The start of a new year always brings with it a new sense of purpose and ambition. It’s often a time when people reflect on their lives, what makes them happy and what brings them a sense of fulfillment.
Because of this, charitable giving and volunteering are very popular in January as people look for ways to give back and support organisations and charities that do valuable work in their local communities.
As a charity ourselves, we know the value of volunteering and the huge contribution local people make to our parks, allotments and green spaces by helping us to keep them clean, vibrant and welcoming for everyone.
This January, we’d like to ask you to consider volunteering some of your free time with Urban Green Newcastle in 2022. There are lots of different ways you can get involved.
Volunteer Work Parties
We run regular volunteer sessions across a number of our parks throughout the year. Activities include clearing pathways, tending to flowerbeds, repairing fences, or keeping the parks litter free.
No previous experience is required to take part, but we always love to hear from people that are willing to get stuck in and work as part of a team. You can find more information about our year-round Volunteer Work Parties here.
Urban Green Clean
Established during the coronavirus pandemic in response to the huge increase in people visiting the city’s green spaces, Urban Green Clean is a dedicated team of volunteers that help keep our 33 parks spotlessly clean, ensuring they stay in excellent condition and remain safe and accessible for everyone.
During the height of the pandemic, our Urban Green Clean volunteers did an outstanding job helping to keep our green spaces free from litter, and they continue to be an essential part of our team.
Urban Green Clean is fully subscribed at the moment, but if you’d like to hear from us when more places become available then please register your interest in joining Urban Green Clean in the future.
Urban Green Park Action
If you’re passionate about Newcastle’s green spaces and want to have a say on local issues then Urban Green Park Action may be the volunteering route for you.
Urban Green Park Action is a chance for our park users to tell us the issues that are important to them, and contribute to Urban Green Newcastle’s plans for your parks. Whether you’re interested in a particular park or a key issue like biodiversity, you can sign up to be involved in the discussions that matter to you.
We understand people’s free time is limited, which is why we’ve made getting involved with Urban Green Park Action as easy as possible. You can choose to fill out online surveys, attend public meetings, or join online focus groups about key topics and projects.
Find out more about Urban Green Park Action and how you can help shape the future of Newcastle’s parks.
Friends of Groups
We like to think of our Friends of Groups as part of the Urban Green Newcastle family. These passionate and dedicated groups of volunteers are committed to protecting Newcastle’s green spaces now, and for future generations. If you’re interested in volunteering time at your local park, consider joining the local Friends of Group. You can find details of all the active groups on our website.
As well as supporting with litter picking and caring for our trees, plants and flowers, Friends of Groups also deliver regular events, including local history walks, wreath-making, face painting, and family fun runs. They also support and campaign for important issues such as red squirrel conservation and the climate emergency.
Find out more about your local Friends of Group.
Opportunities for businesses
If corporate social responsibility is important to your business and you’d like to volunteer some of your employees’ time to work with Urban Green Newcastle in our green spaces, we’d love to hear from you.
Our charity is playing an active role in addressing climate change and supporting the UK’s ambition to reach net zero by 2050. We’d love to work with businesses that share our passion for reducing carbon emissions and protecting our vital green spaces.
If you’d like to know more about how your business can support the work of Urban Green Newcastle, please email us via volunteer@urbangreennewcastle.org
Volunteering with Urban Green Newcastle in 2022
We hope the volunteering options above have inspired you to gift some of your time to Urban Green Newcastle in 2022. As a small charity, we recognise the huge contribution volunteers make to our work, and we look forward to welcoming more passionate volunteers into the Urban Green Newcastle family this year.
To talk to us about other ways you would like to volunteer some of your free time with Urban Green Newcastle in 2022, please email us via volunteer@urbangreennewcastle.org