'Being able to support the Trust through volunteering is a great way to help wildlife, whether it’s hands-on practical conservation and surveying, or helping as I do, with the background stuff that helps keep wheels turning.'
Judith Wallen
We can't say enough good things about Judith! She's an incredibly dedicated volunteer and also one of our Trustees, so she gives a lot of her free time to supporting Cumbria Wildlife Trust. When we contacted Judith about her nomination, she said that it would be good to shine a light on perhaps the less glamorous side of volunteering – though she takes part in practical work, much of her time is spent helping us with vital office-based tasks, like managing our database and matching volunteers to suitable roles. She's truly part of the team and hugely appreciated, evidenced by the multiple nominations we received for her from staff members!
Read more about Judith's work below – you can also click the links at the bottom of this page to sign up as a volunteer and see our current opportunities.
'I feel very touched to be nominated as a Wildlife Hero by colleagues. Having volunteered at the Trust for many years now, I feel really fortunate that the Trust has given me such interesting and varied opportunities to get involved in its work.
When I reflect on my volunteering at the Trust, I realised that I first volunteered in 1981 when I used to work a day a week helping the Conservation Officer Joy Ketchen in the tightly packed office accommodation above the Trust’s Badger’s Paw shop in Ambleside. There, I helped Joy for two years to bring order to the piles of files, maps and other papers; this was before computers appeared in the Trust. My job then took me away from Cumbria, and whilst I continued my membership of the Trust, I no longer had any time to volunteer.
When eventually I took early retirement and returned to live in Cumbria, my happy memories of volunteering helped me decide to offer to volunteer on a regular, day-a-week basis at Plumgarths (Cumbria Wildlife Trust's head office), which I have now done for some 15 or so years. Whilst I enjoy some hands-on practical volunteering - surveying hay meadows and other habitats, being an office volunteer brings a different sense of satisfaction. I’ve been fortunate to work alongside staff as part of a team implementing the Trust’s supporter database, and I also help maintain parts of the Trust’s website.
One of the roles that has given me much enjoyment is working as part of the small volunteer office team at Plumgarths. I enjoy being at the centre of promoting volunteering in the Trust, working with staff to identify many different roles and promoting them to our volunteer network through the Trust web site and the Involve E newsletter. It is so satisfying when you hear that volunteers have found a role that suits their skills and interests and that staff get the help they need. It is good to see that interest in volunteering with the Trust continues to grow apace and, with my fellow volunteer Jan McArthur, we handle over 40 new volunteer registrations a month. It is fantastic at the moment to have such a range of new projects in the Trust with some really varied and interesting opportunities to offer to our volunteers.
Being able to support the Trust through volunteering is a great way to help wildlife, whether it’s hands on practical conservation or surveying, or helping as I do, with the background stuff that helps keep wheels turning. For me it is a tremendous pleasure to work with such an enthusiastic and friendly bunch of people all so committed to our Cumbrian wildlife.'
See our current volunteering opportunities