Volunteer with Cumbria Wildlife Trust

Cumberland Community Day, Penrith, October 2023

Come and join our team of volunteers

Why do people volunteer with us?

By giving an hour, a day, a week or month, no matter how much time you can give to volunteering you will be making a difference for Cumbria's wildlife and wild places.

It's good to be involved in doing something helpful - you can't ignore that "feel good factor"
Volunteer
Cumbria Wildlife Trust

All of our amazing volunteers work side by side with our staff to help create a better future for wildlife and wild places. Being a volunteer can bring so many positive things into your life:

  • Contribute your skills and expertise to helping to protect wildlife
  • Gain new skills and a greater understanding of wildlife conservation
  • Attend regular networking and training events
  • Meet new people and make new friends with similar interests
  • Have fun exploring the natural world
  • Receive a regular newsletter and information about the Trust's volunteering activities

If you are looking for a day for a large group or are from a business and want to know more about what opportunities we have for you and your team, please get in touch.

Plug planting, Penrith 2023
Volunteering

What are our current volunteering opportunities?

Search current volunteering opportunities
Haverigg volunteer group, Haverigg dunes, July 2023
Volunteering

Hear from our current volunteers and learn about their journeys

Visit our volunteers' stories page
Previous volunteers have ranged in age from seven to 70 and many come back to help us again. And we don’t just think it’s our range of teatime biscuits they are coming for!
Conservation officer
Cumbria Wildlife Trust
Siemens staff on their Wild Work Day where they cleared 300kg of rubbish from Foulney Island Nature Reserve

Siemens staff on their Wild Work Day where they cleared 300kg of rubbish from Foulney Island Nature Reserve

FOR BUSINESSES

What are the opportunities for my business and team building?

Take a look at Wild Work and Wild Wellbeing Days for your staff
Young Volunteer Day, Foulshaw, August 2023
Volunteering

Find out about our opportunities for young volunteers

Join a young volunteer day

Where can I volunteer?

Our volunteers carry out a huge range of tasks and are embedded throughout our organisation.

Conservation and practical work

Regular work parties tackle practical conservation tasks on different nature reserves and in project areas during the year. Here you may be involved in removing scrub, repairing fences, planting trees and many other tasks needed to keep our nature reserves in tip top condition for wildlife.

We often run plug planting days to plant out native wildflowers across the county, we run beach cleans and marine, pollinator and wildflower surveying days too!

Find out more about our Conservation Work parties

Working with people

If you have experience of working with young people there are opportunities to become a volunteer leader for one of our Wildlife Watch groups in Cumbria, or to set up and run your own with our support.

The groups provide excellent opportunities for young people to get together and learn more about their environment and get involved in a range of activities, including arts and crafts, bug hunts and watching badgers. We also have assistant watch leader roles.

We often have opportunities for volunteers to help with events and group activities too. Keep an eye out on our volunteer opportunities page. 

Help in our offices

We often need people with many different skills to help in our offices in Kendal, Carlisle and South Walney.

Some of our volunteers work on a regular basis, but we also have opportunities for people to help with specific tasks or tasks that can be done from home through marketing, article and blog writing, social media and administration tasks. 

Some jobs require specialist skills such as data analysis or GIS whilst others suit people with more general office based experience. Our office opportunities, when available, can be found here.

Local support groups

Perhaps you might like to get involved in one of our 6 Local Support Groups to raise money, and to organise activities such as fun days and garden open days. The groups also help us promote the work of Cumbria Wildlife Trust through regular walks and talks. Find out more
 

Further guidance

Please email our Volunteer Coordinator  or call 01539 816300 for helpful guidance.

You do not have to be a member of Cumbria Wildlife Trust to volunteer.

Volunteer handbook

Volunteer Mileage and Expense Form

A top down view of magazines and guides on a wood background, with wildlife and people images on the front
Protect nature - join us!

Make that difference for the wildlife you love

  • Free entry to our nature reserves.
  • Free nature reserve guide.
  • Cumbrian Wildlife magazine three times a year with accompanying 'What's On' guide.
  • Plus more! From just £3.50 a month/£42 a year (based on Individual membership)
More about membership & how to join