Volunteering

How to Volunteer

If you would like to volunteer, please set up your registration by completing the below forms. These actions are only required once, then you are able to book/cancel as many volunteer events as you wish.

Please complete the Volunteer Application Form on the link below.  This is a secure site.

Volunteer Application Form (click on this link)

Please also print out and complete the Consent and Medical form below. You can email this to us at Volunteers@cormonachan-woodlands.co.uk or bring to your first volunteer event. Completing this task in advance helps us to be more efficient on the day. If you are unable to send in advance, don’t worry, we will have paper copies with us to complete.
Adult Consent & Medical Form 2023/2024 (Click on this link)

See details of forthcoming Volunteers Days where you can book/cancel safely online on the link below:-

Volunteers Days that you can book/cancel online (Click on this link)


Volunteers Days for 2024:-

Thursday 08/02/2024 -10 am to 3.30 pm with 1/2 hour break for lunch or Half Day to 1 pm – RH

Thursday 22/02/2024 -10 am to 3.30 pm with 1/2 hour break for lunch or Half Day to 1 pm – RH

Saturday 16/03/2024 – 10 am to 3.30 pm with 1/2 hour break for lunch or Half Day to 1 pm – FW

Saturday 30/03/2024 – 10 am to 3.30 pm with 1/2 hour break for lunch or Half Day to 1 pm – FW

Saturday 13/04/2024 – 10 am to 4 pm with 1/2 hour break for lunch or Half Day to 1 pm – FW

Saturday 27/04/2024 – 10 am to 4 pm with 1/2 hour break for lunch or Half Day to 1 pm – FW

More following…

You are welcome to help mornings, afternoons or both.

Team Leaders: FW = Frances Walker (Volunteers Leader) & RH = Richard Hall

Most Volunteers Days are from 10 am to 4 pm with a social lunch break. You can come for half a day – all help is much appreciated…

Tasks to be carried out on the day will be suitable to the weather!

Work to do in these ancient woodlands includes cutting down & burning invasive Rhododendron ponticum, removing self-seeded invasive plants, clearing already felled Sitka spruce trees & stacking and burning the brash, cutting down self-seeded Sitka spruce trees (felling can only be done by certificated volunteer members), slashing bracken, strimming, brush cutting, scything & mowing the paths, pruning branches alongside the paths, maintaining the ditches, planting native trees & keeping them free of scrub, cleaning & painting the Red Squirrel Hide & storage shed and the Contemplation Shelter, cleaning the picnic tables & benches, helping to make sculptures & maintaining them, keeping the Labyrinth in good order, topping up the squirrel feeders, erecting new signs, cleaning the information signs and anything else that may be needed to maintain the woodlands in good order.

Cormonachan Community Woodlands volunteers may be joined by
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park volunteers and the Fife Conservation Group.

Clean Hi-Vis jackets, gloves, masks and face shields will be available for volunteers to use.
All tools and equipment for tasks are provided.

Please wear suitable clothing and footwear and bring a packed lunch and refreshments. Lunch break is very sociable over half an hour.

First Aiders are always in attendance.

The nearest public toilets are 2 miles away to the south just past Castle Carrick in Carrick Castle.

CCW Volunteer Policy

Equal Opportunities Policy – CCW

Would you be interested in becoming a Team Leader? –
see CCW Team Leader Check List

The CCW Volunteers Leader is Frances Walker – 07776 325431 or 01301 703431
E-mail: Volunteers@cormonachan-woodlands.co.uk.

Our CCW Secretary is Dee Locke – 07748 130976 or 01301 703098
E-mail: Secretary@cormonachan-woodlands.co.uk

We do hope that as many people as possible can volunteer over these months.
If you haven’t volunteered before, give it a GO! It’s actually very enjoyable and rewarding to make a difference…

Please book Volunteers Days in advance, if you can’t attend having booked, you can cancel – all can be done securely online.

* * * * *

Your Questions answered.

What does Volunteering involve?

Volunteering can help the Cormonachan Community Woodlands Ltd in different ways:-

1) Volunteering to become an annual member – this helps pay for the running of the organisation.

2) Volunteering on the Board – helping run the company with its organisation & funding.

3) Volunteering to help raise funds – the company has no income stream other than annual membership.

4) Volunteering at events – helping to set up & take down our marquee and run the stand (Open Days/Gala Day/etc.)

5) Volunteering in the woodlands – helping physically, working at various tasks.

More information on the above…

1) Volunteering to become an annual member

Q. Why is it important that the company has members?

A. The Cormonachan Community Woodlands is a not-for-profit organisation. It has no income stream, such as being able to sell timber commercially from the woodlands. The woodlands are community woodlands run for the preservation of the woodlands and maintenance of its paths for education and recreation. The company has to raise money to run the organisation. There are annual costs that have to be covered – third party insurance, insurance of its structures (Red Squirrel Hide, Shed & Contemplation Shelter), tools, equipment, website hosting, domain renewal costs, stationery, printing ink, non-fundable annual costs such as servicing equipment, petrol, oils & chains/cords for chainsaw and strimmers, incidentals, etc. All these costs are paid for by the membership’s annual subscriptions. It is therefore important to the company that members renew their membership annually to ensure the viability of the company’s future.

Membership Application Form (This form has to be completed to join Cormonachan Community Woodlands Ltd.)

2) Volunteering on the Committee

Q. How do I apply to become a Committee Member?

A. You need to have a passion to want to preserve Cormonachan Community Woodlands for Conservation, Education and Recreation. You volunteer your services advising the committee of your attributes and experiences. As the Board is made up of up to eight members (Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Volunteers Leader and three other places), you would need to be co-opted/elected a place on the Board when a vacancy becomes available. All board members are re-elected or  elected at the Annual General Meeting. Committee meetings would average around six meetings a year. Board members would be expected to attend and organise volunteer groups a few times each year. The Volunteers Leader’s position is shown on the Volunteers Leader Job Description. The Volunteers Leader is in charge of organising the Team Leaders – see CCW Team Leader Check List.

3) Volunteering to help raise funds

Q. How can we help to raise funds?

A. You can help with these items:-

1) Encourage your friends and neighbours to become members of the Association.

2) Donate small or larger amounts of money to Cormonachan Community Woodlands’s projects or general fund (the “Upper Cormonachan Paths Project Fund” is the current project).
Cheques or bank transfers are welcome or ‘Donate’ via PayPal on the Association’s website – https://www.cormonachan-woodlands.co.uk/news.html  (bottom of page).

3) When buying anything on-line, check to see if that one (of 6,000 listed retailers) is offering a fund raising donation to Cormonachan Community Woodlands.
Go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/panel/ as small amounts add up to big amounts if lots of members use the system.

4) The Board obtains funding for projects, maintenance, tools, equipment, structures, paths and training of member volunteers through a wide range of available community funds. Members with funding application experience are invited to contact the Company’s Secretary with any funding sources information they may have that would be beneficial to the organisation.

4) Volunteering at events

Q. Why does the Company have Open Days and attend other events, such as Gala Days locally?

A. Members of the local community need to be informed about the historic and modern-day value of Cormonachan Community Woodlands which are classified as ‘Ancient Semi Natural Woodlands’. These 63.9 hectares of ancient Atlantic oak and hazel woodlands with their paths have to be maintained for conservation, education and recreation on behalf of the local community. Walking in Cormonachan Community Woodlands around the 1 km Squirrel Trail or 2.5 km circular paths is excellent for people’s health and walking dogs is welcome. These are lovely walks to do all year round, however, in order to keep them in good order, the Company needs volunteers for the maintenance of the paths. Open Days and Gala Days help to promote the Company’s work and gain new members and also raise funds for projects.

5) Volunteering in Cormonachan Community Woodlands

Q. My family and I would like to help as volunteers but we haven’t done it before. What is the procedure?

A. We meet at the Cormonachan Community Woodlands north or south car parks preferably 10 minutes before the start time on a Volunteers Day. Before each of the days we generally list the priorities for the day and advise members by email. It’s always helpful if you can let us know which day(s) you can volunteer on so we can plan what tools may be required. We supply tools, Hi-Vis jackets, gloves, helmets and visors, etc. if appropriate. Children are welcome if attended by parents. The minimum age for volunteering is 16. If the car park of the day is full, we will arrange parking just down the road at our other car park and provide a shuttle service… A safety briefing is given by the Team Leaders of the day, you sign an Adult Medical Information & Consent form and a selection of tasks will be available with guidance. First Aiders are always in attendance. Volunteer Days are on the days listed at the top of this page throughout the year. The full day sessions run from 10 am to 4 pm including a social half hour break for lunch. You can come for the day or a morning or an afternoon.  We try to have a good time volunteering and achieve good results in looking after the woodlands. Currently our oldest volunteer is 81 years old.

Your volunteering will help to maintain these ancient Atlantic oak and hazel woodlands and keep the paths in good order for locals and visitors to enjoy these wonderful walks. Below is the compartment map showing the various work areas.