Please find details of the FREE scheme of conservation activities that you can get involved in by clicking on these pdf links: January 2012 February 2012 and March 2012
Volunteers can become fitter and healthier by taking part in these conservation activities to improve our local environment – the North Norfolk Workout Project. You do NOT have to be fit or experienced to join us, in fact we welcome people who have a variety of physical and mental health conditions, and/or limited mobility.
Over the last three months we have been busy with our regular sites such as Southrepps Common and Holt Country Park continuing with wetland management and commencing our winter tree planting campaign. We have also enjoyed newer sites such as Metton Little Fen where, after the job of scrub clearance, we enjoyed an impromptu drumming session and tour of a yurt! In September we also celebrated our 2nd anniversary birthday party which was attended by over 50 volunteers and representatives from the District Council and BTCV. They were all very impressed with the commitment of our volunteers and the practical work we have done all over North Norfolk, and even took part in the reed weaving challenge!
Looking ahead to the coming months we will continue with the planting of native trees on various sites (only 2,000 to go!) and visit some new places such as the Weavers Way footpath in Aylsham and West Runton Common where our ‘hacking back’ skills will be called upon. For geological enthusiasts the group will be back at Wiveton Downs Nature Reserve clearing gorse around an SSSI rock formation, and more wood will be chucked at the Rookery residential home, helping them build their store for the winter. However it is not all hard work, as in March we will take a trip to NWT Hickling Broad Nature Reserve for a nature walk and bird watching.
Setting up the project as a Community Group The big challenge for new year is to help the project set up as a ‘Community Group’ so that volunteers can continue to run the project if the funding for staff runs out in June 2012. This will enable the group to apply for funding from various sources, and involves people stepping forward to volunteer for different roles both for running practical tasks and also for the backup administration work.
The three main roles needed to officially set up a Community Group are a Chairman, Treasurer and Group Secretary. Other roles we are looking to fill are Membership Secretary, Tools Officer, Task Organiser, Task Leaders, Publicity Officer, Social Organiser and Networking Officer. (Please see attached leaflet to give you an idea of what may be involved with each role). These posts can be shared by more than one person so do not feel you are have to do it all on your own! Do not panic, it is more than achievable and there will lots of support from staff on hand and also from the Norwich Community Green Gym who have done this process before. If you are interested in helping out or supporting the development of this group please do come along to our meeting on Thursday 19th January 2012 at NNDC offices at 1-4pm. Sandwiches will be provided!
For our regular tasks you can choose to join in on any Monday, Thursday or Friday, 1-4pm. Sessions are for 3 hours, with a tea break halfway through. If you can’t stay that long, then you are welcome to arrive or leave whenever you like – although it may sometimes be hard to find exactly where we are working, so it can help if you meet us at the start. All sessions are run by a friendly and experienced leader who will provide training in practical skills. Activities range from gentle to strenuous, and you will be encouraged to work at your own level.
Please do contact Fin on numbers below if you have any further questions. There is no need to book, but if possible, please phone us before the first time you come to one of our sessions to let us know that you will be attending. This helps us to ensure we have enough tools for the day. Fin Duncan [North Norfolk Project Assistant]
Tel: 07836624643 (Monday/Thursday/Friday)
Mark Webster [Project Leader] Tel: 01263 516 336 / 07843 069 567
www.btcv.org/norfolk
Countryside Section, North Norfolk District Council, Holt Road, Cromer, NR27 9EN.The North Norfolk Workout Project is delivered by conservation volunteering charity BTCV for North Norfolk District Council with additional funding and support from Natural England through Access to Nature as part of the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces Programme, NHS Norfolk and North Norfolk Community Partnership.
