Invitation To Join CityParks Leadership Course
Brighton & Hove City Council is appealing to concerned citizens to get more involved in maintaining the city’s parks and greens spaces.
“CityParks will be organising a training course on Leading Practical Volunteer Tasks for our friends groups and volunteers,” says Park Ranger Neil Doyle.
“The course will cover the basics on tool use, risk assessment, health and safety and general advice on leading groups of volunteers on workdays. Leading Practical Volunteer Tasks will be running on Saturday 26th November at Stanmer Park from 10am until 3pm, there is no charge, tea and coffee will be provided.”
See full text below. As FQP’s Chris Lowe emphasises, “you do not need to be a member of the Friends Of Queens Park to lead a group.”
See here details of a ‘Practical Conservation Charter’ put out by City Parks, describing the minimum knowledge required of people leading Volunteer groups. Full letter from Neil Doyle:
Dear Friend,
A while ago, CityParks sent out a ‘Practical Conservation Charter’ for Friends of Parks and Green Spaces (I’ve attached it again just in case you didn’t receive it first time around). Most of the Friends groups working in our parks and nature reserves have a Park Ranger present on their workdays, but because of time constraints, other commitments, staffing numbers, whatever the reason, it might not always be possible for a Ranger to be present on a preferred work day.
A small number of groups have expressed a desire for carrying on working even if there is no Ranger available to lead the task. We value highly the work of friends groups and volunteers and in some circumstances it may be possible for groups to work ‘independently’. There are certain criteria that must be met in order for any work undertaken on council land to be covered by our public liability insurance:
The work needs to be agreed with the appropriate council officer/s beforehand
A risk assessment for the tasks to be undertaken must be carried out beforehand
There must be a first aider present
The workday must be led by a designated leader who has appropriate training
It is this last point that I am emailing you about. The charter mentions a leadership training course run by The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), this course is no longer available, so instead CityParks will be organising a training course on Leading Practical Volunteer Tasks for our friends groups and volunteers.
The course will cover the basics on tool use, risk assessment, health and safety and general advice on leading groups of volunteers on workdays. Leading Practical Volunteer Tasks will be running on Saturday 26th November at Stanmer Park from 10am until 3pm, there is no charge, tea and coffee will be provided although participants should bring their own packed lunch. Places will be limited so please send no more than one or two members from each group, if you are interested in attending please reply to me at neil.doyle@brighton-hove.gov.uk and please do pass this email onto anyone else you think might be interested
Many Thanks
Neil Doyle
Park Ranger