It’s been said many times before, but volunteers really are crucial to the work that the RSPB does. Here at Rainham, annual volunteer hours typically equate to an extra 10 full time members of staff. And many of our volunteers have been with us for a long time, and really know the reserve well – so much so they can often plan their own work programmes.
Our volunteers get involved in all aspects of our work, including habitat management, surveys, working in the shop and cafe, teaching, leading guided walks, and even doing electrical and engineering work. Quite often they challenge us to do things differently or to do things better, and where we can, we provide training and development for our volunteers, and that’s a healthy relationship.
Andrew Gouldstone, Site Manager
Volunteers are an absolute godsend for us, we really couldn’t survive without them. The sheer willingness of all of our volunteers to help out in the cafe, and work under busy and (sometimes stressful) conditions always surprises me. Without volunteers the cafe would not be able to run on the system we currently have, which would mean we would require a lot more staff; which in turn would mean that since 100% of our profits are put straight back into conservation, there would be less available money for the reserves to use in order to continue their outstanding work. The environment created by having such a variety of people as customers means that everyday there is something new going on and yet our volunteers still manage the challenge brilliantly and with good cheer. So, to put it simply, if we didn’t have volunteers the cafe would not be able to run, and probably wouldn’t be here today...
Caroline Drewitt, Catering Manager