The charity was originally founded as the Staffordshire Nature Conservation Trust by a group of dedicated and passionate volunteers back in 1969. The rest as they say is history, and today over 400 volunteers help all over the county. 

There are a wide variety of tasks that volunteers are involved with; completing practical tasks on reserves, helping in charity shops, administration, proofing the magazine and preparing materials for activities and events. 

“We simply couldn’t run the charity without our incredible volunteers and we thank them all for generously giving up their time. Many of them have been with us for years, longer than most staff!” said Jeff Sim, Head of Nature Reserves and Species Recovery. 

National Volunteers’ Week celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and runs from Monday 3 June to Sunday 9 June. Each and every one of the Trust’s volunteers is equally valued, and while it’s hard to single out any particular volunteers it seems fitting to mention Dave and Gail, who are among the Trust’s longest helping volunteers. This year marks 23 years of them volunteering with the charity, helping maintain the beautiful grounds of The Wolseley Centre, the Trust’s headquarters near Rugeley. They began helping out when the Trust took on the site back in 2001.

Dave is a retired engineer and says, “Volunteering keeps me fit and active. It’s the problem solving and creativity of doing different tasks I enjoy. It’s an incredibly satisfying place to spend time. I remember one of our first tasks was making bird boxes, and moments after installing one in a big beech tree, a blue tit began scoping it out as a nesting site, just incredible!”

Both helped create the sensory garden not long after the site opened, reimagining the dilapidated ruins of the old formal gardens into a place where people can wander enjoying the sights, feel and scents of all the plants.

Gail says “I loved this place the moment I stepped foot here, and have always loved nature so really wanted to help out. I also enjoy the social side of it, many of the other volunteers have been here for years so we really enjoy each other’s company. I really love seeing the kingfishers too, they’re one of my favourite sights while I’m at Wolseley.”

Jeff adds, “With 43 nature reserves covering over 4,000 acres the to-do-list is never ending. Volunteers all over the county help us keep these spaces good for nature and people. They fix and repair footpaths, bridges and fences, manage bracken, litter pick, scrub and coppice trees. We’ve also got a great team of wildlife surveyor volunteers. They help us with the important task of tracking bird species on our reserves.

“Our charity shops are a vital source of funding for our work and they couldn’t open each day without our committed volunteers. We have volunteers helping in our offices too, practically every area of the Trust runs smoothly thanks to people generously giving their time.”  

The Trust is currently searching for new helpers and is encouraging people to register their interest. There are a number of opportunities available, with applications remaining open until 28 June. Those who are interested in can find more information: www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/volunteering-opportunities