There is something for everyone at Clare Castle Country Park. Whether you’re looking to volunteer once a week, once a month or at a one-off event, we would love to hear from you.
Volunteering opportunities include working outdoors with our “greenspace” working parties who meet on a Friday morning to tackle jobs from weeding the butterfly garden to scrub clearance along the old railway line; stewarding at our visitor centre in the former South platform waiting room; taking photos in the Park; helping to maintain our social media; and helping out at exhibitions and events.
If you would like to find out more about volunteering please email info@clarecastlecountrypark.co.uk or call the Park Office on 01787 277902.
So, what could you be doing as a volunteer?
Events Volunteers
There are numerous ways you can get involved, either as a one off or as a regular volunteer. This type of volunteering works well for people who want to volunteer at times that suit them, rather than committing to a regular slot. Events range from outdoor theatre and self guided activity trails to railway exhibitions and rural skills workshops.
Visitor Centre Meet and Greet
We want our Park users to be greeted by a friendly face at our new visitor centre, open from Friday to Sunday. You might be sharing Clare’s rich history, suggesting suitable walks for families or signposting visitors to local facilities. It’s a great way to meet people and you’ll be trained and supported as you learn.
Green Space Maintenance
Our green space volunteers meet on Fridays to carry out a variety of tasks which keep the Park looking good and enhance the natural habitat. Work varies with the seasons and could involve coppicing trees, cutting down nettles or clearing scrub. Sessions are held every Friday morning and include a sociable coffee break.
Other areas that you might want to get involved in:
- Protecting and conserving the Park’s ecology.
- Acting as a Park champion and liaising with other groups in the community who work to make Clare an attractive visitor destination.
- Carrying out ranger duties as you take your regular walk through the Park.
- Supporting the Park’s administration. This might be taking photographs for us, helping with social media or more general administrative tasks.
- Maintaining the N gauge model railway that is due to be installed in our visitor centre later this year.
If you would like to learn more about volunteering with the Trust, please email us at info@clarecastlecountrypark.co.uk, or call the Park Office on 01787 277902 for an informal discussion about the kinds of volunteering that may suit you.
What support can I expect if I volunteer?
- A welcoming support network of fellow volunteers.
- Regular contact with Park trustees and staff to make sure that you’re enjoying your volunteering role.
- Opportunities for training and learning.
Volunteer support is essential to the running of the Park, which receives no government or local authority funding. To illustrate the importance of volunteers to the Trust, they are invited to take part in the selection of two of Trustees.
If you’d like to know more about volunteering with the Trust, please get in touch.