All you wanted to know about volunteering but forgot to ask

On February 22nd I attended the volunteering induction session at The Beacon, Whitehaven. The aim of the day was to give volunteers some background information about the history of the National Trust and to explain what might be described as the 'nitty gritty' of volunteering. If this sounds at all dry, I can assure you it was not. It also gave us a chance to meet volunteers engaged on different projects.

Useful information was given via a power-point presentation, general discussion, and a welcome pack. All very professional as you can see... as it should be because both staff and volunteers are offering a professional service. We were therefore given information about claiming expenses, insurance, accident reporting, and a number of things you may not have considered. We were also told about all the properties in the North Lakes area. You may be surprised how many there are!

I am not trying to give an outline of the day here. No, what I am doing is recommending the NT volunteer inductions as useful, informative and a good way to meet other volunteers. Well done Jean and Jean for organising it!

WIND, RAIN, HAIL...

...nothing stops the hardy National Trust volunteers (except a brief pause for coffee, pies and cake).

If you have recently walked the path between Syke Farm and Buttermere shore you may have noticed some changes to it. The path above the rock step has been improved and the ditch is draining better. This is the work of a small group of NT volunteers.

On a cold, wet January day I joined National Trust Ranger Geoff Medd, a small team , and Theo the collie, to do some remedial work on this busy path. The amount of use it gets was proved by the fact that even on this grim day we met walkers, runners and even a family with a push-chair. The path needs plenty of maintenance because of this heavy use. The fact that it is on a slope does not improve matters as water runs down and breaks us the surface. You may notice pieces of slate let into the path. These help to direct water into the ditch beside the path. As well as working on the these, the volunteers used barrow loads of chippings to improve the path's surface. You should notice an improvement!

Although it was wet, cold, and quite hard work, the day was great fun and I was made very welcome. Volunteering is sociable as well as useful and there are all sorts of different opportunities in our area. Why not find out more?

The weather hasn't stopped us yet!

This is a post from Ranger Roy's blog that will be of interest to many volunteers. You can follow the blog here: http://www.northlakes.blogspot.com/

As I write this, the weather we are having right now reminds me that it sometimes controls the jobs we can tackle. We are now into the fourth day of freezing temperatures. Today is sunny but even in the valleys the temperature will struggle to rise much above freezing throughout the day. Fortunately we were still able to do the planned work last weekend (one of my working weekends) but at times the ground can be just too hard to work.

On Saturday morning I went with three of our regular volunteers up to Watendlath. We replaced a step-stile over a fence to allow access to a walk along the river. It isn’t actually a public right of way (PROW) but the Trust does want it to be accessible for walkers. This was a day that gave us the opportunity to stop and take photographs from Surprise View – you can see why this is a hugely popular viewpoint and the skilled, patient or lucky can take some stunning photos. Actually, you’d probably have to obscure the lens with a finger to take a bad picture!

Surprise View

In the afternoon we moved on to Castlehead. There is a small crag there that we are encouraging outdoor centres to use for children to learn and practice abseiling skills. Because it is a small crag, it isn’t used by experienced climbers so there are no conflicting users. But, it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) so we are limiting the area being used at the top and foot of the crag to minimize both damage to vegetation and erosion. That’s why we were there working on a fence.

That was two good jobs completed on Saturday and on Sunday we tackled another.

This time there were 12 volunteers and we joined Naomi on her foreshore project. There is an access-for-all path that runs from the large car-park through Cockshot Wood to the lake shore. Like many of these paths it was accumulating a surface layer of mud and leaves. If we don’t clear it. vegetation will reclaim the path very quickly. So we set to work and, with a good deal of scraping and brushing, we gave the path its annual clean up. It’s hard, physical work but it does feel good when we look back at a good, clear path.

BBC at work

BBC Look North provided an interesting diversion by coming to film and interview Naomi about working with volunteers on her Derwentwater Foreshore project.

Where better to take a break?

Joint Volunteering Days - National Trust and Fix the Fells.

You may have heard of the Fix the Fells Partnership but maybe not? The lead in the FtFells partnership from January 2012 is the National Trust. National Trust volunteers from the North Lakes property have been involved in joint work parties with FtFells to the benefit of the countryside we all love and strive to protect.

A weblink to the FtFells is attached, please take a moment to have a look at it.

www.fixthefells.co.uk

Fix the Fells and National Trust volunteers have a lot in common, indeed some of the volunteers for Fix the Fells are also volunteers for the National Trust.

FtFells volunteers carry out most of their scheduled maintenance work on upland footpaths unsupervised but regularly go on work parties led by the National Trust upland footpath teams.

In 2011 FtFells volunteers in National Trust terms gifted 1165 days of work to the partnership.

What did we get up to with each other?

Hedgelaying on the Dunthwaite Estate in November.

Ian P a FtFells volunteer working with David who is a volunteer for both.

NT Ranger Joe watches over FtFellers Ian P and Martin.

Christine H prepares the brash for the fire.

In December our next joint venture were much needed drain repairs on the Watendlath to Rosthwaite path in Borrowdale. NT rangers Joe and Dan supervised the works.

One of the problems - a bit broken? FtFells volunteers Ian F, Jane and Peter consider what could be done.

The solution - under the expert guidance of NT Ranger Joe the old drain is dug out and replaced by a larger modern pipe, the water bar is also rebuilt.

New pipe ready to go in - there is always time for a cuppa. A mixture of volunteers from FtFells and NT in shot. Christine H, Ian F FtFells with NT volunteers Phil and Rod plus NT ranger Dan.

During the course of the day, three pipe drains, two water bars were rebuilt with several other drains of varying kinds receiving some TLC.

None of the above could have been achieved in just one day without the joint working and cooperation of the NT and FtFells volunteers led by NT rangers Dan and Joe. A good day was had by all.

Update Since the 10th September 2011

A taste of what the Buttermere countryside volunteers have been up to.

NT Volunteers Phil, Jim and Robin with NT Ranger Joe digging in foundation stones for a dry stone wall in the shadow of Grasmoor.

Well it has been a long while since the last Buttermere Countryside Volunteer post. Just a little catch up for you as to what they have been up to. It will come as no surprise to learn they have been dry stone walling, hedgelaying, drain clearing, digging in stone edges at Wordsworth House, brashing and fencing repairs. It has kept us quite busy. A big thank you goes to the National Trust Rangers Joe, Dan, Jack and Andy we have carried out work for.

A particular mention must go to the Fix the Fells volunteers with whom we had joint work parties just before Christmas at Dunthwaite hedgelaying and Watendlath replacing some broken and worn out pipe drains and water bars on the very poplular path between Rosthwaite and Watendlath. More of those in a further entry at some time.





Phil and Jim hedgelaying on the Dunthwaite Estate.

What do you do when you get safety wellies for Christmas - Yes, Big Puddle in Buttermere, have a paddle. NT volunteer Christine does the work whilst Phil and Jim keep watch safely behind the wall!!

Christine practises the "Buttermere Puddle Dance"

Which works!

NT Ranger Joe with David, Jim and Theo at Wordsworth House.

Its not all work - there is always time for tea. Phil, David, NT Ranger Dan and Geoff take a break at WWH.

If you are going to have a break, what better place could you find?

The Colourful Coast

I suppose it's understandable (perhaps even inevitable) that we immerse ourselves in the happenings on our own patch. So, I'm going to use this post to draw attention to a rather fine part of Cumbria that lies outside the National Park -the fact that I was born and raised there is entirely coincidental and I am completely unbiased in my praise of St Bees Head! It was my personal connection with the headland that first drew my attention to the Trust's work there and I became involved with the Saltom Pit project.

If you have never visited, you are missing a treat. The Trust has been a key agency in the development of what is known as the Colourful Coast project and there has been some great work done to promote access to a stretch of coast between Whitehaven and St Bees. You can read much more at the Colourful Coast website: http://www.whitehavencoast.org.uk/

There are plenty of gentle strolls along country lanes, along the beach, around the harbour and down to the historic Saltom Pit but the more intrepid walkers have a superb, cliff-top walk from St Bees to Whitehaven around the headland with views across to the Isle of Man and Scotland on offer. I'm no longer strong enough to do it and I miss it!

Wendy

All shapes and sizes

What's the use of a volunteer in the Lakes who can't contribute much to an outdoors work-team? Well, here's my work space - my kitchen table.

(I do have a study upstairs but the kitchen is so much more friendly.) I do also work sometimes at a desk in Bowe Barn and the tea there is just as good as mine! One of the advantages of working at home though is that I can take the occasional break to spend with my newish granddaughter in Hong Kong - thank you Skype.

What do I do? I'll have a go at just about any desk job and there are plenty of things falling into that category. Some begin with 'Do you think you could ...?' and I am given the time and space to find a way to do something. So there are some challenges to enliven the days - it beats day-time TV!

So, if you know somebody who can do similar, encourage them to volunteer . I'm sure there will be someone in the Trust who will be glad to have the support. Wendy