Volunteer call out this autumn and winter for walkers and tree planters
The Council are calling on the public to help the Tree Planting team and Health Walk Leaders this autumn and winter to help swell the ranks and enjoy the outdoors whatever the weather.
Our amazing Plant Eastleigh tree rangers and their volunteer team are looking to recruit for the tree planting season approx. November to March! They will support Plant Eastleigh as it continues the community engagement project to involve local residents and volunteers in the planting and aftercare of trees in the Borough.
Help with practical tasks using a variety of hand tools such as spades, forks, mallets and loppers. Tasks include cutting back weeds and clearing areas for planting. Planting tree standards or whips and installing tree guards and stakes. The aftercare of planted trees such as controlling weeds, applying mulch and watering.
Our HealthWorks team’s Health Walks programme is well established and with weekly walks across the Borough - they always need Walk Leaders!
The Walk Leaders are a passionate and friendly group, but they’d love to recruit more leaders to spread the load and ensure more people get out and about and connect.
John the Walk Leader talks about the benefits: “It’s lovely to introduce new people to our group and friends are quickly made when you are sharing such an enjoyable pursuit. It’s also a way of introducing them to the open spaces and woods nearby and just occasionally we’ll come across a deer feeding in the woods and stand and gaze at each other for a few seconds before it bounds off into the undergrowth.
“It helps me to keep fit and I like the regularity of the walks (I do two per week) which creates a good routine for the week. The social aspect of the walks is a really important part of the experience as well and many a damp walk is made enjoyable just by chatting away happily to someone else. Discovering lovely walks, which people didn’t know about even within a three-mile radius, has been a surprise to many people - including me!”
Eastleigh Borough Council’s Cabinet Member Health, Cllr Tonia Craig, said:” The Council have a range of volunteering opportunities available throughout the year and currently most are oversubscribed – so residents are encouraged to apply for their spot in these great projects without delay to help wellbeing and support the environment.”
The wider volunteering programme is supported by funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.