Do you want to take part in a hands-on, practical conservation day, with a group of colleagues from the organisation you work with? A TCV Community Engagement Day is a bespoke project that we can set up for you, especially for this purpose.
Over the past few years we’ve arranged these locally for employees from organisations as diverse as NatWest, the Thames Valley Housing Association, OVO Energy, Lindt, Lloyds Bank and Twinings. We’ve arranged these activities for groups of between seven and 200 people. They can last from a half-day upwards, on either a one-off basis or a regular one over a number of months. (If you’d rather volunteer with us on your own, or with up to six colleagues, you’re also very welcome to simply join in with one of our regular project groups instead.)
What can we do?
We can offer projects that support the protection and enhancement of local biodiversity, mitigate the effects of climate change, or help to improve access or interpretation of green spaces to enable people to enjoy them more. They can include activities such as rebuilding dry-stone walls, managing woodlands, restoring heathlands, hedge-laying, improving public access (via path, step, fence, stile and boardwalk construction and maintenance), caring for community gardens and planting hedges and trees. We provide on-site, informal training and guidance as part of our delivery of projects, to ensure that everyone can make a personal contribution to them and learn through this process too.
Owning no land ourselves, TCV works in partnership with a wide range of land managers, from local authorities and other public bodies, through to community groups, schools and private landowners, to locate projects that match the abilities of those taking part and which suit the needs of their employers in terms of outcomes, locations and availability.
What do you do?
TCV provides all the tools and equipment needed and arranges for insurance cover and refreshments for tea breaks etc. All our projects are run by fully trained Project Leaders. We provide activities that are worthwhile and delivered in a professional but fun, friendly and positive way, which can cater for people with a wide range of abilities. We offer the opportunity for groups of employees to spend time carrying out valuable projects together in an informal and relaxed atmosphere, enabling them to get to know one another better.
In terms of the specifics of what we do provide, the following lists some of these:
- All the tools and equipment needed
- Any personal protective equipment required, such as gloves, hard-hats, etc
- Provision of fully trained Project Leaders; typically at least two, depending on the size of the group
- An activity run at a time/place to suit you
- Personal & public liability insurance
- A site briefing, covering the site, the work, the tools & equipment, health & safety and safeguarding
- Refreshments, such as tea, coffee and biscuits; people needs to bring/buy their own lunch, although we can arrange for it to be supplied for an additional cost
- Transport up to 10 people to and from a central location and the work-site in one of our our minibuses, if required
- Toilets can be arranged, if requested/needed, at an additional cost
- If any materials are required, we normally arrange for these to be supplied by the land owners/managers, although some companies like to make a contribution towards these, especially for projects being delivered on behalf of another charity or community group
- A professionally delivered, fun and worthwhile activity, which makes a difference locally and enables colleagues to engage in a more informal and inclusive way that might not always be possible in the normal work environment
All our projects are fully risk assessed and TCV is registered with the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme CHAS and the Gangmasters Licencing Authority.
At the end of your event, we hope you’ll have had a great time and will consider coming back again, or for the individuals taking part to want to find out more about conservation volunteering in their own time.
Anything else?
Yes. We do ask you to cover our costs for setting a Community Engagement Day up. The Conservation Volunteers is a registered charity. A lot of our work is carried out in disadvantages areas, working with people who face a wide range of challenges and often struggle to find work. As a charity, we want to ensure that our own resources are focused where they’re most needed. We love to partner with people employed by a wide range of companies, but feel we should ask for the latter to cover our costs, whilst we help them to support their own employee’s development and help them to reach their Corporate Social Responsibility or other targets. This helps us ensure that our own resources can be used with others who aren’t in a position to do this. We hope you understand and appreciate the reasons for our approach.
Further Information
If you would like to discuss your needs in more detail, please contact us for further information using our online form. Alternatively, contact:
Alan Marchant
Operations Director – South, 1st Floor, 21 John Street, London, WC1N 2BF
07801 686044
a.marchant@theconservationvolunteers.org.uk