Volunteering opportunities
Nelson Cycle Trails Trust
Council is working with the Nelson Cycle Trails Trust on part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail project (the National Cycleway), and they are looking for volunteers. No particular area of expertise is required, just an interest in cycling. Contact Chris Allison on +64 3 548 6636, Stuart Hughes on +64 3 547 3771, or Steve Waring on +64 3 539 6303.
Volunteer to help plant our reserves
If you are the kind of person who likes to get some good old soil under your fingernails and get involved in something that benefits and beautifies the environment around you, then community plantings are just right for you.
We have community planting days during winter and spring. They include a whenua/placenta planting day, a beach planting day at Tāhunanui and one for new citizens of New Zealand and their families. These days will be advertised closer to the time.
Adopt a Spot
Adopt a Spot is a programme where community groups, schools and individuals agree to enhance and take care of an area of Council land.
Activities that can be taken on by a group include:
- Planting
- Weeding
- Rubbish clean-ups
- Animal Pest control
- Wildlife and environmental monitoring
- Gardening
- Fruit tree maintenance
Find out more in the Volunteer Information Booklet.
In the first instance we encourage you to join an existing group. We have some capacity to assist motivated volunteers to establish new groups in areas of need.
Please contact the Parks team for more information at askparksandfacilities@ncc.govt.nz
Have Fun at Founders
With many of Founders Heritage Park 's volunteers off on holiday, retiring, or moving, roster numbers are suddenly greatly reduced. If you have a free morning or afternoon every week or fortnight, you may enjoy taking a turn at being the Park's front-line host: greeting visitors, taking admissions, and making sales in the gift shop. Interested volunteers please call the staff at Founders today on +64 3 548 2649.
Isel House Needs You!
Stoke's stately home, Isel House, reopened in 2003 after a make-over that maintained the authentic Victorian look of the house while giving it a new role as a community exhibition space. This has ranged from a touring show on 100 years of midwifery in New Zealand, to a textile exhibition by the local Spinners and Weavers Collective.
Now you can play your part in keeping this part of Nelson's history alive.
Best Seat in Town
Take your place in the 'best seat in town' in the Isel foyer? Volunteers are needed on the roster to keep the house open daily. Ideally, volunteers should commit two and half hours of their time for a shift, but this can be weekly, fortnightly or monthly. The role is to greet people, give them information, tell them about the history of the house and answer questions. Full training is given, and there is a manual with information. Curator Sally Papps says it's an opportunity to meet people from all over the world: "We have people who range from garden lovers and heritage enthusiasts, to people with historical connections to the house or its namesake, Isel in Cumbria in the UK."
Functions are held a couple of times a year for all the volunteers to get together. Contact Isel.House@ncc.govt.nz if you are interested.
Hear what our Volunteers say
Now that John Douglas is retired he has time to 'put something back into the community'. John has been a volunteer at Broadgreen for the past five years, adding Isel House to his weekly routine as soon as it reopened.
He enjoys the peacefulness of Isel but says there is still plenty of opportunity to talk to visitors. "I'd encourage anyone who has the time, to give it a go," John says, "particularly anyone living alone. Once they take the first step they will find they have a very rewarding way to get out, meet people and find out more about Nelson's heritage."
Show your stuff
The exhibition programme at Isel House changes several times through the year. Sally Papps says there is scope for more groups to use the space: "We would love to host more exhibitions, displays and workshops. The historical context makes Isel a great place for a group to hold a retrospective, and staff are happy to help with displays."
Groups are eligible for a return on the door take, so with word-of-mouth networking, the hire cost can be reduced.
