Volunteer Opportunities
Join our volunteer team
There are lots of different ways you can get involved with volunteering. Whether you can spare a few hours or a full day, volunteering is a chance to make a real difference to local wildlife whilst learning new skills, making new friends and increasing your knowledge of wildlife conservation or education. The time you give makes a huge difference.
Please see below for details of current volunteering opportunities. Our opportunities change regularly, so please check back again if you cannot find a location or role that you are looking for.
Once you have found the perfect role for you, please download and complete the application form and send it to volunteering@lrwt.org.uk or complete the online application. We will then guide you through the next stages of signing up as a volunteer.
If you can't find the right volunteering role for you, we would still be interested in speaking to you about other ways that you may be able to support us. For example, you may wish to become a wildlife ambassador for your local community or you may have an idea for fundraising. However you would like to get involved, we would love to hear from you! Please email volunteering@lrwt.org.uk
Current Volunteer Opportunities
Practical reserve management for West Reserves
We are looking for practical conservation volunteers to help us deliver the habitat management work required on our reserves in the west of the county. Our reserves require management in order to halt or reverse successional processes. Left unmanaged, our grasslands and heathlands would revert to woodland and we would lose the wildlife which favours the aforementioned habitats. Even our woodlands require management to create and maintain structural diversity and encourage a broad range of species.
Please note that due to the nature and location of our reserves, there are no facilities on site.
Tasks involve:
Our work is responsive, but there are seasonal trends, such as woodland, hedgerow and scrub work in winter, fencing and infrastructure repairs in the bird breeding season, invasive species work in the heat of the summer and mowing and raking in August and September.
Skills required:
No experience is required, as we provide training. Anybody and everybody is welcome. As long as a person is reasonably fit and enjoys being outside in all weathers.
Hours required:
Volunteering workdays take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and one Sunday a month, across any of our reserves in the West. If you apply to be a volunteer, you will receive an email every Friday outlining the tasks and locations for the following week and you can sign up for any of these.
Each working party is around 5 hours long (usually 9.30/9.45-2.30/2.35 weekdays and 10-2/3 on Sundays)
Location:
“Western” reserves
Regular work party days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and one Sunday a month
Reserve Officers: Andy Neilson, Sophia Attwood-Clarke, & Chris Hill
- Altar Stones
- Charley Woods
- Charnwood Lodge
- Cloud Wood
- Cossington Meadows
- Croft Pasture
- Dimminsdale
- Fox Wood
- Kelham Bridge
- Lea Meadows
- Lucas Marsh
- Miles Piece
- Mountsorrel and Rothley Marshes
- Narborough Bog
- Rocky Plantation
- Syston Lakes
- Tilton Cutting
- Tom Longs Meadow
- Ulverscroft
- Wanlip Meadows
- Wymeswold Meadows
Practical reserve management for East Reserves
We are looking for practical conservation volunteers to help us deliver the habitat management work required on our reserves in the east of the county.
Please note that due to the nature and location of our reserves, there are no facilities on site.
Tasks involved:
- Woodland and scrub work in the winter
- Fencing and infrastructure work in the bird breeding season
- Mowing and raking in July, August and September
Skills required:
No experience is required, as we provide training. Please be aware that we work outdoors no matter the weather and the work we do is quite physically demanding.
Hours required:
Volunteering workdays take place on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. If you apply to be a volunteer, you will receive an email every Tuesday outlining the tasks and locations for the upcoming work parties and you can sign up for any of these. Each working party is around 5 hours long (usually 9.30/10-2/2.30)
Location:
Any of the following reserves:
- Bloody Oak Quarry
- Coombs Meadow
- Cribb’s Meadow
- Great Merrible Wood
- Holwell Reserves
- Ketton Quarry
- Launde Big Wood
- Launde Park Wood
- Lyddington Meadow
- Merry’s Meadow
- Prior’s Coppice
- Stonesby Quarry
- Wymondham Rough
How to sign up
Once you have found the perfect role for you, please either fill out the online form, or download the application form and email it to volunteering@lrwt.org.uk . We will then guide you through the next stages of signing up as a volunteer.
Please note, we cannot accept anyone under the age of 18 years old.
If you are are having issues with applying or need support, please get in touch with our volunteer coordinator on volunteering@lrwt.org.uk or 01572 737378
Join a Local Group
One of our greatest strengths is our network of Local Groups, who represent us and the wildlife of Leicestershire and Rutland in their local community. If you are interested in joining a group in your area or interested in starting up your own group in another area, please get in touch at volunteering@lrwt.org.uk
