We are thrilled to share that this summer our Volunteer Programme was awarded the Investors in volunteering (IiV) quality stamp for the second time.

We had two days of assessment on the 7^th and 8^th August, where volunteers and staff met with the Investors in Volunteering assessor to share their experiences about volunteering with Nene Park Trust.  Since the last IiV assessment in 2019 we have more than doubled our volunteering opportunities, with new roles opening to offer more variety and choice of volunteering with us. Your Community Greenspace project has increased the volunteer opportunities with the introduction of the Welcome Ranger role, Sensory Walk Leaders and Companion Walk volunteers. Volunteers can also work on Nene Nursery to provide a safe space to learn and develop horticulture skills.

In total, 32 volunteers and 7 staff members were interviewed about their roles to give the assessor an overall view of the volunteer journey at Nene Park Trust. 

Volunteer comments:

Volunteering supports wellbeing: 

Many volunteers mentioned mental or physical health conditions and how they felt supported. One volunteer said, ‘Some people are a bit slower, but it doesn’t matter. People’s pace is accepted on an individual basis. You can quietly say, ‘I can’t do this’ if you’re not feeling yourself”

Volunteers feel supported:

“All the people I’ve met have been really kind and friendly”

“If we have a problem we email and our manager sorts it out. She’s very caring.”

“Our manager is good at telling us what we could do better. I send things in, and they always come back with a comment”

“Everyone’s very welcoming”

Volunteers feel appreciated by Nene Park Trust and the wider community: 

“People stop you and say, “You’re doing a great job.”

Volunteers express how volunteering benefits them:

“I’m always bouncy when I come back from volunteering, it's good to feel I’m needed, it’s good for mental health problems.”

 There is also appreciation from the staff:

“There’s always a thank you and it’s genuine, that’s the most important thing,”

“You’re always asked how you are, how your week’s been,”

“I feel part of a team, there’s not a hierarchy, I feel really valued”

To find out more about the different volunteer roles available with us and to register to start your volunteering journey please go to our volunteer page.