Volunteers Committee

The Volunteers Committee is made up of representatives from each venue/open space and sits on a quarterly basis. The committee is there to discuss all elements of volunteering across the Park and is used a communication forum for all volunteers. The committee also acts as a sounding board to discuss challenges around the Park.

Our current representatives:

Lee Valley Fisheries	Colin Short
Bittern Information Point	Mark Braun
Lee Valley Riding Centre & Lee Valley VeloPark	Maria Uhlmann
Lee Valley Rangers	David Edwards	Murray Scott

Joining the Volunteer Committee

Are you interested in getting more involved in how volunteering works at Lee Valley Regional Park Authority? Do you think you would like to make some suggestions or represent your team?

The Volunteers Team is always looking for new enthusiastic individuals who are willing to act as a point of contact within their respective teams. Representatives provide team members with an easy and informal way of communicating ideas, thoughts and experiences to the Volunteers Team enabling us to improve and develop the volunteer programme.

Current vacancies:

Events
Myddelton House Gardens
Biodiversity (Wildlife Surveys)
Youth and Schools
Lee Valley Park Farms
Lee Valley Marinas
Lee Valley White Water Centre
Lee Valley Caravan Park, Dobbs Weir

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a representative please email: volunteers@leevalleypark.org.uk or call: 01992 709 867

Fisheries Representative

Colin has been volunteering in the park since 1985 when he did his first fisheries working party at Slipe Lane for the Turnford Consortium. Subsequently he was a bailiff/warden, then warden co-ordinator and a member of the fishery management committee. Working with a group of volunteers from all of the fisheries, he helped to revamp the Ashley fishery after a club terminated it’s lease and he was appointed the warden co-ordinator. The team then became members of the Fisheries Task Force who are responsible for carrying out repairs and improvements to all of the angling venues, including the redevelopment of the Park’s two day ticket waters, Banjo and Stock Pit at Stanstead Innings. Since retiring, he spends 2 days a week helping the fisheries team with their day to day workload with other retired members of the Task Force, including the bi annual electro fishing survey that provides information on fish populations for LVRP bio-diversity and the Herts Wildlife Trust. Volunteering has given him the opportunity to spend more time outdoors developing his Fishery Management knowledge/skills and LANTRA qualifications.

Colin Short

Riding Centre and VeloPark Representative

Maria has been a regular weekly volunteer at the Lee Valley Horse Riding Centre for their Tuesday 'Riding with the Disabled' sessions since 2012 and joined the Committee in 2014. Volunteering is a little bit in Marias blood. When she finished her education she was a full time volunteer for a whole year working with children in local Authority care. Since then she has been lucky in that she has had paid employment for most of her adult life and now finds herself in the fortunate position that she can give something back on a voluntary basis. She also finds it rewarding particularly when she witnesses the amount of pleasure and joy that a little assistance can bring to somebody else - horse riding for the disabled being a good example. Finally she is learning new things all the time and volunteering helps to continue to keep her fit too.

Maria Uhlmann

Conservation Representatives

David joined LVRPA on retirement from the pharmaceutical industry in 2012. He is a conservation volunteer and also honorary warden for Fishers Green where he works with the Ranger Andy Vaughan. David also does conservation and education voluntary work for the Canal and River Trust and is instrumental in promoting joint events with LVRPA.

Murray started volunteering for LVRPA on May 2007 and joined the Volunteer Committee in April 2016. Prior to volunteering with the LVRPA he was a Lloyd's underwriter specialising in marine insurance.

In addition to his efforts with the LVRPA he is also a volunteer with the Canal and River Trust, a Trustee for the Cheshunt Common Rights Trust and Chairman of the Goffs Oak Community Association.

Conservation of shared open spaces is important to him and time spent in remote areas of the world has given him the incentive to help preserve a cleaner environment.

David Edwards

Murray Scott

Bittern Information Point Representative

Mark has been bird watching for 15 to 20 years in Lee Valley Regional Park which he has really enjoyed and has been volunteering for 2 years at the Bittern Information Point, a bird hide in the heart of River Lee Country Park, Hertfordshire.

He finds his role varies and can consist of giving out information about what visitors can do in the park, providing maps and answering a range of questions about the wildlife in the park.

He takes reports of wildlife sightings, logs them, explains the conservation work which is going on as well as assisting visitors to the Bittern Information Point.

“I’m a huge advocate for volunteering; I have learnt a number of new skills such as First Aid and encourage others to take up volunteering.”

Mark believes that: “One of the best things about volunteering is the diversity of different people you meet including families, couples, older people, photographers, bird watchers and dog walkers. You develop some great camaraderie with visitors and make new friends with similar interests.”

He joined the committee in December 2015.

Mark Braun