Duke of Edinburgh Habitat Maintenance and Conservation Volunteering Programme
Project at a glance
Area of focus
Small groups of young volunteers completing their Duke of Edinburgh Awards (DofE) were invited to participate in conservation activities at various habitats across the Evenlode catchment once a month on a Saturday morning. In addition to practical activities, the participants also completed topical homework research projects. Their work not only helped improve the local environment, but also provided them with important life skills and inspiration to pursue interests in this field.
Objectives
We aimed to provide engaging volunteering opportunities for young people between the ages 14-24 on a regular basis, enabling them to achieve their DofE Awards, learn practical conservation skills, build their confidence, and make positive impacts upon their local environment.
Outcomes
35+
young people welcomed to the project
700+
hours of volunteering in the catchment
Rural & conservation skills
introduced to dozens of local young people
Project highlights
Local young people were introduced to a wide range of rural and conservation skills including hedgelaying, tree grafting, bird box building, pond clearing, leaky dam building, and willow weaving.
Several young people opted to continue volunteering with us after they completed the required number of sessions, whilst others went on to volunteer with other organisations, becoming citizen scientists. Many volunteers assisted with our community outreach events, educating the public about the decline of river health, improving their confidence and communication skills, and acting as mentors (consciously or not) for other children.
Lessons learnt
For some young people it has been a challenge to fit the volunteering into their already packed social and school lives. However, as the project has been ongoing for three years, any missed sessions can be made up for in following months.
Future plans
Due to the level of demand, we are seeking additional funding and making links with other local organisations who may be able to offer more volunteering opportunities going forward.
Funding
Total cost: £10,000*
Funded by Thames Water.
*This estimate does not take into account the substantial amount of time that our partners at Cotwolds National Landscape put into building relationships with partners and stakeholders to enable successful session delivery.
