We have a great team of volunteers here at the Steel Valley Project, some who have been with us for years and others who joined us relatively recently.
Earlier this year, Paul French was looking at local volunteering opportunities on a website and found the Steel Valley Project. He’d already seen the work which we’d been doing around Stocksbridge and, having recently retired, was looking for an opportunity to support his local community doing something he was interested in.
Paul applied to join the volunteer team and has now been working with us for 4 months. He’s already been involved in a wide range of work, including:
- strimming to clear public rights of way (footpaths and bridleways)
- clearing a large tree which had fallen across a footpath
- chopping logs for firewood
- helping to create a path at a Sheffield school
- preparing the ground and sowing wildflower seeds
- litter picking
Paul has found that his DIY skills have been useful in supporting the project work undertaken by the team. In addition to these skills, he’s also had training on the use of a strimmer and some on-the-job health and safety training about working in proximity to members of the public.
When asked to comment on the best bits about volunteering with the Steel Valley Project, Paul’s response was “working in a team that makes a positive difference to my local community”. He added that he has “enjoyed my time volunteering, learning new skills and working with different people.”
His advice for someone else thinking about volunteering with us is to “Give it a try!”
We always love to hear from new people who are interested in joining our volunteer team, so if this has whetted your appetite to find out more, check our volunteering page and get in touch.
Email: info@steelvalleyproject.org