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If your group is going to grow and be effective, and really become part of your local community, then you should be open to all and should look to invite everyone to take part. Some volunteers who work on your projects may not want to join the group or pay a subscription. This should not be a condition of taking part. Very small groups tend to be friends, but as the group grows in size it becomes harder to maintain such relationships with all members. Groups who have become friends need to make sure they welcome new members in; it can be very hard as a new member to join what appears to be a clique. Also groups bring together people from very different backgrounds. It is important that everyone is welcomed and valued. If a project is taking place in a residential area it is likely to attract interest, so think creatively about how other local people can become involved and can feel a sense of ownership for the project. Although everyone who volunteers with you is an individual, an effective publicity plan needs to break people down into categories so you can target them and let them know you exist. The following sections look at some effective ways of working with specific groups of people who you may wish to attract or who may contact you. Ensure that your publicity does not exclude anyone in your community. Your group's image will affect who chooses to volunteer with you. BTCV is currently compiling some more detailed information and advice, based on its experience of working with a wide range of people. Please ask the Community Unit for details. Local PeopleOne of the simplest (though not the easiest) ways of making sure as many people as possible know about the work you want to do it to put leaflets or newsletters through people's doors. Make sure you put them through everyone's doors; don't make value judgements about who you think might or might not be interested. This will ensure you get information to those who don't get to local shops or community facilities because they work, or can no longer get around. It means people who never use the site because they don't know they can, or who are afraid to go there on their own, or who didn't know it was there, are not forgotten. Remember to make it clear to people that you don't just need people to do the practical work. There may be people who have lived in the area for years who know about the history of the site, have records of birds or plants, or pictures of their children playing on the site that will tell you lots about it. Working people may not have a lot of time to give but might be able to help out in other ways with specific skills, contributions from their office or works and so on. Older peopleThere are more people taking early retirement than ever before. At the same time the average age of the UK's population is growing. All this means that there are more older people with time on their hands. Research shows that 20% of older people involved in voluntary work give their time to the environment. They are likely to be experienced and used to work disciplines. Those with office experience may be valuable treasurers or administrators, but remember that they may be joining the group to get away from all that! They may also be able to make time available during the week when volunteers with work commitments are not available. As such, they can be a valuable resource for any group that puts some time into integrating them into the work of the group. Older volunteers are capable of doing a lot of practical conservation work as well as office administration, they may just need extra breaks or work at a slower pace than younger people. Flexible working practices can attract a wider range of volunteers. A conservation group in Denby Dale organises regular weekend practical activities for everyone, but retired members often put in a day or half a day on midweek projects organised whenever they can make it. They help the group keep on top of unexpected maintenance jobs this way. Another simple step to take would be to ensure that people do not have to volunteer for the whole day. There are also a growing number of conservation groups being formed by older people. Contact the following organisations for advice if you are seeking to attract older volunteers. You'll find their details in the contacts section.
The senior citizen residents of Terry Waite House, a sheltered home for the elderly in Newham, East London, are setting up a wildlife area in the grounds of their house. There are no other nature areas in the vicinity and the 35 residents, aged between 60 and 90 years, want to set an example to the local community. Newham Conservation Volunteers have helped dig the pond on the site. Young people'Young people' in this context refers to anyone under the age of 16 years. You may be particularly interested in working with your local school or you may wish to use your site as an educational facility. Equally, young people may form part of your group and come along with parents or other legal guardians. When working with young people the emphasis should be on education, and the safety of the work must be considered carefully. Whatever the situation, a good co-ordinator will look for ways to support young people in a group, not least because it is hoped that a positive experience at an early age will encourage that young person to stay involved and interested in the environment. Anyone who has worked with a team of young volunteers will know how energetic they can be. You need to channel that energy. School parties can also provide certain opportunities. (See Effective Partnerships ). Chorley Youth Green Action in Lancashire works with secondary schools on projects in the local community. The work is done outside school hours, mainly in the summer holidays and with parents. If young children are involved in project work they will need special supervision. For any children under eight years of age this should be by their parents or the adult bringing them, and those adults should be clearly informed of that responsibility. Everyone in your group has a responsibility to prevent the physical, sexual or emotional abuse of all children and young people you come into contact with. When working with young people, always ensure that their guardians or other qualified adults attend to supervise them, and that no adults are ever left alone with children, except in an emergency. If you are working with young people on a regular basis you should take advice on whether any of your volunteers need to have a CRB check (see below). Care should also be exercised in the use of tools, and children should be trained just as adults are. Rough guidelines for use of tools are:
However it is up to parents to decide what is appropriate for their children. Young children and their parents may not be able to work for a full day, so think about introducing flexible working hours. Make sure people know that they can come for perhaps just half a day or a couple of hours, and set aside some aspects of the work that can be done by volunteers working in this way. Conservation work is an important educational experience and should be treated as such. If your members would like to know about running educational activities for local schoolchildren or the children of your members, training courses are available through the Environmental Trainers Network. The Children's Act defines the legal aspects of working with youngsters under the age of 16. Your local Voluntary Action may be able to offer you help with this sort of issue. If a substantial number of young people are getting involved in your group, contact local youth organisations for advice on training supervisors. Working with young people is a skill all its own and a responsibility not to be taken lightly. People with disabilitiesAlmost anyone should be able to take part in conservation work. Sit down and think about your group members at the moment; Caroline has a bad back, Frank's hearing has been going for years, and Jane suffers from asthma. What do you do about it? You make sure everyone is involved in an appropriate way, that the group uses a sack trolley rather than expecting everyone to carry huge stones, that Frank can see you when you are talking to him, and that Jane does not mix the concrete or sweep the tool store out. You can do this without thinking about it because you know these people and what they can and can't do. If someone else with a disability comes along and asks what they can do, discuss your projects with them, their abilities and disabilities, and any special arrangements you may need to make. You may need to experiment between you; most new volunteers aren't quite sure what they will be able to do before they start. Some groups have paid special attention to those people who are less able in one way or another, and find that the extra effort pays off many times over. Larger groups may want to have an equal opportunities policy and accessibility should be a key part of that policy. Whatever the size of your group, there is no reason why your activities should not be made as accessible as possible. The simplest way to start is to put the wheelchair symbol The Cwmbran Countryside Team includes a number of people who have learning disabilities. The group works on a wide variety of projects, including coppicing, boardwalk construction and badger sett reinforcement. They have proved that the standard of their work is exceptional by winning an Esso Community Footpath Award for a circular walk they opened up. There are other groups with special needs, including those with restricted hearing or vision, and they may be keen to contribute their time and energy to conservation work. If you are approached by an organisation working with such a group, make sure you discuss and agree what you can offer them and what facilities they need. If there are any problems it is important that these are resolved in advance. You need to establish a dialogue with such organisations and try to be responsive to their needs when you can. If you are approached by an individual with disabilities, discuss your projects with them, their abilities and disabilities, and any special arrangements you may need to make. Outside groupsMany groups occasionally have the opportunity to work with parties from other organisations. This can be a valuable source of additional volunteer input, but needs careful planning. Any such group should have its own co-ordinator so that you can discuss the other group's expectations in advance. Some groups, such as Venture Scouts or Young Farmers Clubs, may have a fair idea of what they are doing and make a valuable contribution with a minimum of training. Others may need quite a lot of support and assessment. It is important to match the group to the task, so advance liaison is very important. You do not want to spend a whole day looking after a group of people who are not really sure what they are doing, and it is quite possible that they won't want to be there either, if they don't feel relaxed and involved. One way of involving outside groups may be to offer them a specific project to work on, with the guidance and support of two or three experienced volunteers. This kind of work team can be very effective if it is part of a larger project where there is a lot to be done. Grass Roots Conservation Corps in Northern Ireland is one group which has, for many years, worked with young people doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, which provides them with a regular supply of keen volunteers. Outside groups are, of course, quite able to organise their own conservation work and indeed do so all the time. Your group may be able to help by providing tools or advice. Suggesting that they join BTCV will help them gain access to training, insurance and advice on funding. St James' Church in New Brighton has become the focus for activity by scouts, local schools, and church members. They have worked together to turn an unfavourable churchyard site amidst housing estates into a wildlife garden of remembrance. Local people are encouraged to plant shrubs or erect bird boxes as memorials to loved ones. 'Everyone' means everyone!One of the biggest criticisms of conservation and environmental groups is that they are made up of mainly white, middle class people. Some groups disprove this very effectively, and time and effort put into broadening the appeal of your group will pay dividends in increased support. This often becomes an issue for a group when it is working in an area where there is a sizeable ethnic minority population, and some have used this as an opportunity to start to build links.
Broadening the appeal of your group will pay dividends. Start by following the guidelines above that cover involving local volunteers; that way you know everyone has been invited. Take some advice if you are feeling unsure and want to be aware of cultural differences. One example is that Orthodox Jews honour the Sabbath (Saturday) by doing no work and would therefore not consider coming out on a project that day. Develop links with national and local organisations representing black people, for example the Black Environment Network or local cultural centres. Why not arrange to go and talk to any organised groups that meet there, and offer to organise a guided walk or a taster day. Some minority groups may not join in because they are not sure who is allowed to use different areas of land; make sure they feel invited. Contacting the leaders in places of worship, offering to give a talk about your group and conservation can be fruitful. If you are going to do this, find out about their religion beforehand and see if there are links that can be made. The diversity of people living in the UK is huge, so it is vital to talk to the groups you are targeting. Learning is a two way process. You are asking them to learn about practical conservation and you need to be prepared to learn about them. Explore ways in which you may be able to involve members of their community in conservation work. Perhaps you could organise a joint visit to the countryside, or organise a project to coincide with a relevant festival. Some people have suggested that people from ethnic minorities do not get involved in this kind of work because "they have their own interests". Yet many black conservationists have said that they had to work hard to be accepted in their local group and that others have given up after one or two meetings where they felt unwelcome. The bottom line in all this is to treat all people as welcome volunteers. However you approach this issue, one thing is clear - your group won't change its make-up unless you put effort into it. All content copyright © 1986-2008 BTCV Ltd. Registered charity No. 261009 |
- which is internationally recognized as meaning 'fully accessible' - next to all projects in your programme that offer this. If access is not so easy, add a sentence at the bottom of the programme asking people with access difficulties to contact you in advance, making clear they would be welcomed.