Friends of Blaise

Conserving, Improving, Promoting

contact@friendsofblaise.co.uk

volunteering

see below for volunteering opportunities

friends of blaise offer a wide range of opportunties for volunteering with local experienced volunteers and park rangers. often we team up with other local groups for this such as SusWOT.

great as outdoor gym or you just want to commune with nature in a magnigicent setting.

2020 update

Due to the ongoing situation there are limited volunteering options available. we hope there will be more options in 2021.

litter picking

throughout the year we organise litter picking events around the stream and paths in blaise. details of events will published on the latest @blaise page.

Community garden

hidden away to the side of the museum, behind walls is the community garden (formerly the kitchen garden to the great house). this 2 acre site contains multiple greenhouses for growing fruit, vegetables and flowers. in addition it has an all-purpose cabin, a pond, three beehives, an orchard, and several outhouses. 

Although the garden is now a charity in it's own right and has an active body of volunteers, we always need more, not just for gardening but restoring the outhouses, helping out with events and welcoming visitors. 

it is open throughout the year every wednesday and  saturday from 10am to 2pm where tea, coffee and often with home-made cakes provided for the volunteers.

Potential upcoming project include art & craft afternoons, building a pizza oven, charcoal making and cider pressing.

conservation work

Woodland Work

between december and march with no bird nests to disturb, there will be a regular monday work programme of coppicing, thining and scrub clearance throughout the 400 acres of woodland. this is a great chance to get out and immerse yourself in this historic, wild landscape.

Balsam Bashing

in the summer months in conjunction with SusWOT we clear invasive plants such as himalayan balsam from the river banks.

Volunteering @Blaise

benefits to you

we believe you will find these activities really worthwile and an opportunity to:

  • break away from the urban environment 
  • be active in the fresh air - you free "green gym"
  • socialise with local experienced volunteers
  • have the chance to learn all sorts of new skills
  • share your own home-grown fruit, vegetables and flowers
  • know that our thousands of visitors really appreciate what you do in the estate
  • know you are contributing something valuable to the natural environment

castle opening

we are always looking for more volunteers to help open the castle for just a few hours on a weekend or bank holiday afternoon. wihtout your help we will struggle to keep opening this fine gothic folly to the public. if you think you can help even just for an hour please email us at contact@friendsofblaise.co.uk