Mary, who has a background in environmental and geographical education, chose to become a volunteer to give back to her local community and put her spare time to good use.
She enjoys being outdoors and doing physical work, which is why she chose to volunteer with Warwickshire Country Parks at Kingsbury Water Park.
Mary's favourite aspects of volunteering with Kingsbury Water Park are working with a great team of people from different backgrounds, “doing something useful, getting exercise, being outdoors, having a laugh.” She added, “I love doing something completely different from my teaching career with completely different people.”
Volunteering at the park brings benefits to both the country park and the local community, by providing the ranger team with extra help r to manage the park for visitors and locals. The hard work of Mary and the other volunteers contribute to keeping the parks beautiful and enjoyable for all.
For those thinking about becoming a volunteer, Mary's advice is “Give it a go! Everyone is friendly and supportive, and you do what you can and work to your strengths. No-one minds you asking for help if you need it. I’m quite a small girlie, not a muscly lumberjack, but I always feel useful and get a sense of achievement.”
Mary applied to become a volunteer through a volunteer taster day advertised on a local Facebook page. Despite the poor weather on the day, she decided to give it a try and has been volunteering at the park ever since.
As part of her plans for the coronation weekend, Mary will be running a school art project on the Friday, and attending a tea party with friends on Monday. She may also be involved with the volunteer taster sessions taking place at Kingsbury Water Park on Monday 8 May as part of the national Big Help Out.
On Monday 8 May 2023, people across the nation will be doing their bit and volunteering their time as part of The Big Help Out, an official Coronation initiative. The Big Help Out encourages all of us to have a go at volunteering, whether it be for an hour, a day, or on a regular basis to lend a hand, make a change, and help the people and good causes within our local communities.
To find out more volunteering stories and opportunities across Warwickshire, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/volunteering
For more information about the Coronation in Warwickshire, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/coronation