Volunteer with the National Trust (From Bucks Free Press)

Volunteer with the National Trust

1:30pm Sunday 8th January 2012 in News By Rebecca Cain

Clearing scrub

VOLUNTEERS are being invited to help care for the National Trust properties and land in Hughenden and West Wycombe Park.

In preparation for the 2012 season the Trust is looking for volunteers to help outdoors and in.

Countryside volunteers are needed to assist the rangers in the management of several beautiful and popular walking spots in the Chilterns - Coombe Hill, Watlington Hill, West Wycombe Hill and the Hughenden Estate.

Typical tasks include scrub clearance, opening up vistas, maintaining paths and fences and removing litter.

People need to be reasonably fit and can join the countryside teams on a weekly or a monthly basis. Also outdoors, keen gardeners are sought to help maintain the formal and informal gardens at Hughenden and Bradenham Manor.

For those who would enjoy a visitor-facing role, people with a friendly, approachable manner and good communication skills, are needed to engage visitors in the historic houses, help run family events in school holidays, serve in the café or welcome visitors and help manage the car park, for example.

Training is provided and it needs to be a regular, reliable commitment.

The trust welcomes volunteers of all backgrounds and ages, from 18 to 88.

For more details go to www.do-it.org.uk and key in the following postcodes: Hughenden Manor - HP14 4LA; for Bradenham - HP14 4HA; for Chilterns Countryside - HP17 0UX; for West Wycombe Park - HP14 3AJ.

Or email the National Trust on: helpingout@nationaltrust.org.uk or call 01494 75573.