GETTING INVOLVED
Would you like to get involved?
Volunteering within the environmental voluntary sector is very rewarding. Without committed volunteers, Richmond Environment Network and other groups and organisations would be unable to function. Volunteers also gain appreciation of the environment as well as learning valuable new skills and knowledge. Specifically in the environmental sector these skills will become all the more important as concerns for the environment increase and minimising our environmental impact will play an ever increasing role in the everyday things we all do.
Generally environmental volunteering can be split into two different types of volunteering:
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Volunteering ad hocly - such as with onservation volunteer work days (sometimes refered to as projects) in local parks and open spaces. No training or experience required
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Volunteering in a specific role - such as a committee member (e.g. setting up volunter work days, maintaining websites, managing finances, being involved in the management and producing newsletters), life skills relevent to the particular area of the role would be needed
The Volunteer Centre in Richmond has a full list of volunteer opportunities with local environmental groups and utilise a national database on the website Do-It.org website to promote them online.
The opportunities below are those within the team at Richmond Environment Network or those we have been actively trying to promote.
We are always looking for volunteers to help to manage our general work and specific projects. We are fun team, who enjoy socialising and sharing a joke or two at work and we are lucky enough to share a lovely light and airy office on Eel Pie Island, Twickenham. The opportunities that we currently have available as of 25.09.09 are as below and we would be delighted to hear from you even if you only want to ask a few questions about any of the roles.
Events Volunteers
Brief description of the role: We are looking for people to help us in organising our array of different events that we attend or those we organise ourselves. These include summer fairs around the borough, public meetings that we organise, environmental film showings, meetings to network and support local environmental groups and our social activities. Part of the role involves helping us with communications; this entails being involved in contacting local press, making sure our online social networking sites (Facebook page, Project Dirt group and Ecomotion group) are up to date.
Where would the role be located: Our office is located on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham but equally you could volunteer from home.
Organisation/school name: Richmond Environment Network
Brief description of the organisation/school activity: Richmond Environment Network which has a wide remit ranging from supporting the development of local environmental groups (of which there are over 60 and support to them includes fundraising, recruiting volunteers, signposting and general advise), we also providing information to the public, support schools with their environmental projects, have a buildings group and a biodiversity/nature group and have an environmental aduting project ZWIN established in 1999 as a ground breaking project and the only scheme of its kind at that time.
Time commitment needed: A couple of hours a week minimum
Expenses reimbursed: Travel within reason to be agreed in advance
Main contact person: Colin Cooper on colin.cooper@richenvironmentnet.org.uk
Website (if your group/school eco activity has one): www.richenvironmentnet.org.uk
EcoTeam Leader
Training to be an EcoTeam leader is a great way to meet like minded people, share ideas and be part of a community wide project!
An EcoTeam is a group of householders (usually 6-8) who get together once a month over a 5-6 month period to follow a step-by-step process of manageable actions on rubbish and shopping, household energy, water and travel. Team members measure their household’s environmental impact, share their experiences and agree together on practical lasting change. After 6 months, teams will be presented with their results, and a United Nations Environment Programme certificate.
As an Eco-team leader, you will need to recruit an EcoTeam, and organise and run the monthly topic meeting.
- No previous experience/specific knowledge required – just an interest in saving energy, and motivating others to do so too!
- You will receive full training and support throughout, including outlines and resources for meetings
- Initial training day Saturday 6th March, 9.30 – 14.30 Venue TBC
- From home
Organisation/school name: Richmond Environment Network working with Global Action Plan
Brief description of the organisation/school activity:
Global Action Plan is an independent charity with 16 years experience in environmental behaviour change. The EcoTeams programme is independently certified, UN endorsed, and set to deliver tangible environmental, social and financial benefits!
A household taking part typically:
- improves energy and water management, reducing CO2 emissions by 16.6%
- reduces bills by £170 a year
- reduce waste by 20%, while increasing the proportion of rubbish that is recycled
- reduces water used by 15%
Time commitment needed: Time to prepare and run a meeting every month (up to 4hrs). Additional commitment for training day and recruitment period.
Main contact person: Danielle Paffard on Danielle.paffard@richenvironmentnet.org.uk
Website (if your group/school eco activity has one): http://www.richenvironmentnet.org.uk/eco-teams.aspx
ZWIN Volunteer Assessors
Brief description of the role: Environmental auditing is the first step in tackling the wasting of resources and money. This position provides an exciting opportunity to learn more about energy efficiency, carbon and eco footprints, water conservation and waste reduction, you will gain skills that will benefit local schools and charitable organisations whilst you volunteer but skills you can put to use in your everyday life. The environmental sector is also one of the fastest growing parts of the economy and recruitment has remained buoyant recently, due to increasing awareness of our environmental impact and the introduction of Government and European legislation.
The post of volunteer assessor entails conducting these environmental audits, preparing a report and following up with the organisation at a later stage to help them progress. Typically the audit will take a couple of hours and be carried out in pairs with a more experienced assessor. Full training and support will be given by managers throughout the process.
Where would the role be located: Our office is located on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham but the auditing work will be all over the borough. Expenses provided.
Organisation/school name: ZWIN, part of Richmond Environment Network
Brief description of the organisation/school activity: The Zero Waste Initiative (ZWIN) aims to help voluntary and community organisations, charities and schools in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to develop sound environmental policies in order to reduce energy and water consumption, reduce waste, encourage recycling and the efficient use of resources. This is achieved through free environmental assessments, which are carried out at the organisation’s premises by trained volunteers. A comprehensive report is produced (based on templates) and where ZWIN’s recommendations are put into practice organisations can benefit from reduced operating costs and improved environmental performance.
Time commitment needed: A couple of hours a week minimum
Expenses reimbursed: Travel within reason to be agreed in advance
Main contact person: Mark Parker & or Katherine Varvil on zwin@richenvironmentnet.org.uk
Website (if your group/school eco activity has one): www.richenvironmentnet.org.uk/zwin
School Eco Activities Volunteer
We are currently looking for volunteers to help with environmental activities in local schools. Most schools run environmental clubs, allotment gardens but need help running these. Your role would to help facilitate these type of activities with the school (and not REN).
Chair person
An active local conservation charity in Kew, Pensford Field Environment Trust is looking for a new Chair person. If you have time and the enthusiasm and are interested in undestanding more about this role, please us the Contact Us form.
Green Parents
We are currently looking for 'green parents' to join our Green Parents Network to help in either a peer mentoring role or just to attend and network with parents who have a similar ethos.
Do you have an idea?
If you have an idea for a project and would like some support then we would love to hear from you
Please use the Contact Us form in the first instance if you interested in any of these opportunities.
If you haven't already gathered Richmond Environment Network brings together the environmental and sustainability voluntary & community sector (groups, organisations & schools working on environmental projects) within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, promoting information about them, their activities and events whilst also providing a supporting and developing role. In addition REN also has its own projects to increase environmental activity, biological diversity and sustainable thinking & practice in the borough. And before you ask, we are not part of the council.
