Volunteering opportunities for all

PUBLISHED ON: 21 FEBRUARY 2022

The New Forest National Park Authority’s popular Volunteer Fair returns in 2022, but this time as an online event.

The free online Fair is on Sunday 6 March 2022 with over 15 local organisations offering a diverse range of volunteering opportunities, talks and live Q&A sessions.

The Fair is the finale of the month-long Awakening Festival organised by the National Park Authority to encourage people to help tackle the climate and nature emergencies in the New Forest.

The Volunteer Fair normally attracts more than 700 people interested in volunteering with over 50 local organisations offering volunteering opportunities. Last year the event couldn’t take place because of Covid restrictions but rather than miss another year, an online ‘version’ has been created, aiming to attract people who might not have visited the Fair before.

Fair organiser Jim Mitchell, from the New Forest National Park Authority, said: ‘This Fair is a great opportunity for anyone curious about volunteering. Every volunteer has their own story to tell about what they have gained from volunteering and what they have given to the Forest. We’re hoping that hundreds more people will be able to join online this year to find out what is on offer and then try out volunteering for themselves.

‘Just sign up and come along to the free online Fair to hear presentations and ask questions via the chat. There will be fascinating short online talks throughout the day on subjects such as “saving the New Forest”, “conservation, coppicing & charcoal”, and “how volunteering can benefit people’s mental health”. We have several community groups attending who are working to meet the climate and nature crisis and will talk about how people can get involved.’

As well as supporting the New Forest and its community, volunteering offers huge health and wellbeing benefits.

Here are our top 10 reasons to volunteer:

Help the environment
Connect with nature
Meet new people
Get outdoors
Be active
Have fun
Learn about the Forest
Develop new skills
Give something back
Make a difference

To find out more, and see the full programme of talks and a list of exhibitors, visit and register online at https://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/volunteerfair

If you can’t take part in the Volunteer Fair, why not join hundreds of other people and sign up to the New Forest nature and climate pledge at www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/pledge ?

Full list of exhibitors

Citizens Advice New Forest

Community First Wessex Healthy Walks

Countryside Education Trust

Fordingbridge Greener Living

Forestry England

Friends of Lepe Country Park

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Home Start Hampshire

Transition Lymington

Ringwood Race Against Time

RSPB

St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery

Southampton City Council Open Spaces Team

Milford Conservation Volunteers

New Forest National Park Authority

Pondhead Conservation Trust

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