We’re near the end of National Volunteers’ Week, and the RSPB is just one of many organisations that are able to do as much work as they do because of volunteers.
Over 11,000 people have volunteered for the RSPB in the past year, some for just a few hours, others for much, much more. The range of tasks is huge, from helping with a street collection to steering the charity. The RSPB has a salaried board of directors, and their work is steered by a council that is made up of volunteers.
Here at Fen Drayton Lakes, a team of volunteers works with me to run our events programme, meeting and greeting visitors at weekends, or showing people wildlife, while another team works with our warden, managing habitats and monitoring populations of wildlife.
At this time of year, much of their work is “house-keeping” – such as maintenance jobs to sign posts and seats, as well as surveying the breeding birds. Habitat management has to stop during the birds’ nesting season, and then you have to get as much done as possible before winter flooding holds you up.
Volunteers also work in offices, sometimes on quite specialised jobs using their professional skills, and in shops and tea rooms on the reserves that have those facilities. There is a network of 160 local groups around the UK, all of them run by volunteers to provide a range of events in their neighbourhood, raising funds and helping people to enjoy wildlife.
I totted up how many hours volunteers worked with me in the last financial year – it was roughly the equivalent of one person working full time. That is amazing, but then so are these volunteers. I couldn’t manage without them, and you're likely to meet some of these fantastic volunteers if you visit Fen Drayton Lakes at a weekend, or come for one of our events.