4.5 Volunteer and Engagement programme

Are you going to Norwich Science Festival?

We will have a stall at the Festival on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th October – come along and see us there!

September 2021

Work has begun on the Volunteer Hub section of the website. This page advertises volunteering opportunities in the Brecks, as well as acting as a repository for resources useful to both volunteer managers and the volunteers themselves.

As we ease out of the Covid-19 lockdown, volunteering activity across the scheme is really beginning to take shape. You can read more about volunteering in the individual projects by visiting the project webpages but here are just a few examples of what’s been going on so far:

• Last year the River Lark Catchment Partnership’s river restoration volunteers made great progress on the Fullers Mill section of the river.
• The Citizen Science water quality surveyors are assisting the Freshwater Habitats Trust with preparing the first report.
• The River Raiders research volunteers are nearing completion of their Viking history booklet.
• A dozen fearless open-water lifeguards have been trained and have volunteered at the outdoor swimming events.

As the Scheme progresses further, and life continues to return to normal in the wake of the pandemic, we hope that many more volunteers will be recruited, trained, and deployed to help out with everything from practical conservation tasks to archaeological research.

August 2021

We were delighted to receive an invitation to join the local community at Foulden Village Hall’s belated VE/VJ Day Celebration Garden Party on 14^th August. Ellie went out armed with the Breckland Society’s Military History and Cold War publications as well as leaflets and information booklets demonstrating what the Brecks have to offer and how to get involved with BFER projects. It was great to be part of a community celebration and to spread awareness about the Brecks’ Fen Edge and Rivers Landscape Partnership.

Objectives:

• Develop and deliver a series of activities that encourage experience and learning of topics identified within each programme theme.
• Attract a diverse audience including a focus on new and hard to reach audiences
• Signpost further opportunities for involvement to participants
• Create a legacy of improved engagement between scheme partners and non-traditional audiences
• Develop a volunteer base to assist in project delivery
• Manage promotion of volunteering opportunities, recruitment and retention of volunteers
• Organise training and transport for participant to and from BFER events
• Manage Volunteer mailing lists communications, provide information, updates and reports to volunteers.
• Manage volunteer needs and health and safety risk
• Organise 5 annual Scheme-wide celebration events

This project will enable engagement across the BFER scheme. It will link all project activity by developing a Volunteer Management Programme and Delivery Hubs with associated activity programmes that will enable participants to engage in all of the main BFER themes.

There will be three new Learning and Engagement hubs developed at key heritage locations to assist in the delivery of the project and provide opportunities for new and hard to engage audiences to take part in supported family activities focusing on BFER heritage.

It will also deliver the Scheme’s Volunteer Management Programme, that will manage all aspects of the BFER volunteer experience including recruitment, training, Health and Safety, and transportation. It will also include a promotion and communications programme with annual scheme-wide celebration events to foster a positive experience and create a legacy of well trained, experienced, and motivated volunteer pool for the Scheme area.

If you’d like to get involved in this project contact us for more information or to be added to the project mailing list: bfer.admin@suffolk.gov.uk

Interested in volunteering?