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Millions of people across the world are taking part in community action which will secure a more sustainable future for us all. People from all walks of life are taking small steps locally which add up to make a big difference globally. It's easy and can be fun too!
The opportunities are huge and there are many different ways you can get involved to make a difference through volunteering. These include:
Community work on local food initiatives, recycling, wildlife conservation, environmental education projects, energy efficiency initiatives, local fairtrade food schemes, supporting international aid work, taking part in your nearest community group which works on environmental or global issues...and so on. You can volunteer with existing projects or groups and even start your own!
You can meet new people, make new friends, learn new skills, get more active and know you are helping to make your community and your world a better place.
Get in on the action - use our search facility to help find a opportunity to volunteer for a better, more sustainable future.
Real-life stories from 'local heroes' volunteering to secure a better future
To help inspire you, here are some real life stories from 'local heroes'. People from all walks of life who are already giving up some of their time volunteerting to secure a better, more sustainable future for their community and for future generations. Click on their names to read their story.
Rushmore Primary School PTA
"it links the community,
school and education,
bringing widespread benefits
for all."
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Bradford-on-Avon Fairtrade group
"It's been great to see the idea of Fairtrade being
so enthusiastically taken up locally"
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Wildlife for All
"Realising that you can make a
difference is the best bit about being a volunteer".
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Stafford LA21 / Back-2-Bikes bicycle recycling
"It has widened my view of the world and how environmental projects can be beneficial in lots of other ways"
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Groundwork Oldham and Rochdale
"Its been worth it and I've gained so much valuable work experience"
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Lancashire Home Composting project.
"I didn't realise how passionate I was about the subject until I became a volunteer"
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Friends of YHA Ninebanks and Isaac's Tea Trail
"the enjoyment of doing something worthwhile at the same time as giving something back to a favourite place".
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Pendle Environment Network (no p)
"it gives us a chance to bring our values into action to see a real difference to the quality of our environment."
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Fairfield Composting
"go and do what you really believe in. Don't look at the problems, look at the future that could be shaped by the work we are doing today."
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Camden Green Fair Steering Group
"environmentally-themed festivals can be an informal way of getting people involved and thinking about their lifestyles."
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More information on our local heroes
Tim Webb (age 39): Rushmore Primary School Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), Hackney, London.
Getting the sustainability message into schools and influencing children, parents and teachers to see the connections is vital. Doing it in a fun way is even better as Tim has found out particularly in the pride gained as working as part of a team from the PTA on fundraising and organising extra-curricular activities.
The PTA recently organised a food and art event culminating in the production of a food book featuring children's work. Every class joined in the workshops with each year group covering a different aspect of food. Everyone explored food and culture and practical activities ranged from making plasticine models of fruit and vegetables to a video about food. A recipe book was compiled from family favourites with jokes, stories and food art images and some recipes were incorporated into lunchtime meals. The book received a welcome reception from parents and also from organisations involved in sustainable food production, supply and promotion.
The book has "been a great tool for engaging parents that don't normally get involved in the school. It's raised awareness of healthy diets and highlighted social issues such as fair trade, food availability and production while celebrating the enjoyment of a simple meal shared with friends."
For Tim this volunteering over the past five years stems from personal satisfaction and great enjoyment because " it links the community, school and education, bringing widespread benefits for all." His advice is not "too worry too much about the size of the task, just get on with it and you'll find people, funds and events happen."
Rowena Quantrill (age 62): Bradford-on-Avon Fairtrade group, Wiltshire.
Rowena's voluntary involvement stems from having lived in developing countries and witnessing first hand how hard life can be for some people. By getting involved in fair trade promotion she feels it is "one way I can help to make the world a better and fairer place." Work began about seven years with Bradford-on-Avon Oxfam group (before the Fairtrade group was formed) and then in 2002 the newly constituted Fairtrade group started on the bid to get Fairtrade status for the town. The group is a loose network of people who have come together because "we believe in the promotion of Fairtrade and all the ideas behind a more just world trading system." Successes include steering Bradford-on-Avon to being Wiltshire's first Fairtrade town and in 2005 raising awareness about the Make Poverty History campaign.
Rowena describes her work as "extremely rewarding." "It's been great to see the idea of Fairtrade being so enthusiastically taken up locally" and securing the Fair trade status was a "big thrill" for the group. She has developed organisational skills she didn't know she had as well as making friends. She works about a day a week, depending on what's going on and involvement has led to her being on the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's Sustainable Lifestyles committee which she finds stimulating. Rowena's main advice to others thinking of getting involved with a sustainable development group is "don't think you have nothing to offer. Within our group we have people with all sorts of different skills and some of the most useful are those who don't want to come to meetings but are willing to stand behind a stall, help at a Fairtrade tasting etc. Offer to do the things you feel happy and comfortable doing."
Sarah Evans (age 26) - Wildlife for All
Sarah works as a Waste Education Officer for Bexley Council and as she says "although my job is very varied, I don't get to spend as much time in the outdoors as I would like". To make up for this she volunteers for Wildlife for All Wildlife for All is a partnership between the RSPB and London's Royal Parks. The project aims to encourage Londoners to make the most of their parks and to learn to appreciate their local wildlife, particularly those from socially deprived areas.
Sarah started volunteering on a cold January day 2003 with the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch standing in Regents Park and Greenwich Park telling people about the national event and doing wildlife activities such as making free bird feeders with children.
She now volunteers regularly for about 15 hours / month and enjoys working on the children's activities in the parks; "I have particularly enjoyed helping with 'Hogweeds School of Wildlife Wizardry' as the children have so much fun and learn a great deal, even though they have involved me dressing up as a wizard and a giant owl!" She adds that "Volunteering for the Wildlife for All project has enabled me to take ideas back to use in my own job".
She would highly recommend taking up volunteering on a sustainable development project. As she says: "I have learnt a lot myself and have gained a great sense of achievement from the feedback that children and adults alike have given us. Realising that you can make a difference is the best bit about being a volunteer!"
Jane Heginbotham (age 31): Stafford Borough Council Local Agenda 21 team and Back-2-Bikes bicycle recycling
Volunteering has given Jane a taste of what its like to work in the public and charity sectors, and it's got her used to a regular working day. She started volunteering in February 2005 just after completing a Master's degree in Architecture, Energy and Environmental Studies. Her work has ranged from research into sustainable construction and procurement through to the ever-present routine office work of photocopying and envelope stuffing. For the Bikes project she's set up a stock database
Jane hopes that the lessons learned will help her secure a job in the environmental sector. Before she did this work, she says she was "completely unaware of the huge network of volunteers involved in a whole range of areas. It has widened my view of the world and how environmental projects can be beneficial in lots of other ways". Her advice is that "even if you can only offer a few hours a week or you're not sure whether a particular place wants volunteers, it can be a great help to hard-pressed organisations and very rewarding for you."
Sonja Hughes (age 22): Voluntary Project Assistant with Groundwork Oldham and Rochdale
As a new graduate keen to work in the environmental sector Sonja was finding it tough to even get an interview. She was trapped in the "no experience - no job - no experience" cycle common to many graduates. Finding Groundwork's Volunteer Programme Assistant (VPA) programme on the internet was exactly what Sonja was looking for. It offers graduates a chance to gain real and practical environmental experience and at the same time helping them making a difference to disadvantaged and deprived areas in the UK.
Sonja started in January 2005 and works 35-40 hours a week. Although she doesn't get paid she receives Job Seekers Allowance, housing benefit for her accommodation and Groundwork pays her travel expenses. Her work in the first three months as a member of a Prince's Trust team, supporting the Team Leader and helping to provide guidance to a group of young people gave her "more confidence in my ability to lead and motivate others, even people who at times could be very difficult!" She's now helping to organise a water conservation campaign in Oldham and fundraising for an annual street party.
Securing the volunteer post meant Sonja had to make major changes in her life, including moving to an area she didn't know. But everything has turned out very well. "Its been worth it and I've gained so much valuable work experience.and received a large amount of training that I would have missed .including an NVQ in Sustainable Development, ILM in Line Management and a 5-day residential environmental training course with Whitbread UK." She's also been awarded £250 from Whitbread to spend on additional training for working with communities and environment. "I've also made great friends and have met so many people with similar interests and ambitions to me. I have great memories of my time living in Oldham - something I definitely wasn't expecting."
Karen Jones (age 46): Compost Guru, Lancashire County Council Home Composting project.
Karen is one of the 70 "Compost Gurus" that support the Lancashire County Council home composting project by providing information and support to local people. She began volunteering in March 2005 and mainly works around her home town of Blackburn. Despite her long-term interest in recycling Karen says "I didn't realise how passionate I was about the subject until I became a volunteer. Every time we get together at workshops I learn something new and fascinating that I can pass on to others". This has led to a tremendous sense of satisfaction: "when someone I have spoken to starts to compost at home or has success with a problem they had - I feel proud."
Karen's work - about 2 hours a week - includes running stalls at events, encouraging people to take up the offer of a free composting bin, sorting out practical problems and giving away free compost at 'Big Heap' events to nudge people into starting their own home composting. She's also had the opportunity to arrange and assist at talks and to write a piece for a local newsletter. Karen's advice to others is "Don't miss the opportunity. It's good to get involved - you meet people with similar interests to yourself and you can make a difference to the world - do your bit!"
Roger Morris (age 55): Friends of Youth Hostel Association (YHA) Ninebanks and Isaac's Tea Trail, North Pennines.
Roger's involvement goes back about six years when the Friends of YHA Ninebanks was created and he's been Secretary ever since then (1999). It is his love of the North Pennines and the West Allen in particular that motivates him. He describes it as "the enjoyment of doing something worthwhile at the same time as giving something back to a favourite place" The youth hostel has been a feature in the unspoilt valley for the past 55 years and the idea of the Tea Trail is a "means to link a little known past history with the present and to give something to the future. The special landscape created over many generations with its former lead mines and industrial heritage, open moors and dry stone walls have all survived to the present day."
The 36 mile Tea Trail is based upon the life of an itinerant 19 th century tea seller called Isaac Holden who spent much time fund raising for the benefit of the local community. The Trail seeks to attract visitors and to thus benefit the local economy. A website www.teatrail.info was launched in early 2005. Roger spends about 2-3 hours a week on the work. He notes that whilst giving general advice to others " can sound prescriptive," it is helpful to remember that "if you have something worthwhile you want to do, stick with it, come what may. Support can come from unlikely sources, similarly where you might expect help, this may not always be forthcoming. Miracles do happen."
Judy Yacoub (age 48): Pendle Environmental Network
Judy is Secretary of the Pendle Environmental Network - an alliance of local and regional organisations committed to working for a sustainable future in Pendle.
Helping run a network like this is a very different form on volunteering, since it means helping co-ordinate some very different activities. These range for setting up a
£220,000 scheme for an ecological self-build built community building, setting up a Community Tool Store which loans non-power tools and provides training in their use, and helping develop the 'Pendle Floral Heritage' which involves another eco- building with a tree and wildflower nursery and a café. They also run other projects including a One World Living programme which brings people of different cultural backgrounds together through sharing recipes from around the world that use locally grown food) and a big Green Fair.
PEN grew out of Local Agenda 21 activities and is important for Judy because it "gives us a chance to bring our values into action to see a real difference to the quality of our environment. It's about making it real - we are committed to seeing sustainable development projects take root in Pendle." Her volunteering varies widely but usually involves around ten hours a week, although events like the Green Fair mean a lot more work.
Judy's main piece of advice is "Do it now!"
Valerie Rawlinson (age 64): Fairfield Composting, East Manchester
Valerie Rawlinson has found that perseverance pays off. A project she set up in 1996 to promote home composting has been awarded a substantial grant from the CRED programme (June 2005). Fairfield Composting promotes home composting and runs a training centre delivering workshops in composting and growing food without using chemicals to local residents and schools. Valerie is also involved in another project, Fairfield Materials Management, tackling Smithfield market waste by diverting it away from landfill into an onsite composting facility. She works every day of the week motivated by belief that we have to try and reverse the harm we are doing. The work hasn't been easy. It has had its frustrations when support hasn't been forthcoming from local government but for Valerie it's something she has to do "because I cannot sit back and watch our environment and wildlife be destroyed by an unsustainable economic system."
Valerie's advice to others is to "go and do what you really believe in. Don't look at the problems, look at the future that could be shaped by the work we are doing today. You will learn about sustainable development and it could prove to be a career for you in future. You will meet dedicated people who will inspire you and increase your knowledge. Besides all this, you will have a good time working with genuine people."
Rachel Zatz (age 37): Camden Green Fair Steering Group, London
For the last four years Rachel has been working 2 days a week to help organise the annual Camden Green Fair in London. The Camden Fair is London's largest annual green festival and it brings together over 100 organisations large and small. It is run by council staff, local organisations and volunteers like Rachel.
Rachel's reason to get involved is her belief that "Education for Sustainability" is "essential" and that "environmentally-themed festivals can be an informal way of getting people involved and thinking about their lifestyles." Organising an event demands many skills and for Rachel this has meant that " I have learnt loads" and also made many useful contacts, "both in council departments and with other green fair organisers. I have successfully applied for grants and am gradually learning all aspects of organising a large one-day event."
er advice to others is "learn to only say yes to things you can do or have time for. It is important to be able to say no and not let people down."
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