Volunteering in Wakefield's green spaces

The Wakefield district has a unique range of public open spaces reflecting the area’s history, these include:

• formal Victorian parks and gardens
• Reclaimed colliery sites that have become havens for wildlife
• Ancient woodland
• Newly planted community spaces

We want people to get involved in protecting and improving our green spaces by working with us.

Volunteering in Wakefield’s green spaces has many benefits. You can meet new people, be part of projects, learn new skills, increase confidence, and improve your chances of returning to work. Working in the outdoors also has health benefits.

Finding a volunteer group

Many volunteers already make a real difference to our green spaces, bringing with them additional skills, knowledge, and experience. Friends groups are made up of local people who all share a passion for a particular place, and who meet up regularly to improve that place. There are a wide variety of groups in the Wakefield area associated with many of our parks and nature reserves. Some meet every week, some monthly, and others might only meet occasionally. Here’s a List of Friends Groups that regularly meet up to volunteer.

Starting a new volunteer group

If there is a site that you would like to improve, but there is no existing friends group for that site, you might like to think about starting a new community group. Setting Up A Group aims to provide guidance on what to consider when setting up your own group. By following the guidelines set out in this booklet your group should be able to achieve your aims safely and effectively.

• form for volunteer groups wanting to carry out practical tasks on our green spaces
• organising a small event
• team away days

Volunteer practical tasks

All volunteering on our green spaces must be done safely, and by working together with the Council. Some groups work with the Countryside Officers to do conservation work on sites. Where this is not possible, our Practical Tasks booklet guides groups of volunteers to lead their own practical tasks, and sets out the responsibilities and liabilities for volunteer practical tasks.

Who to contact?

Each friends group will have a particular contact within the Council. For nature reserves and countryside sites, this will be the Countryside Officer for that area.

The Contact for parks and green spaces will be a Street Scene Officer or Supervisor for your area.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us. We have helped many community groups to get started. Existing groups will probably be more than willing to share their experiences with you.