Visitor Centre here at Sherwood Forest, just as they do across the wider RSPB network of reserves throughout the UK.
“We owe them a huge thank you for what they do for us each day, and especially during Volunteers Week.
“Keeping the site looking well-kept and inviting, supporting staff and guiding people through the Forest while sharing the legends of Robin Hood and the history of Sherwood with visitors are just a few of the roles our volunteers perform.
“There are numerous opportunities for more people to work with us on a volunteer basis. Even if it’s just a few hours a month, it can make a real difference to the experience our visitors have of the time they spend in our buildings and out among the ancient trees of the forest.”
“No matter what role our volunteers take on, it is also making an important contribution to the work of the RSPB, which is the UK’s largest conservation charity.”
In fact, two of the reserve’s conservation volunteers, Jack Baddams and Indy Kiemel Greene were featured in an edition of the BBC’s Springwatch series on the eve of Volunteers Week, monitoring lesser spotted woodpeckers.
Carol added: “There really is a role for just about anyone who has the time to spend working on the reserve. Enthusiasm and passion are just as important as experience and skills. Training and support are provided to ensure that each person feels confident to carry out their tasks and, perhaps even more crucially, that they feel part of the Sherwood and Budby team.”
If you would like to know more about Volunteering at Sherwood, Carol will be available to talk to at the Visitor Centre on Sunday 5th June.
There is also more information about current opportunities on the Volunteer With Us page of our website.