Did you know that almost 250 volunteers support the charity caring for Milton Keynes’ parks?
As the autumnal colours spread across the leafy landscapes, The Parks Trust reflects on an amazing summer in the city’s green spaces and wishes to send a message of thanks to their incredible volunteers.
Over the summer months, the Parks Trust volunteers have helped with all sorts – they’ve patrolled the parks and picked up litter, completed wildlife surveys and conservation works, and assisted the Trust’s team in delivering outdoor learning sessions, workshops, and events ranging from family bike rides to wellbeing walks.
A whopping 3,742 hours of volunteer time was recorded between the beginning of June and end of August – that’s 958 hours for nature and biodiversity initiatives, 1,100 hours of park patrols, 948 hours leading Health Walks, 334 hours engaging visitors at park events, and 382 hours dedicated to supporting outdoor learning sessions.
The Trust’s outdoor learning team welcomed thousands of visitors getting closer to nature at 15 Open Mornings at Howe Park Wood, where volunteers supported in the running of 45 craft and bug hunting sessions.
Volunteers leading MK Health Walks have walked a total of about 6,500 miles during the summer period – that’s almost a lap around the moon! If you haven’t heard of MK Health Walks, the programme provides free daily walks created to help improve health across the city.
In a recent video published by the charity, some of The Parks Trust’s volunteers have been explaining what their roles involve and why they love helping to care for the city’s parks.
David Lewis, Recreation and Volunteer Engagement Coordinator at The Parks Trust says “Our volunteers’ dedication over the summer (and throughout the year) is nothing short of inspiring – from supporting nature and biodiversity to helping thousands of MK residents connect with the great outdoors. We’re incredibly grateful not only for every hour they’ve given to Milton Keynes’ parks, but for doing so with so much passion”
If you’d like to find out more about how volunteers support the charity caring for MK’s green spaces, visit their website.
