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Getting involved in your local Park or Green Space

Getting involved in your local park or green space

What types of volunteering you can do, the benefits of volunteering, how to volunteer to work in a park and park projects.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): you can now volunteer in parks in socially distanced groups of up to 6 people. Check the health and safety section on our Set up and run a Friends of Park Group to make sure you run sessions safely.

By volunteering to work in parks you can be involved in activities such as:

  • fundraising for park facilities and play equipment
  • wildlife conservation projects and surveys
  • landscaping work alongside our staff
  • horticulture projects, such as working in our rose gardens
  • picking up litter
  • holding fun days and events
  • giving guided walks and talks

How you can benefit from volunteering

It can help you:

  • gain new skills and experience to improve your employment prospects
  • meet new friends and be part of a community
  • improve your physical and mental wellbeing

How to volunteer

You can volunteer to work in one of Bristol’s parks by joining your existing local Friends of Park Group. You can use our Apply for volunteer work on our parks form if you want to work on one of our large parks.

Find a park group

Friends of Park Groups help improve parks and green spaces and create opportunities for members to learn new skills. 
There are Friends of Park Groups all around the city. Each has specific activities and regular meetings.

The Bristol Parks Forum has a list of the groups you can join with links to their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.

Our Set up and run a Friends of Parks Group page has information about starting your own group and documents to help you run activities safely and successfully.

Volunteering on our large parks

You can volunteer to work on some of our largest green spaces. They run specific activities throughout the year. 

Ashton Court Estate

The Ashton Court Estate has 850 acres of woods and grasslands. It’s about 1.2 miles from the city centre.

Activities

In the rose garden with Charlie: learn how to maintain the rose garden, meet new friends and treat yourself to a coffee. 

10.30am – 12.30pm every Tuesday and Thursday.

Find out more and book your first session on the Can Do Bristol website.

We run many other conservation or volunteering activities throughout the year as well as research projects for students such as:

  • bats and wild flowers study
  • pond and pond life regeneration

Fill in the Volunteering work in large parks form below to know more about our activities and to register your interest.

Blaise Castle Estate

Blaise Castle Estate is a 650 acres parkland area open to the public near Henbury, about 6 miles from the city centre. 

Activities

Work with expert parks staff to reintroduce wildlife to one of Blaise’s lost ponds.

Fill in the form below to register your interest. 

You can also join the community garden group. They have a calendar of all the events they run throughout the year.

The Downs

The Downs consist of Clifton Down and Durdham Down and are a public open space on the edge of the city, about two miles from the centre.

Activities 

Check the Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge site to see what is happening.

Apply to be a volunteer in our parks

Fill in our form if you’d like to be a volunteer or if you want us to contact you when we have new activities.

Apply for volunteering work in our parks

We’ll aim to get back to you within 10 working days. 

Park projects

There are several volunteering in parks projects aimed at groups such as young people or the unemployed.

ParkWork

ParkWork offers training and skills development for people who need more experience to find permanent work in parks across the city.

Contact parkvolunteers@bristol.gov.uk with the email subject ‘ParkWork’ to find out where in the city they’ll be working each week.

Groundwork South 

Groundwork South works with Bristol’s Friends of Parks groups to get more young people aged 11 to 25 to engage with their local parks. They currently work with 12 friends of parks groups to provide:

  • training in tool use
  • education about conservation and horticulture
  • mentoring to build confidence and increase employment prospects

One Tree Per Child

One Tree Per Child plants trees in schools, parks and open spaces. Volunteers can help plant or maintain trees throughout the year.