Green Volunteers are cream of the crop

CROP SQUAD: (Front row L-R) Councillor Wera Hobhouse, Andrew Whitehead and Ian Trickett stand proudly with the Green Volunteers’ APSE finalist certificate, with (back row L-R) fellow Green Volunteers John Fleming, Jonathon Kershaw, Taras Melnyk and Frank Harrison.

Rochdale Council and the Green Volunteers are celebrating having made it to the finals of one of the UK’s most prestigious service awards for the public sector.

The council’s Green Volunteers scheme, which connects local people with local green spaces, is officially amongst the top seven in the UK for voluntary sector partnership working after being shortlisted for the Best Partnership Working (Public/Voluntary) award from the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE).

The awards, held in September, attracted over 350 entries from local authorities, where entrants needed to impress a panel of expert public service judges and satisfy strict criteria in order to be shortlisted. This included demonstrating improvements made to the local environment - including parks and the countryside, challenges overcome and expressing future targets and goals.

Green Volunteer Co-ordinator Ian Trickett, elaborates: “The Green Volunteer scheme is not even a year old yet, so to be amongst the top seven in the country for what we deliver is something every single Green Volunteer should be proud of.”

The Green Volunteers scheme was set up in summer 2007 to broaden opportunities for environmental volunteering in the Rochdale borough. With a team that boasts almost 60 people, the Green Volunteers have undertaken some highly significant work - including opening up previously overgrown footpaths, managing woodland, eradicating invasive weeds and supporting a healthy amble walks programme to help people on the road to steady exercise.

Councillor Wera Hobhouse, cabinet member for environment and sustainability at Rochdale Council, enthused: “I’ve taken part in many Green Volunteer projects and I’ve always come back feeling fresh and invigorated.

“Being a Green Volunteer isn’t just about going out and improving the countryside, but it’s about having fun, making new friends and making a real difference to our local surroundings – and feeling great about it!”

The Green Volunteers service works directly in partnership with other voluntary sector organisations such as ‘friends’ groups and other environmental and volunteer groups to share resources and work programmes.

The next projects the Green Volunteers will be working on are restoring herbaceous flower borders in Denehurst Park and Springfield Park.