Volunteering Opportunities in Sheffield's Parks and Green Spaces

Do you have any free time that you can give up to help improve Sheffield's parks and green spaces?

 

Would you like to do occasional voluntary work or join a local 'Friends of' group?

 

Volunteering is a great way to:

 

     

At the Parks and Countryside Service we offer a variety of opportunities for volunteering in a number of different areas across the service.  You can volunteer with us on a regular basis, through a placement opportunity for example, or as a one off such as on a community tree planting event. 

 

Listed below are some of the areas where we work with volunteers.  Volunteering with the Parks and Countryside Service is always popular and if you contact us we will try to accommodate you but this may not always be possible in certain areas of the service.

 

If you would like some assistance, general information or to register your interest in volunteering please contact us.

 

 

The Ranger Service delivers practical conservation work in green spaces across the city and throughout the year.  The service generally requires a regular commitment from volunteers and offers placements that can include event support, administration, community liaison and practical work, etc.  Prospective volunteers need to contact us for details and please bear in mind that this type of volunteering is very popular!

 

 

Parks and Countryside organise and deliver health walks throughout the City under the direction of the Green Spaces for Health team. Volunteers can assist with this project by being trained to organise, support and deliver health walks in local communities and/or across the city.  You can also just join in on the walks as a participant and enjoy our lovely parks, woodlands and green spaces!

 

 

The River Stewards are based on the River Don and frequently work with volunteers on clean up and landscape improvement work to the River banks.  The stewards are always on the lookout for volunteers to help on their work days so please contact us for more information about how you can help.

 

 

We are able to offer occasional tree planting opportunities during the winter months (from Nov to March) with the Community Forestry Team.  The events are usually one off tree planting events with local communities but (as with all of our volunteering opportunities) full training and support will be given on the day.  The events are often open to the public to join in and new volunteers are always welcome to come and help us replenish Sheffield’s fantastic tree heritage.

 

 

Graves Animal Farm offers livestock management experience for a limited number of placement volunteers.  The farm is the only team within Parks and Countryside offering volunteering opportunities for those under the age of 17 years old - the minimum age for volunteers at the farm is 14 years old.

 

 

There are occasions when one off practical clean up and landscape improvements projects are arranged by our Growing Together team.  These work days often involve for example clearing allotment plots or making general improvements to allotment sites.  The work can be quite physical but extremely rewarding and volunteers are guaranteed to be able to positively identify a number of common weeds at the end of each session!

 

 

Friends of local parks often organise practical conservation sessions.  Groups are also often involved in fundraising, lobbying, community engagement, consultation, planning and event organising, etc. Friends of Groups are always on the lookout for and welcome new volunteers (please note you should contact us us in the first instance but you will not be volunteering with the Parks and Countryside Service).

 

 

Hillsborough Walled Garden can accommodate a small number of volunteers wanting to gain some horticulture experience.  As there is only a small number of opportunities available the  team are often working to capacity but please contact us to see what is available.

 

 

The Ecology Unit can offer a limited number of placement opportunities for those interested in classifying, cataloguing, surveying and monitoring local flora and fauna.  Volunteers can help us to meet Sheffield's Biodiversity Action Plan targets.

 

 

The events team have a very limited number of placement opportunities for students who are studying leisure or event management.  The can offer placement experience of event support and management and occasional one off opportunities for event stewarding.

 

 

The Ecclesall Woods Sawmill is a project turning the sawmill site into a working woodlands area with craft workshops and visitor/retail facilities.  The Sawmill team often carry out one off practical activities and events to help improve the site.

 

 

Programmes for Cycle for Health are launched periodically and volunteers can join in to support the project at any time and enjoy cycling our parks!

 

 

The Parks and Countryside Service work with small groups of corporate volunteers across the service and if you think this may be something your company may be interested in please contact us for more information.

 

 

Please contact us for more information about volunteering or use the form available to download at the bottom of the page for more information to be sent to you.

 

You can post the form to:

Joanne Buck, Assistant Community Partnerships Officer, Parks and Countryside, Meersbrook Park, Brook Road, Sheffield, S8 9FL

 

Alternatively you can email Joanne Buck, Assistant Community Partnerships Officer at:

 

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