Our Changeprint
Our Changeprint can be measured by the number of volunteers involved in our projects and the number of people who attend our events; the increase in local biodiversity; and the community building that results from bringing people together.
Our story
Stroud Valleys Project is a community-based charity in the Stroud district, with the purpose of enriching lives and transforming places. We run a series of projects which we couldn't do without our volunteers, so it's a mutual relationship of sharing our skills and abilities while caring for our environment, biodiversity and local community. The projects are primarily environmental, with a focus on looking after our wildlife or growing food, while learning, exploring and meeting local people. Here are just a few examples of our projects:
Bisley Old Road Allotment: We turned a long-forgotten plot into a productive food-growing site full of bees, butterflies and crickets. Our produce is organic, and we share surplus with the Marah Trust, a charity in Stroud that helps marginalised people.
Rackleaze Wetland: One of a number of practical conservation projects, this site in Cam has benefited from boardwalks, bridges, picnic benches and more. People can enjoy this peaceful wetland and spot all kinds of birds, mammals, insects and even reptiles.
Wild Classrooms: Over 1,000 learning places have been created by the project, which benefits schools, Brownies, colleges and Woodcraft Folk. Our Project Officer creates free resources for groups to link to the primary science curriculum including a series of calendars to learn about nature through the year.
Stratford Park's Sensory Garden: Transforming a former pitch-and-putt into a multi-sensory garden full of beautiful sights, smells, and textures as well as an amphitheatre built by our team.
We offer volunteer opportunities to anyone and everyone who wants to get involved in our community. Everyone works together. There are all kinds of jobs to be done, and we make sure there's something that could be of interest to everyone regardless of their background. Our volunteers include professionals taking a break, people recovering from health issues, people looking to learn new skills, and all other walks of life. It's about coming together and doing something amazing in, and for, our local community.
Our advice
Don’t write off any area that could be of use for nature. A lot of our work is done on old or unloved sites such as run-down nature areas or abandoned allotments, and even a disused pitch-and-putt golf course. There are resources in every community that could be revived and rejuvenated.
If your project is quite specific, you'll probably want to look for people with a keen interest in that topic as volunteers, which means you can attract new ideas and expertise. We do things differently and focus on providing a wide variety of things for people to get involved with, which can work wonders for both people and the planet. This means we get a wonderful variety of visitors and volunteers who can come together and learn from each other as well as the project.
