BCV Annual Report 2004 Summary

As we start our 12th year the group's achievements continue to grow.

I sometime think that we can't continue to increase the work days, but we managed 468 volunteer work days carried out by group members, plus 15 children on MAD day and at Belvedere school (I do not have the breakdown for Foxley Wood) 13 by Monks Walk Group, 13 Air Cadets, 32 by 'others' including 2 headmasters and other local people drawn out by BCV on 42 separate work days. This was up again on last year, despite the West Highland Way walk taking up a number of weekends for training walks as well as the actual event.

The Community Punishment order lads and their supervisors have worked very well with the group, going way beyond 'what they can get away with'. Again the work day total does not take account of the work done behind the scenes like site surveys, committee meetings all the admin, organizing tools, and follow up visits. Also volunteers like Martin regularly work on the Jinnie when they have time and I have not counted socials and walks, even sponsored ones although they were used as opportunities to study and observe other conservation projects, and identify potential new projects.

The group has again successfully carried out all of the diverse tasks asked of them and this has resulted in a lot of new skills learned. The slide show talks have developed, to showing what the group does and the importance of the work carried out.

Working with Stephenson College has had mutual benefits, providing training opportunities for some of their students and giving us access to machinery like their chipper and tractor. Two more volunteers have completed their NVQ2 in Environmental Conservation through their work with the group, so congratulations to them and thanks to Lynn Pickering and Shaun Hollis from the college who have generously shared their knowledge and expertise with the group. It has encouraged me to produce more handouts and educational material, relating to the tasks and this helps to increase the volunteers understanding of the tasks and the reasons for undertaking them, making the group (including myself) more effective and it has made me research more deeply into projects, helping to make our work more sustainable through a wider understanding of the knock on effects of what we do.

The group continues to expand and look for new challenges, having worked in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Shropshire, as well as Staffordshire this year and received a highly commended in the 'Sustainable Staffordshire Award' and top of its class in an 'East Staffordshire Green Award', plus a commended in the Rural Policing Awards.

The award scoring made me aware that perhaps we do not use the correct corporate language when describing the group's achievements, largely because we do the work for the need for the work to be done and the satisfaction of the achievement. In terms of partnership we have worked with Parish Councils, Community punishment Order, schools, East Staffordshire Borough Council, National Trust, Woodland Trust, Stephenson College, CREST club and Saxon Hill School both for learning difficulties, Neighborhood Management Initiative, Powergen, Air Cadets, Monks Walk Garden Group, National Forest Company, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Community Action and Support East Staffs (CASES), Bridgnorth District Council, Woodland Trust, allotment holders, and I'm sure supported many more like Fairtrade, Burton & District Wildlife Group and other groups like the Ramblers and WI through the talks.

I could go on for pages extolling the group, but I will have to stop and say

A big thank you and well done to all involved!

Lawrence Oates, Project Officer

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