BRCC provides opportunities for local people to participate in regular outdoor exercise through its two conservation volunteer groups – Chilterns Conservation Volunteers and Ivel Valley Conservation Volunteers. Both groups are led by trained staff and deliver an annual programme of weekly conservation tasks, enabling participants to learn new skills at the same time as improving their physical and mental health. These groups are particularly popular with older people.

The CCV meet every Thursday and work on sites throughout much of Luton and the south of the county. Formerly run by the North Chilterns Trust, the Chilterns Conservation Volunteers (CCV) group, like the Trust itself, moved across to BRCC in September 2006. The group were set up many years ago, to undertake a range of conservation tasks across the Luton and South Bedfordshire area, and are still highly regarded by the various organisations they carry out projects for.

Present clients include Natural England, the Wildlife Trust, Luton Borough Council, and the Community Tree Trust, and tasks range from grassland and pond management, rights of way clearance and tree planting to fencing and gate installation. Sites that the volunteers work on include Barton Hills National Nature Reserve, Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, Clophill Tree Nursery, and Cowslip Meadow and Blows Down (both in Luton).

Details of task dates follow, but if you would like to know more about the CCV please contact Mike Fayers on 01767 626453,
or by email at: mikef@bedsrcc.org.uk