Community Conservation Champions

Welcome to the Community Conservation Champions website

The Community Conservation Champions are a loosely knit group of volunteers who are actively involved in the maintenance and public promotion of 19 geological sites spread across the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. They are engaged in a wide range of activities which vary according to the nature of the site. These include: site clearance, conservation and monitoring; public open days; guided walks, talks, and demonstrations; and facilitating private visits by request.

This volunteer network is the result of a three and a half year project managed by the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust, who were awarded a grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund to set up the Community Conservation Champions Project. Additional funding was also received from Natural England through Defra’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the Tomlinson Brown Trust. (For more information about any funders of the Community Conservation Champions Project please see the ‘About the Funders’ page.)

The idea of the project was to encourage a holistic view of the environment, and to promote better understanding of the relationships between geology, ecology and archaeology.

 

The Champions were initially recruited from communities across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and received training in a number of subjects in order to understand the features observed at their sites. They continue to recruit new volunteers and pass on the knowledge and skills learned during the project. The conservation work being undertaken helps to ensure the protection of these important features and enable people to enjoy the natural world for years to come.

Although the funding has now come to an end, the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust continues to oversee the Champions groups. The Community Conservation Champions are now well established in their local communities and this ensures that the aims of the project will continue to be fulfilled thanks to the help of local volunteers.

 

The following places have Champions sites near to them: Malvern, Kington, West Malvern, Ross-on-Wye, Abberley, Whitchurch/Ganarew, Bewdley, Yarpole, Ombersley, Goodrich, Martley, Fownhope, Wyre Forest, Ledbury, Lickey Hills, Storridge.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer Champion in your area or would like to arrange a visit to one of the Champions sites please use the Contact form to get in touch.

For further information about the project please see the ‘About the Project’ page.