22/05/2019 - Permalink

Get involved with Shropshire’s Great Outdoors at Volunteer Taster event

Related topics: Community / Health / Leisure, culture and heritage

As part of National Volunteer Week, Shropshire Councils Outdoor Partnerships service are holding a volunteer taster event to give you the chance to learn more about volunteering with the team.

The taster event is taking place on Tuesday 4 June 2019 from 9.30am – 12.30pm at Nesscliffe Hills and the Cliffe Countryside Heritage Site.

The Outdoor Partnerships Service is responsible for maintaining Shropshire’s network of Public Rights of Way (over 5,600 km), two Country Parks and 22 Countryside Heritage Sites.

An image of Outdoor Partnerships volunteers installing a new stile on Shropshire's right of way.

P3 Volunteer Group installing stiles

Active volunteering groups work with the team on the Rights of Way, Parks and Sites, and lead walks to help people to get more active. You can also volunteer by supporting the team in maintaining and developing countryside access, conserving and enhancing important wildlife and heritage sites and promoting enjoyment of the outdoors.

During this half day event you will have the chance meet the team, try your hand at different activities and learn about the various ways you could volunteer and make a real difference to your local area and community.

You will have the opportunity to experience more about the following areas:

  • What it is like to be a walk leader for our short Walking for Health walks across the county
  • Install some way markers and learn how the local P3 ( Parish Paths Partnerships) groups help keep our Rights of Way open and accessible
  • Work with the Wild Team on some habitat management and find out more about what they do and how to get involved
  • Join the Countryside Ranger for Nesscliffe to help with practical work on the hill and learn about our other countryside sites.
An image of volunteer groups tree planting with Shropshire Council's outdoor partnerships team.

Outdoor Partnerships volunteer groups tree planting

Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council Cabinet member for culture and leisure, said:

Volunteers play an invaluable role in helping us maintain our beautiful green space in Shropshire.

This taster event will be an easy and friendly way for anyone with a passion for Shropshire’s Great Outdoors to get involved with our teams and current volunteers across the county and to make new friends and huge difference.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our volunteers for the vital role they play.

What do our volunteers think?

With the help of our volunteers at Severn Valley Country Park we have gained the national Green Flag Award for the 15th consecutive year! This is national award that recognises the very best standards in the management of country parks and nature reserves and without the help of our 35 volunteers we would not have been able to achieve this – James Brooks, Countryside Ranger Severn Valley Country Park

A big thank you to the Shropshire Wild Teams and all participants involved it is one of the best learning teams I have ever joined. Thank you again – Wild Team Volunteer

Last Friday, I walked past the gate we installed (my wife wanted to see what the latest madness was that I had been up to). We were looking at the gate and there was an elderly gentleman in the field, walking with the aid of a stick. He had a big smile on his face and asked if we knew who had put the gate in. I explained that we had, and about the P3 groups. He said that we had made his day as it was 15 years since he had been able to get into that field which was just a few minutes’ walk from his house. He asked that thanks be passed to all concerned and encouraged us to keep up our marvellous work – Parish Paths Partnerships (P3 Volunteer)

Nesscliffe Hills and the Cliffe Countryside Heritage is a 70-hectare countryside site which is rich in wildlife and steeped in history and folklore. It is just off the A5, half way between Shrewsbury and Oswestry and has commanding views across the surrounding countryside.

For more information about the volunteer taster event, please visit the Shropshire’s Great Outdoors website.

Please book your place in advance by Thursday 30 May by emailing or calling:

Helen Beresford (Active Volunteering Officer)
helen.beresford@shropshire.gov.uk / 01743 255957 or

Helen Foxall (Healthy Outdoors Coordinator)
helen.foxall@shropshire.gov.uk / 01743 255059