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Heritage Volunteers

Volunteering is a vital part of efforts to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the Garnock Connections landscape. From nature reserves to historic buildings, the importance of volunteers cannot be underestimated. For many people however there remains significant barriers to volunteering, whether it is difficulty in travelling or simply being unable to find the right opportunity, there are many who want to volunteer are unable to do so.

This project aims to tackle this through providing links between existing volunteer groups and communities in different parts of the landscape. We will deliver a series of volunteering events over the next few years, enabling people to find out about what opportunities are available in the landscape, and will actively host volunteer activities with different groups where people can come along and try different types of volunteering.

We will also create a digital volunteering hub that will enable volunteers to connect with different groups, and each other, within the landscape. This will help overcome some of the barriers to volunteering that exist in the Garnock Connections area. We are currently working with volunteer groups from across the landscape to finalise the content of this hub to ensure that it delivers real benefits for those groups and volunteers.

This project is also funded through the Green Infrastructure Community Engagement Fund

Did you know?

Word of mouth is the most effective way of recruiting volunteers, a recent survey by NCVO showed 48% of volunteers in the UK are recruited through this method.

Photo credit: RSPB images