1st–7th June is National Volunteers’ Week, an annual UK-wide campaign held from the first Monday in June to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers. We’d like to take this opportunity to highlight the amazing volunteering efforts of our people across Surrey Wildlife Trust.

SWT Chief Executive Sarah Jane Chimbwandira spoke on the impact of our volunteers:

But don't just take our word for it, the numbers tell their own story...

In the last year, 625 volunteers supported us by contributing an incredible 32,823 hours of volunteering:

• 17,838 of these hours were spent on our reserves, caring for Surrey’s wild spaces, working hard practically for nature in all seasons and weather
• Our education volunteers contributed 4,093 hours, delivering memorable and engaging sessions. Inspiring new generations to connect with nature
• Our grazing volunteers spent 849 hours looking after our livestock carrying out conservation grazing on our reserves
• Our admin volunteers gave 1,194 hours of unsung behind the scenes support to keep everything running smoothly

What the statistics can’t fully capture is the fun, friendships and collective determination to make a difference for wildlife.

To celebrate Volunteers’ Week, we interviewed conservation volunteers Rebecca and Jess who spoke to us about why they volunteer and the impact their work is having - keep an eye on our Instagram this week to watch the full film.

Finally, we'd like to say a big Thank You from everyone at Surrey Wildlife Trust. We hugely appreciate the enthusiasm and commitment you bring to every opportunity, and we can't wait to see what we achieve together over the next year.

Ben Carter
Volunteer Youth & Inclusion Officer