Bedford Borough Volunteering - What’s On
October - December 2018
Dear volunteers, Now that the blazing summer has passed, welcome to our final quarterly guide for 2018! We will be sharing the fantastic successes of multiple Bedford Borough parks receiving Green Flag Awards this year as well as bringing you all the usual information on volunteering opportunities you require.
As you may know, Bedford Borough Council support around one hundred Community Clean Up events every year. Last financial year, 2,086 bags of rubbish were collected at Community Clean Ups or by volunteer Community Champions - this resulted in almost 14,000 hours of community and park volunteering being recorded! If you think that your parish would benefit from a Community Clean Up event, we would love to support you through the process. We can loan equipment and arrange waste collection as well as help to promote your event. If you would be interested in this opportunity, please get in touch at [email protected].
1 News & Success Stories
The Events & Community Engagement team would like to invite each and every one of our wonderful volunteers to our Volunteer Celebration Evening on 20th November at the Pavilion at the Park, as a thank you for all your voluntary support in our parks and open spaces this year.
Light refreshments will be provided by the Pavilion. If you are able to come along, please do get in touch with your name, email address, and if you are bringing a guest, so that we can ensure we cater for all. 20th November 2018 - 6pm-9pm - The Pavilion at the Park, Bedford Park
Renhold Brook Clean Up
Local volunteers, in partnership with The Wildlife Trust and the Council’s Events & Community Engagement team, recently took part in a successful clean up of Renhold Brook in Bedford (on a very hot day!). Amongst the rubbish pulled from the brook, we found: 21 supermarket trollies, 8 bicycles ...
… a trampoline, an office chair, a television, a laptop, a ladder and numerous bags of litter! If you would like to get involved in a similar event in the future or can suggest another problem area, send an email to [email protected].
2 News & Success Stories
Green Man Community Garden, Addison Howard Park, Kempston
In spite of this summer’s heatwave doing its best to scorch our parks and greenspaces, the volunteers at the Green Man Garden in Kempston managed to keep it looking colourful and vibrant.
The Garden welcomes visitors at any time, and is maintained by a dedicated group of Park Champions all year round. If you would like to get involved, organised sessions are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings each week, from 10am to 12pm.
3 Green Flag Awards
Mowsbury Hillfort & Putnoe Wood
The Mowsbury Hillfort scheduled monument and county wildlife site, including Putnoe Wood, has achieved the prestigious Green Flag Community Award. This is a sign that this lovely greenspace boasts the highest possible environmental standards, has excellent public accessibility, and is exceptionally well-cared for by the Friends of Mowsbury Hillfort and Putnoe Wood volunteer group. Here at Bedford Borough Council we are thrilled on behalf of the group and would like to say congratulations and thank you to the Friends.
The Friends of Bedford Cemetery are seeking volunteers!
Would you like to volunteer at a unique heritage site in Bedford? Volunteers are at the heart of supporting the Cemetery and new members of the group are always welcomed. There are many ways to volunteer at the Cemetery, including: gardening and maintenance; carrying out research; updating the Cemetery website; event support; guides for visitors to the site, and more. No previous experience is needed, just a willingness to get involved. If you are interested in becoming a Friend, please email [email protected] or telephone 01234 718150. Alternatively, simply drop in on aThursday at 11am, when you will find the volunteers having a well-deserved tea break and a chat!
4 Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services
Friends of Harrold-Odell Country Park
We are incredibly pleased to announce that the Friends of Harrold-Odell Country Park volunteer group have been recognised with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services - the highest award dedicated to volunteer groups of an exceptional standard who deliver a first-class service within their communities. The Friends were notified in autumn last year that they had been nominated for the Queen’s Award. They were then visited at the park by an independent assessment committee of three Deputy Lord Lieutenants of Bedfordshire; a range of matters were discussed between the Friends’ Committee and the assessment committee, including the Friends’ constitution, financial matters, voluntary activities in the park, community links and benefits, links to other groups and the Local Authority, and special projects funded through donations. Here at Bedford Borough Council we are very proud to support the Friends of Harrold-Odell Country Park and would like to congratulate the group on this wonderful achievement and all their time and efforts that have gone towards it. A special thank you also goes to park staff Janet and Richard, who tirelessly support the Friends. See overleaf for a selection of photos from the award presentation evening.
5 Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
Harrold-Odell Country Park
6 7 Bedford Borough Volunteering - What’s On
October - December 2018
Here you will find a guide to the volunteering sessions happening from Key October to December. Park Friends/Champions Thank you for your continued hard work and support - you make a real difference to our community. Contact details for group coordinators can Litter Picks be found on page 10 -- if you would like to get in touch with them to find Events out more about any of the sessions.
Park Friends/Champions Groups
Equipment Volunteer/Friends Group Location Day Time Contact required info@fosterhill Bedford Cemetery, 9:30am- Friends of Bedford Cemetery Thursday Sturdy shoes roadcemetery. Foster Hill Road 12pm co.uk
Monday* 10am- Bromham Mill/ 12:30pm Bromham Lake Nature Gardening (unless Bromham Conservation Group Reserve (please see gloves & Peter Argyle Wednesday otherwise Bromham parish sturdy shoes (3rd of stated on website for details) each website) month)†
Sunday** Friends of Harrold-Odell Country Harrold-Odell Country 10am- Monday נ Sturdy shoes Janet Munro Park Park 3:30pm
The Higgins Gardens Volunteers The Higgins Gardens Monday* 1-3pm Sturdy shoes Antaya Lendore
The Green Man Monday Green Man Community Garden Community Garden, Wednesday 10am-12pm Sturdy shoes Katie Lewis Volunteers Addison Howard Park Friday Friends of Mowsbury Hillfort & Mowsbury Hillfort & Wednesday 1:30-4pm Sturdy shoes Andy Wilkins Putnoe Wood Putnoe Wood Monday* 9am-3pm Priory Country Park Volunteers Priory Country Park Thursday 9am-3pm Sturdy shoes Jon Bishop Sunday** 9am-3pm St. Augustine's Residents East Lodge, Bedford Sunday** 10am-12pm Sturdy shoes Lindsey Cebula Association Park
* First Monday of each month. ◊ Last Monday of each month. ** First Sunday of each month.
† December’s session date subject to change. Please check with group contact.
8 Bedford Borough Volunteering - What’s On October - December 2018 Community Clean Ups & Events Location Date Time Contact
Tavistock Road - meet outside 1st October 10am-12pm Katie Lewis Sainsbury’s [email protected] Midland Road - meet outside The 2nd October 1pm-3pm Katie Lewis Woolpack, Commercial Road [email protected] Poets Area, Bedford 13th October 10am-1pm Cllr Colleen Atkins [email protected]
Newnham 13th October 10am-1pm [email protected]
Great Barford - meet at Village Hall 14th October 10am-1pm Joanne Lee [email protected]
Stevington 20th October 10am-12pm Tricia Lennie [email protected] Stagsden 20th October 10am-12pm [email protected]
Thurleigh 27th October 10am-12pm [email protected]
Great Denham - meet at Community 2nd December 10am-12pm Anna O’Meara Hall [email protected]
Community clean ups are a great way to serve your local community and your environment, even if you can spare just an hour of your time. All equipment is provided, meaning all you have to do is turn up and make a difference! Litter picking is usually a safe activity for youngsters, but if you would like to bring children with you please do let us know at [email protected] so that we can advise on safety guidance and ensure children’s equipment is provided. Children should be supervised whilst undertaking volunteering activities. Location/Event Date Time Contact
Abbeyfields Roundabout - 27th October 10am-12pm Katie Lewis Volunteer Task Day [email protected] Abbeyfields Roundabout - 17th November 10am-12pm Volunteer Task Day Volunteer Celebration Evening, The 20th November 6pm-9pm Pavilion at the Park, Bedford Park
N.B. The Abbeyfields Roundabout Task Days are not suitable for under-16s.
9 Volunteer Group Contact Details
Group/Organiser Contact name Contact email / telephone
Litter Pick Information Line Katie Lewis 01234 228759 / [email protected] Bromham Conservation Group Peter Argyle, Secretary 01234 822698 / [email protected] St Augustine’s Residents Association Lindsey Cebula [email protected]
Priory Country Park Volunteers Jon Bishop [email protected]
Friends of Mowsbury Hillfort & Putnoe Andy Wilkins & Dave Parratt contact@putnoemowsburyfriends. Wood org.uk
Friends of Harrold-Odell Country Park Janet Munro [email protected] / 01234 and Country Park Volunteers 720016 Green Man Garden Volunteers Katie Lewis [email protected]
The Higgins Garden Volunteers Antaya Lendore [email protected]
Friends of Bedford Cemetery - 01234 718150 / [email protected]
We hope you enjoy this edition of our What’s On guide and find it useful - if you have any success stories or news related to your volunteering, do get in touch at [email protected] and let us know! Overleaf you will find a handy calendar guide for all listed sessions and events.
10
7 Priory Task Day / / TaskDay 7Priory Day Task SARA Litter Barford Great 14 Pick 21 28 Sun
Abbeyfields Abbeyfields
/ /
Thurleigh Litter Litter Thurleigh
6 Litter Area Poets 13 Litter Newnham / Pick Pick Litter 20Stevington Litter / Pick Stagsden Pick 27 Pick Roundabout Task Day Volunteer Sat
5 GMG TaskDay 5GMG Day Task GMG 12 Day Task GMG 19 Day Task GMG 26 Fri
4 Friends of BC Task BC of 4Friends Day Task Priory / Day Task BC of 11Friends Day Task Priory / Day Task BC of 18Friends Day Task Priory / Day Task BC of 25Friends Day Task Priory / Day Thu
3 GMG Task Day / TaskDay 3GMG Day Task MH&PW / Day Task GMG 10 Day Task MH&PW / Day Task GMG 17 / Day Task MH&PW TaskDay BCG / Day Task GMG 24 Day Task MH&PW / Day Task GMG 31 Day Task MH&PW Wed
What’s On What’s
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2 Midland Road Litter Litter Road 2Midland Pick 9 16 23 30 Tue
/ /
BCG Task Day Task BCG
/ /
GMG Task Day TaskDay GMG
1 1 Litter Rd Tavistock Pick TaskDay 8GMG Day Task GMG 15 Day Task GMG 22 / Day Task GMG 29 TaskDay HOCP Mon October 2018 October 11
4 Priory Task Day / / TaskDay 4Priory Day Task SARA 11 18 25 Sun
3 10 Abbeyfields 17 Roundabout Task Day Volunteer 24 Sat
2 GMG TaskDay 2GMG TaskDay 9GMG Day Task GMG 16 Day Task GMG 23 Day Task GMG 30 Fri
1 Friends of BC Task BC of 1Friends Day Task Priory / Day Task BC of 8Friends Day Task Priory / Day Task BC of 15Friends Day Task Priory / Day Task BC of 22Friends Day Task Priory / Day Task BC of 29Friends Day Task Priory / Day Thu
/ TaskDay 7GMG Day Task MH&PW / Day Task GMG 14 Day Task MH&PW / Day Task GMG 21 / Day Task MH&PW TaskDay BCG / Day Task GMG 28 Day Task MH&PW Wed
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What’s On What’s
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6 13 20Volunteer Evening Celebration the at pavilion The Park Bedford Park, 27 Tue
/ TaskDay 5GMG TaskDay BCG Day Task GMG 12 Day Task GMG 19 / Day Task GMG 26 TaskDay HOCP Mon November 2018 2018 November 12
Priory Task Task Priory
SARA TaskDay SARA
/ /
/
Great Denham Litter Litter Denham Great
2 2 Pick Day 9 16 23 30 Sun
1 1 8 15 22 29 Sat
TaskDay 7GMG Day Task GMG 14 Day Task GMG 21 28 Fri
Task BC of 6 Friends Day Task Priory / Day Task BC of 13Friends Day Task Priory / Day Task BC of 20Friends Day Task Priory / Day 27 Thu
/ TaskDay 5GMG Day Task MH&PW / Day Task GMG 12 Day Task MH&PW / Day Task GMG 19 / Day Task MH&PW TaskDay BCG 26 Wed
What’s On What’s
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4 11 18 25 Tue
/ TaskDay 3GMG TaskDay BCG Day Task GMG 10 Day Task GMG 17 24 31 Mon December 2018 13