Carlisle Mencap volunteer group

Volunteers from Carlisle Mencap were nominated by staff at our Gosling Sike site for their hard work and dedication, and the fun they bring to sessions in the wildlife garden.

Gosling Sike staff Jody and Adam said ‘The volunteers from Carlisle Mencap have been instrumental in designing, creating, and looking after the wildlife garden at Gosling Sike. Come rain or shine they've been helping every week since 2018, planting flowers and trees, maintaining the planting schemes, feeding the birds, making bird boxes, and helping design and make some of the visitor interpretation, among other things!

They were the first group to return to volunteering after the Covid-19 lockdown and helped get the garden back in shape after months of neglect. We couldn't have done it without them, and staff, visitors, and the local wildlife appreciate their hard work every day. They've played an important role in our Get Cumbria Buzzing project too, harvesting wildflower seeds from the garden and growing them on, ready to be planted out to help nature's recovery across Cumbria. We really value them as part of the Gosling Sike team and want to say a huge thank you, not just for the work but for the fun and laughter too!’

Daniel Campbell, Team Leader for the Independence Studio at Carlisle Mencap, added:

‘We’ve been involved with Gosling Sike for over four years now, and in that time we’ve been able to watch the place grow from pretty much a building site to the established wildlife space it is today.

We’ve worked with many wonderful staff and volunteers at the centre, who’ve really gone out of their way to make our members feel welcomed and accepted for who they are, and the valuable contribution they can make.

Before starting to volunteer with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, many of our members didn't have much experience with gardening or working in nature. Over the past few years, they’ve gained a greater understanding and appreciation of being able to work outside – and seeing the results of a little bit of hard work!

It’s great that the group can volunteer all year round, so they get to see the cycle of the seasons – how the gardens come to life, then recede. They understand what’s required to keep the space looking so good, and the planning involved behind the scenes.

I asked some of our members about their favourite volunteering activities. Here’s what Steph, Emma and Tim had to say:

‘Wood carving for the lost words trail!’

‘Planting plug plants in the polytunnel.’

‘Laying the paths in the orchard.’

 ‘Pond dipping in the pond – we found a fish!’
 

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