Parks Volunteers and Friends Groups
Our Green City volunteers
Volunteers make an important contribution to keeping our parks and open spaces green and tidy for everyone to enjoy.
Our volunteer programme aims to increase the ways in which people can get involved and contribute to maintaining and improving our green open spaces as well as supporting local communities. Volunteering can also help you gain skills and increase confidence.
We can supply or loan equipment and offer training or advice in areas like managing health and safety or safe use of tools as well as guidance in conservation management
There are several ways you can get involved and volunteering opportunities.
Joining or starting a ‘friends’ group
Friends groups are community run groups that help with all aspects of looking after a local open space. This can include practical tasks such as maintenance and litter picking or applying for grants or running fundraising events to help with park improvements. There may already be a friends group for your local park. For more information visit our Parks Friends Group page
Conservation volunteering
There are many ways you can get involved in helping to look after our green spaces including removing invasive plants, raking over wildflower areas, species surveying or litter picking, and these activities take place across the city so if transport is not available, there should be a task happening near you.
We are asking for volunteers to register for our email alerts so we can provide details of tasks as they arise, including the level of physical fitness required for particular tasks. We can also let you know of other events taking place. Please complete the form below.
Monitoring and recording
Biological recordings are really helpful as they provide information about the population of certain species and the health of the habitats around the city. Species monitoring usually requires a long term commitment although there are opportunities that require less time commitment such as 'The Big Garden Birdwatch' and 'The Big Butterfly Count'. There are also one off recording events, 'Bioblitz', that take place over one day at various sites around the city
Corporate social responsibility volunteering
Our parks and open spaces offer a wide range of corporate volunteering opportunities for businesses and groups who are keen to improve their local environment. Tasks could include path construction or clearance, pond clearance, woodland maintenance and seasonal planting.
Litter picks
Litter picks take place all over the city and are organised by friends or community groups, individuals or by the City Services Engagement Team. There are regular litter picks at different sites around the city or ones that just take place when the need arises. We also have some amazing residents that litter-pick regularly around their neighbourhood, either on their own or with family members.
Leading walks
Helping others to enjoy our open spaces by leading a guided walk. We can offer training to increase your confidence/knowledge of a particular area.
Enquire about volunteering
If you are interested in volunteering, or would just like some more information, contact the Engagement Officers through the following form:
Before you fill in this form
You won't be able to save this form to complete later, so please allow yourself at least five minutes to fill in the form.
Helping out at The Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre (UWC)
The Hawthorns UWC offers information and advice about local wildlife and how we can improve our environment to prevent further decline of our native species. You don’t have to be a wildlife expert as there are lots of opportunities to get involved.
