Volunteer Handbook
Welcome
Thank you for thinking of volunteering with the East Keswick Wildlife Trust. We hope that this handbook will help to answer any questions you may have about volunteering with us and that it will be a useful reference guide for the future.
We welcome people from all backgrounds, ages, cultures, identities and abilities. In encouraging volunteers, East Keswick Wildlife Trust is committed to developing an organisation in which differing ideas, abilities and backgrounds are valued and everyone is able to participate and contribute.
About East Keswick Wildlife Trust
East Keswick Wildlife Trust was founded in 1992 when the opportunity to purchase Ox Close Wood, a 35-acre part ancient woodland, arose. The Trust raised £25,000 to purchase this valuable habitat which is now managed for the benefit of wildlife and for public enjoyment and involvement.
The Ellikers was purchased in 2014 and is a mosaic of pasture, woodland and fen. Our most recent acquisition in 2023 is Bardsey Fields, 24 acres of grassland and fen in the heart of Bardsey. We could not have purchased these reserves without the support of our local community and their generous donations.
Over the intervening years, the Trust has also agreed to manage privately owned and Parish Council owned land, which includes East Keswick Marsh, Frank Shire’s Quarry and Fitts Field (a nine-acre site of rare, unimproved grassland accessed off Harewood Road and leading to the River Wharfe).
EKWT works to protect wildlife and the countryside, managing and maintaining natural areas within and around the Parish, fostering a better understanding of conservation and wildlife. Volunteers undertake most of the work on our landholdings and nature reserves.
The management and administration of the Trust is carried out by the committee, currently comprising 12 Trustees. More details about the Trustees can be found on our website.
Our Vision
- Work to protect wildlife and the countryside
- Promote enjoyment of the countryside
- Foster a better understanding and appreciation of conservation and wildlife
- Manage and maintain nature areas within East Keswick Parish and surrounding areas
- Promote the education of the public, particularly young people in the understanding, enjoyment and conservation of natural flora and fauna
- Involve local children, local schools, local uniformed groups, and Duke of Edinburgh students
- Carry out surveys of nature in the region and publish the results
- Raise funds for local conservation projects
- Organise events and courses
Why Volunteer
Volunteering with us is packed with all sorts of different tasks. Some examples include controlling invasive species, coppicing, maintaining and erecting fencing, gates and stiles, clearing paths and carrying out wildlife surveys.
Volunteers work alongside our leaders. No experience required.
Without our volunteers, East Keswick Wildlife Trust simply would not be able to function as well as it does. Volunteering not only provides us with a dedicated and loyal army of helpers, it also provides a means for individuals to be engaged with local conservation projects literally on their doorstep. This helps us all to value wildlife and to recognise that it is all around us.
Volunteers come to us for all sorts of reasons: to do their bit, to get healthy, to stay healthy, for the social element, for fun, for the challenge, to learn new skills, to help wildlife, to get out into the fresh air, to learn about wildlife – and occasionally it’s just to give it a go.
Volunteering at home – you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to be an effective and valuable volunteer! We have monitoring projects, newsletters and articles to write, fund raising and clerical work.
Practical Information
Our volunteer days are every Friday.
We meet at the woodstore in Elliker Wood at 9am. The entrance to the wood is between
21 & 23 The Paddock, East Keswick LS17 9EN.
Please bring a drink and packed lunch. We have a coffee break at 11 and usually break for lunch at 1pm. You don’t have to come every week or stay all day; you’d be most welcome whatever time you can afford. Many of the volunteers also gather together at the end of the day in the Old Star in East Keswick to socialise and share the experiences of the day.
It’s best to wear thornproof clothing with long sleeves, long trousers and bring thornproof gardening gloves.
We do provide high visibility vests, helmets and eyewear when these are required, but not safety boots which would be recommended.
Before starting any task, you will be made aware of the team leader, briefed on any risks, what equipment will be required and who is carrying first aid kits.
Health and Safety
Trust responsibilities
The Trust is committed to ensuring that volunteers have any necessary training to run activities as safely as possible. The EKWT Health & Safety document is on the website and contains information on first aid cover, named first aiders and how to report an accident www.ekwt.org.uk. You will be provided with the EKWT risk assessments and the Lone Working policy. There are also copies of the risk assessments in the container at the Ellikers Nature Reserve and in the Trust’s Land Rover.
Volunteer responsibilities
Everyone is responsible for looking after their own safety, their fellow volunteers’ safety and anyone else’s that our activities may affect.
First aid kit location
Accident record sheets are located in all the first aid boxes
Ox Close Wood
In the metal container under the shelter at our charcoal burn area. There is an additional first aid kit in the Land Rover if on site.
Fitts Field
With first aider and in the Land Rover.
The Ellikers
In the large tool container opposite the log store. Additional small first aid kits are also in here for off-site use.
EK Marsh
With first aider.
Bardsey Fields
With first aider.
Defibrillator location
In the Land Rover.
Registration
All our volunteers are asked to register with us by completing a short and simple registration form.
The information is then used to:
• Enable us to contact you and support your volunteering.
• Ensure that you are covered by our insurance whilst working as a volunteer.
The information will be held on our volunteers’ database and is only made available to the appropriate managers/leaders and other volunteers in case of an accident.
Details of any volunteer will be treated as confidential and will only be used for the purpose of volunteer management at East Keswick Wildlife Trust. Details will not be passed on to any third party without the consent of the individual concerned.
Please refer to the East Keswick Wildlife Trust data policy on our website for further information.
Feedback
Please do let us know if any aspect of your volunteering experience could have been better so that we can make improvements.
Contact Us
If you have any further questions about volunteering with us, please contact us at:
T: 07999339147
E: info@ekwt.org.uk
More information about the Trust can be found on our website www.ekwt.org.uk
