Volunteering opportunities
People and nature, thriving together
Volunteers come to Stroud Valleys Project for a wide variety of reasons – to gain skills, to meet people, to have fun, to support our work, or a combination of these. We firmly believe volunteering should be viewed as an exchange, where both sides will benefit from the experience, and recognising these motivations helps us to retain volunteers, often for many years.
“I like coming out with you to help because I learn new things and always feel valued. It makes me feel better about myself.”
How volunteers help
Volunteers are crucial to everything Stroud Valleys Project does – helping to run projects from the office and on the ground, and supporting fundraising activities.
For many of our projects, targets and outcomes given to funders will include a significant contribution from volunteers. This is recognised by funders as match-funding, and gives the volunteer contribution a quantifiable economic value. We base this value on £350 per day for professional contributions, £150 per day for skilled contributions and £50 per day for unskilled.
Making benches - drilling in screws
Practical conservation work
Our Project Officers lead days or half days of outdoor work every week, helping to improve various sites around the Stroud district for wildlife and people.
You might undertake various habitat management tasks, such as cutting back branches by a pond, wearing a pair of fetching waders to clear out a brook, planting wildflowers, footpath work, grass cutting, installing an information board, or building a maternity slow worm hotel.
If you’d like some fresh air and exercise, the opportunity to meet like-minded people, and do something worthwhile at the same time, why not don your wellies, grab a packed lunch and head into the great outdoors with us?
Office-based opportunities
We also have periodical volunteer opportunities within the office and in our eco shop, both in Threadneedle Street. Please contact us to see what we currently have on offer.
Call us on 01453 753358 or visit us at 8 Threadneedle Street, Stroud.
Events volunteering
As ever, we thank the volunteer Events Group for helping us to plan and manage a varied and exciting programme of walks and talks, throughout the year. These events offer us a great opportunity to widen our engagement with the community.
For some, volunteering with us provides an anchor in the week and opens up a new social network in supportive surroundings. This is reinforced, and our appreciation recognised, through volunteer events where staff and volunteers can relax together.
If you want to get involved, why not come along to one of our regular events.
Student placements
If you are a student looking for a work placement we occasionally do have opportunities for both office and outdoor work placements. If you are interested in a placement with us, please get in touch explaining your interests and any relevant experience so that we can match you to any opportunities we might have.
Volunteers learning hedgelaying
If volunteering with us appeals to you, get in touch for an informal chat
To find out all you need to know about being a volunteer with Stroud Valleys Project, you can access our volunteers’ handbook here.
