More than one thousand caring people in Norfolk are supporting Norfolk Wildlife Trust in protecting our county’s wildlife and nature reserves, between them donating an incredible 46,000 hours a year.
Volunteers assist in all areas of NWT’s work: on the reserves, at our visitor centres, in schools and at NWT’s office in Norwich. More than 1,200 people volunteered in the last year, breaking the previous year’s record.
As it celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, NWT took the opportunity to welcome more than 100 of its volunteers to a special thank you event held at Pensthorpe Natural Park.
Volunteers met NWT chief executive Brendan Joyce, who thanked them for their incredible dedication, and NWT President, Bill Jordan, himself a volunteer for NWT who spoke about the impact that volunteers have on the Trust’s ability to work so tirelessly for wildlife across Norfolk. Hosted by Bill, who owns Pensthorpe, they also enjoyed a guided walk around the reserve plus afternoon tea.
Brendan Joyce said: “It is ninety years since Dr Sydney Long and his friends bought Cley Marshes and created a Trust to protect wildlife. Since then we have continued their land acquisitions, education, restoration, daring and imagination. And this could not have happened without the support of many thousands of dedicated volunteers over our long history.”
Bill Jordan acknowledged just how much the work of NWT volunteers means in real terms: “Norfolk Wildlife Trust recognises that each year, time donated by volunteers is equivalent to 27 full time members of staff. This work would therefore not be possible for the charity without volunteers.”
Anyone interested in volunteering should visit our volunteering pages to see the range of opportunities on offer.
Vivienne Taylor volunteers with the NWT education team: “volunteering allows me to continue to help children learn and combine my love of wildlife and the outdoors. I particularly enjoy the look on the children’s faces when they see something they have never seen before, such as a dragonfly nymph or a marsh harrier. It is a very rewarding experience and I hope to be able to continue doing this for years to come.”
Roger and Jenny Jones often volunteer together and have been heavily involved with NWT’s Churchyard project: “There are more than 600 medieval churchyards in Norfolk and many of these represent the only remnant of former meadowland in the parish, it has been a joy to survey some of them and find rare and interesting plants.”
Caroline Spinks is both a volunteer ambassador and helps at our Cley Marshes visitor centre: “I'm passionate about our county and the fabulous wildlife we share it with, so my role as a volunteer ambassador giving talks about NWT and wildlife is one I really enjoy. I also help with activities at the Simon Aspinall Wildlife Education Centre at Cley, which are great fun, involving people of all ages. I particularly enjoy leading the pond dipping for adults, when we all become big kids again and marvel at the weird and wonderful mini-beasts we discovered.”