29th May 2024

We’d like to take the opportunity to say a huge thank you to the Colne Valley Volunteers as well as all the other amazing volunteer groups helping to look after our beautiful regional park!

Volunteers’ Week takes place this year between 3rd and 9th June year and is a time to recognise and thank our outstanding volunteers.  People from all walks of life around the UK have taken the time to volunteer and made a huge difference to people and their communities.

We’d like to take the time to recognise our volunteers that have helped during the last 12 months.

What have the Volunteers Been Doing?

We have many different types of volunteers, here are some more details on what the different groups have achieved this year.

River Rangers

The River Rangers work to monitor, preserve and improve rivers throughout the Colne Valley. This has involved:
  • Surveying and monitoring a range of invasive species including floating pennywort, Himalayan balsam, Giant Hogweed, and Japanese Knotweed.
  • Remove invasive species from lakes, rivers and land so to protect native wildlife populations.
  • Monitoring water quality through Riverfly surveys and pollution surveying.
As well as our dedicated river rangers, we have also had invaluable support from a range of other groups who have volunteered with us. These include groups of Brunel University Students, Hemel Hempstead Canoe Club, and angling groups throughout the Colne Valley.
Many challenges have presented themselves over the last year, especially in light of declining water quality conditions due to sewage discharge, which as well as damaging our rivers ecosystems, has prevented our river rangers from carrying out river monitoring and conservation activities. We are grateful for their continued dedication despite these challenges and encourage everyone to keep speaking up about the destructive way our rivers are being treated in the hope this will drive action to protect them!

Find out more about the River Rangers Project here including how you can sign up to join them.

Cattle Checkers

As part of our conservation grazing project, last year we had cattle grazing on 2 sites with our team of trained cattle checkers checking on the animals, their fencing and their water supply to help make this project a success.

Click here to find out more about our

Conservation Grazing Project 

Local businesses making a difference to the Park

We are very grateful to all the local companies who support us with our important work to enhance the Colne Valley countryside for the benefit of both people and wildlife. Find out more about how your company could get involved to help to make a difference to your local environment and what the benefits are for businesses.

How your company can join these amazing local companies and become a Corporate Supporter

The Friends of the Colne Valley Park

Our Friends Committee volunteer to administer and run “The Friends”; helping to organise walks, talks, children’s events and the Colne Valley Festival Fortnight, alongside taking part in conservation activities.

Find out more about The Friends of Colne Valley Park here

See here for the latest volunteer events and outdoor activities take a look to see what is coming up and come and get involved.

Become a ‘Friend of the Park   – Join our group of ‘FRIENDS’ who care about the future of this special Regional Park. Read more about the benefits and details on how to sign up.

We would also like to thank the board and trustees of the Colne Valley Park for their time, energy, commitment and huge passion in preserving and enhancing the Colne Valley Park.

Helping Us Make Volunteering Possible

Organising volunteers is a big task in itself.

Firstly we need to give a special mention to our energetic volunteer organisers who go the extra mile to organise the volunteer tasks, working long hours and on weekends. It is a big responsibility to keep everyone on task, safe and to keep on top of the legislation. We take our hats off to Lara and Jess who between them have led all our recent volunteering sessions and been an inspiring example. Each task has to be risk assessed, advertised and led, then tools and equipment checked and washed before the next session.

Lara

Jess

Thank you to all the other Volunteers in the Colne Valley Park

And we also need to give credit to the many other volunteers in the Colne Valley Regional Park, for example, the Hillingdon litter pickers, Iver Volunteers at Work, Staines Litter Pickers and all those who volunteer with our partners and landowners like the Wildlife Trusts, Nature Reserves and the Councils.

Please Donate:

We need your help to continue to run volunteer activities

Donate here

One of the most valuable ways in which you can help us make volunteer events possible is to donate.

There is strength in numbers and your donations can make a real difference in our efforts to protect and preserve the Colne Valley Regional Park.

If you would like to support the park with our endeavours then find out here about the many ways you can get involved and help.

Thank you Again