Supporting successful volunteers and opportunities in the New Forest

By James Masser, Volunteer and Accessibility Co-ordinator

The New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) works across a range of projects and with partners to protect the Forest’s special habitats, wildlife, culture, and heritage. Volunteers are a key part of delivering this mission.

A group of people sit on a wall and smile at the camera. — Volunteers sit on an old platform on the former Breamore Railway Line after a task making it more accessible improving the trail for wildlife and heritage (New Forest National Park Authority)

While helping the National Park thrive, there are also many benefits for volunteers themselves; from boosting health and wellbeing to building green skills, developing networks to sharing knowledge.

One way we attract volunteers is through an annual Volunteer Fair which showcases 50 organisations and regularly attracts over 700 prospective volunteers. Many of the organisations hoping to fill volunteer roles say this is their most successful annual event for securing more help.

What is the New Forest Volunteer Fair?

The NPA organises an annual New Forest Volunteer Fair bringing together organisations, charities, and initiatives from the National Park and surrounding counties.

At the Fair, exhibitors have a stall filled with information boards showcasing their opportunities while members of the public move between tables speaking to stallholders about offers that interest them.

Key speakers open the Fair each year including the NPA’s Chief Executive, a local MP, and an NPA partner – recently including members from the New Forest Youth Board and charity project PEDALL New Forest Inclusive Cycling.

A photo of the fair, people walking around and chatting to people at the display stands. — People interact with stallholders at the New Forest National Park Volunteer Fair (New Forest National Park Authority)

How did the Volunteer Fair begin?

The first New Forest Volunteer Fair took place in 2011 celebrating volunteering in the National Park and helping local groups recruit volunteers. At the time, our then new CEO Alison Barnes was keen to create an event showcasing the excellent volunteering offer in the New Forest.

What’s changed since the first Volunteer Fair? What’s worked and what hasn’t?

The New Forest Volunteer Fair has grown significantly since it began. Fairs now welcome more than 50 organisations on tables with more canvassing the door, while originally there were around 20 groups attending.

One of the biggest changes made in recent years is the removal of talks from the schedule. Previously, exhibitors could put on a presentation in a dedicated area of the venue promoting a specific project or generally boosting recruitment.

However, turnout for these varied because the format of scheduled talks was at odds with the theme of the Fair, which allowed people to arrive at any time and mix with exhibitors at their own pace. The decision to cut talks from the event also resulted in more space for exhibitor tables – considered a more valuable offering from the Fair.

What goes into organising a volunteer fair?

We contact people who have previously attended or expressed interest in attending a Volunteer Fair and invite partners and organisations from the New Forest area four or five months ahead of each Fair.

We do this through a newsletter providing early information and a link to a booking form asking respondents who they are, contact information, whether they need a power source, and any accessibility requirements. We also ask for a description of their organisation and volunteer opportunities, which we advertise on our website.

People sit around a table discussing ideas. — Local groups using volunteers workshop ideas at the New Forest's Volunteer Collective, while networking and sharing knowledge (New Forest National Park Authority)

A digital mock-up of the venue is created allowing us to match exhibitor requirements such as an accessible table at the end of a row, a high ceiling to accommodate materials, or a power source. A final version of this is then used as an easy-to-interpret map for the event itself.

Word of mouth and regular promotion also build awareness of the Volunteer Fair each year bringing new enquiries from groups.

The Fair works on a first-come-first-served basis open until the end of November (two months before the event) with a waiting list ready to fill cancellations. We also reserve a couple tables at the Volunteer Fair for waiting list groups happy to share space.

Additional considerations:

We host the New Forest Volunteer Fair in Brockenhurst because it’s a central location in the National Park with public transport links and parking. We work closely with local venues like schools to provide extra parking for exhibitors and ask people to limit the number of vehicles they bring.

Mapping out parking arrangements, timings for vehicles to be off site, and reservations for accessible spaces is important to reduce impacts on the area.

The venue also provides a private kitchen area for exhibitor use and a café for visitors.

Who are the New Forest Volunteer Fair exhibitors?

The Fair welcomes any group that has a local presence and a volunteering offer, whether organisations work at a national level such as Forestry England or the RSPB or on a neighbourhood scale like Pondhead Conservation Group or Litter Pickers of the New Forest. The scope is also wider than conservation volunteering with regular attendance from groups such as Honeypot Children’s Charity.

How is the Volunteer Fair promoted?

The New Forest has an established Volunteer Fair to build on that people are aware of and anticipate each year. However, this can lead to expectations, so establishing themes is important to refresh the Fair, guide messaging, and steer key speakers.

A theme can also connect the event to areas of the NPA’s wider work, including ‘Volunteering for Young People’ (linking to the Youth for Climate and Nature scheme) and ‘Volunteering for All’ (linking to inclusion and accessibility).

Promotion for the Volunteer Fair begins indirectly by talking about volunteering in a wider context using International Volunteer Day (5 December) as a hook and publishing a roundup blog celebrating achievements across the year so volunteering is prominent in people’s minds.

A ‘save the date’ is shared publicly a month before the event with information and confirmed organisations are sent a toolkit with branded materials to share.

The frequency of promotion increases as the Fair approaches and content in the week leading up to the event becomes more concentrated with practical information on getting to the venue and weather considerations included.

Numerous channels to reach audiences are used throughout, including social media, newsletters, blogs, the NPA WhatsApp channel, and earned local news through press releases.

What comes next?

Volunteers are needed year-round so the volunteer finder on the NPA website lists opportunities throughout the year.

A ‘Volunteer Collective’ has also been launched in partnership with Community First following feedback from Fair exhibitors highlighting the value of networking. This event brings organisations in the National Park and surrounding areas together celebrating achievements, sharing knowledge, and focussing on future collaboration.

New Routes to Nature – the initiative supporting volunteering in the New Forest – has been made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

For more information, contact the NPA team via email or visit the website at www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/get-involved/volunteer.

Find all the articles in the CJS Focus on...Volunteering Series here