Countryside Management Group wins High Sheriff’s Making a Difference Award

The Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership has been teaming up with the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire to celebrate her year themed Sport for Good with some special High Sheriff Recognition Awards.  

On a very wintery December morning High Sheriff of Hertfordshire Annie Brewster JP presented a Making a Difference Award for Outstanding Service to Improving the Environment for Wildlife and People to the Friday Volunteer Group. 

This newly establishing weekly conservation volunteer group, initiated thanks to funding from Sustainable Hertfordshire after a need was identified for more volunteering opportunities. The group mainly covers the Southwest of the County but are able to be reasonably flexible and go where needed. They are involved in a wide variety of activities with various District/Borough Councils and partners within Hertfordshire County Council. On this task day they were improving biodiversity on Nomansland Common, returning to a hedgerow planted 2 years ago to check on the plants and replace losses where necessary. 

The tasks are popular with the volunteers for a number of reasons, they get to go to places in the county where they wouldn’t normally go and jobs are generally of a kind where they can really see that they’ve made a difference. For the County Council and the public, they provide an incredibly valuable service, keeping paths, conservation areas and green areas open and safe to use. 

The High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, Annie Brewster JP said: 

“very proud to present a 'Making a Difference Award' for outstanding service to improving the environment for wildlife and people to the Countryside & Rights of Way Service Friday Volunteer Group. These volunteers give their time and immense skill to preserve our Rights of Way and Open Spaces and I'm informed this small Friday group are one of the most productive! The thick ivy clad dead wood now removed and mixed native species hedging about to be planted! Thank you!” 

Thank you to Herts County Council for their continued support of the Countryside Management Service and helping keep Hertfordshire’s conservation areas open and safe to use. If you’d like to get involved with volunteering with your local group or find out more visit the Countryside Management Service website here: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/countrysidemanagementservice  

For further details of the event and the High Sheriff’s visit, please contact Jane Parker j.parker20@herts.ac.uk.