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Environmental charity Stroud Valleys Project is looking for more unemployed volunteers to sign up and help with planting hedgerows and putting in kissing gates thanks to a £5,000 grant from Gloucestershire County Council.

Director of projects Clare Mahdiyone said: ”We realised that we were getting more inquiries about volunteering since the recession started but had limited staff hours to cover the demand.

“This grant from the county council means that we can now run more practical conservation days for unemployed people who want to learn more about the countryside and leave a legacy like a kissing gate or a new hedge.”

SVP will provide weekly conservation work throughout the district supervised by project officers which gives unemployed people a chance to do something practical in the open air.

“Our experience shows that unemployed people gain a great deal of confidence from working in a team and meeting new people as well as learning different skills,” explained Clare.

Anyone interested should call in at the SVP office at 8 Threadneedle Street next to the Stroud Jobcentre or phone 01453 753358.