Monday 27 February 2012

To be a volunteer...

TARGET AUDIENCE.

18 years + - want to look into organised groups of young people helping out.
Have commitment and enthusiasm
An interest in the lake district.

Corporate volunteering

Lake District National Park Corporate Volunteering

The Lake District National Park Volunteers Service has a 50 year heritage looking after one of the nation's greatest assets. Through our Corporate Volunteering Scheme you will get the chance to work alongside our Volunteers Service and put something back into the stunning landscape we all love.

Our Corporate Volunteering Scheme gives you and your employees the opportunity to work with a renowned professional environmental brand. It helps you develop professional relationships, which have a mutual benefit for both your organisation and ours.

What can you expect from the day?

You will meet in a beautiful part of the Lake District National Park to enjoy a day of conservation and team work. You will be introduced to a team of experienced leaders, who will ensure you have a fun and safe day. We can tailor your day to ensure the volunteering helps to deliver your company’s Corporate Social Responsibility commitments.

How does your company benefit?

You will be putting something back that has a legacy. We can create a reciprocal link between us to demonstrate elements of your Corporate Social Responsibility. You will also be helping your employees to give something positive back and learn about each other in a different setting. The day represents good value because your company would need to do the minimum of organisation - we sort everything out for you.

How do your employees benefit?

It’s a great way for people to get out of their normal work space and enjoy a fantastic and constructive event. As a team building exercise, the day will help to embed existing team working skills. And it will go towards developing a positive and practical demonstration of good practice.

You and your employees

You will be helping to deliver values of an organisation that:

Is passionate and proud of the Lake District
Is innovative and courageous
Is ethical and cares about our environment
Is approachable, receptive and respectful
Is communicative and cooperative
Values people
Aims high and achieves success

What happens on the day?

You will be met by a trained member of the National Park who will be guiding you throughout your experience. They will be on hand to answer questions and supervise your volunteering.

Firstly there will be an introduction including background information on the conservation task to be done. You will then have a short ‘toolbox talk’ to cover all health and safety aspects of your volunteering. You can rest assured that the risk assessments and insurances have been covered, allowing you to relax into your volunteering in a safe environment.

You will be given all the Personal Protective Equipment and tools that you need to complete your volunteering and away you go…

We have a clear pricing policy and that is:

£50 per person per day for our basic package. This includes:

A trained member of the National Park team to supervise the task and answer any questions. They will be on hand all day
Introduction, background and support to complete the task
A Health and Safety briefing before commencing your task
Risk Assessment
Trained First Aider
Liability insurance
Car parking
PPE equipment, for example gloves, hi-vis vests where needed
Tools and materials to do the task

Why not take a look at our recent feedback below to see how others have benefited from their Corporate Volunteering day with the Lake District National Park Authority!

What other groups say about their day...

Arco Limited

The first day was spent refurbishing one of the sets of wood steps. They lead 150 feet down to the shores of Windermere from the National Park car park and picnic site at Beech Hill. This involved digging out accumulated grass and earth and resurfacing with two tons of crushed slate all carried down by bucket!

Jon Hammond, National Accounts Sales Manager for Arco says

'Thanks to the Lake District National Park Authority, for the support given during our recent two day Corporate and Social Responsibility activity in the national park.

Nine work colleagues and I gained great satisfaction over the two days, completing tough but quite manageable tasks mainly involved in path and walkway maintenance. A lot of this was down to Field Ranger Dave Bell, who did an excellent job of gauging the right level of work, and led us enthusiastically, giving clear guidance prior and during the activity. He is a great advocate for the Authority.

Arco is one of the largest family owned companies in the UK and are very proud of their commitments to charity and community activities.

We would also like to officially thank everyone for a well organised, professional effort.'

Other Arco staff said:

"We had a brilliant couple of days thanks. The work provided by Dave Bell enabled us to get stuck in, work hard and complete the tasks with great satisfaction.

Everything from Voluntary Ranger Richard’s co-ordination to Dave’s excellent organisation made it the perfect couple of day’s voluntary work. (the weather was kind too)"

"The two days were good hard work and fun. Made great by Dave and super volunteers"

More Information...

For more information or to discuss your individual requirements, please feel free to contact the Volunteers Service:

Tim Duckmanton, Volunteer Coordinator – 01539 792674, tim.duckmanton@lakedistrict.gov.uk.

Jo Cooper, Volunteers Service Support Officer – 01539 792605, jo.cooper@lakedistrict.gov.uk

Get Involved

Get involved

Volunteer Guided Walk Leaders

Are you interested in becoming a guided walk leader for the Lake District National Park Authority?

Would you like to help people understand and appreciate the Lake District National Park?

Do you have a broad knowledge of the Lake District and a passion for the area which you would like to share with others?

We run a comprehensive programme of events and guided walks throughout the year. We are currently recruiting for new guided walk leaders. We are looking for up to 15 people to join our established team of volunteers to lead a range of guided walks for the public.

The walks vary from low level valley walks to high level classic routes. We are particularly keen to hear from people who would enjoy leading the less challenging routes. It’s a great way to learn more about the National Park, meet other people, get some experience for WGL (walking group leader) and ML (Mountain leader) logbooks, and support the National Park in a high profile role.

In return for a minimum commitment of 10 days per year, for three years we offer a comprehensive programme of induction, training and mentoring which includes:

Navigation training
Group Management training
First Aid training
Introduction to the National Park and other in-house training

We will also pay volunteers reasonable out of pocket expenses.

Experience of leading walks is desirable but not essential, but a friendly, confident and professional manner and the knowledge and skills to deliver guided walks which are welcoming to a wide range of people are vital.

Key dates

Closing date to register your interest is Friday 9 March 2012

Final selection event Saturday 17 March or Tuesday 20 March 2012

More information

If you would like to find out more about the role, or have any questions please contact Annie Duckworth Volunteer recruitment coordinator on 01539 792891 or email annie.duckworth@lakedistrict.gov.uk

Alternatively you can write to the Authority at our offices in Kendal:
Lake District National Park Authority
Murley Moss
Oxenholme Road
Kendal LA9 7RL

Volunteer assistants for school visits to Brockhole

We're looking for volunteers to support our learning coordinator at Brockhole - The Lake District Visitor Centre – meeting and greeting groups, helping them get the most out of their visit.

We are looking for people who are excellent communicators, enjoy working with children, have a good local knowledge and broad understanding of the National Park Authority.

As a “Volunteer Schools Liaison officer” you will be the first point of contact to groups arriving at Brockhole. Your role will involve:

running short welcome briefing sessions
ensuring that teachers and group leaders are happy with the arrangements for their visit
assisting with educational resource preparation such as displays and trails
optional - leading or assisting with onsite environmental education sessions such as pond dipping and guided trails around the grounds

We are looking for up to 8 people who can commit to a minimum of 10 duties a year – mainly weekdays during term time. The majority of duties will be required between Easter and the end of October each year.

The role is open to anyone, no experience is necessary, - good communication skills and a professional, friendly manner are the most important elements of this role. It will particularly suit someone who is confident with large groups and is prepared to be an ambassador for the National Park Authority. It’s a great way to learn more about the National Park, meet other people, get some experience for working in the countryside and support the National Park in an enjoyable and high profile role.

In addition to training and supporting you, so you can do your tasks effectively with confidence and in a safe way, we will cover any out of pocket expenses.

Need more information?

Please contact Annie Duckworth, Volunteer recruitment coordinator, on 01539 792891 or emailannieduckworth@lakedistrict.gov.uk

Closing date

Before 23 February 2012

Fix the Fells volunteering support coordinator

The Fix the Fells Partnership repairs and maintains Lake District paths which give us access to our stunning mountains and uplands throughout the National Park. Volunteer Fix the Fells lengthsmen help look after these paths and now we need some help supporting them, to look after the Lake District landscape.

We are looking for a volunteering support coordinator whose role will be to recruit volunteers and support mentors. This will suit people who enjoy helping others or want some experience in volunteer recruitment and support. The role is based in Kendal, for 10 hours a week, between now and May 2012.

Anyone is welcome to get in touch and find out more by contacting Tim Duckmanton, Volunteer Coordinator on 01539 792674 or by email tim.duckmanton@lakedistrict.gov.uk

For more information

For an informal chat about this role call or email Tim Duckmanton on 01539 792674tim.duckmanton@lakedistrict.gov.uk

oppurtunities

Types of opportunities

People volunteer for us in many different roles. These include:

Practical Work Parties

A work party is a small group of volunteers undertaking practical conservation work. Each work party may involve a different manual task such as dry stone walling, footpath repairs and tree planting. They take place on a weekday or weekend.

Patrols

A patrol along a set route is more than just a walk. You may be asked to give help and advice to visitors, pick up litter, check the condition of the Right of Way and footpath furniture, carry out minor tasks such as clearing debris from culverts or cutting back seasonal growth. Whilst on a patrol Volunteers are our eyes and ears in the National Park, they are also our ambassadors.

Rights of Way Surveys

The Lake District National Park Authority is responsible for maintaining the Rights of Way network, looking after public footpaths, bridleways and byways. Each footpath needs to be surveyed on a rota basis as part of the legal duty of care. This is one of the Rangers' responsibilities and Volunteers assist by regularly carrying out surveys. As part of the survey, Volunteers look at the signs, furniture such as stiles and gates and whether the path needs any maintenance.

Guided Walks and Events

Volunteer-led guided walks for the general public are part of the Lake District National Park Authority Events programme. The guided walks open up many areas of the National Park to those who may not have the opportunity or skills to discover it for themselves. Guided walks take place all over the National Park. Guided walk leaders need to have a good understanding of the area, excellent communication skills and be prepared to complete appropriate training.

Leading Public Navigation Courses

These are led volunteers for the general public to give people the skills to use a map and compass to navigate. The courses combine instruction with outdoor practice and help give participants more confidence to enjoy the outdoors safely. Volunteers who lead public navigation courses must be experienced in map reading and have a good knowledge of the area.

Training courses

We support volunteers with appropriate training and mentoring for relevant tasks we ask people to do. We run courses such as:

Access, Recreation and Rights of Way
Working with the Public
Getting to know the National Park
Navigation Training and Assessment
Appointed Person First Aid

What you can do

We have lots of opportunities for you to help us and ‘put something back’ such as:

Help the Rangers on work parties. Repair walls or clear vegetation, survey rights of way, maintain footpaths and do patrols.
Leading walks and events out and about in the National Park.
Support the Environment and Heritage team surveying wildlife and monitoring archaeological sites.
Carry out visitor surveys and marshal events for the Countryside team
Look after the gardens at Brockhole - the Lake District Visitor Centre with the gardeners.
Work with our partners on projects such as Fix the Fells (opens in new window).

We don't recruit for these volunteering roles all the time. Please check the get involved page to see what help we are currently looking for.

Team spirit

The Lake District Volunteers Service works with National Park Authority staff to involve volunteers in their work. We are supported by a Volunteers Forum and publish a newsletter and an online extranet to keep people in touch with what we do.

Mentors support new volunteers and we regularly meet up around the National Park as well as holding an annual Volunteers Day to celebrate our achievements. There is also a training programme to help people get the most of out of their volunteering.

To find out what general volunteering opportunities you can get involved with, please look at our Types of opportunities.

Changed brief.

I have been thinking over the problems in regards to the lake district brief and realise there is just so much information to put into a visitors publication and already so many in existence. It seems poorly thought out to produce something which has already been made and does the job.

After visiting and researching further into the lakes I realise there is so much more that can encourage people to enjoy the lake district. On the website there is a hidden section on volunteering in the lake district which seems like a brilliant advert for getting people DOING rather than just BEING and also helping an area which is so beautiful and needs preserving.

This seems to be something which has not been overly advertised due to humility but I think this is a perfect opportunity to get creative on the subject of the environment, being active and lending a hand.

The re-written brief will follow shortly.

Thursday 23 February 2012

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Publication initial visualisation

BOOKS TO READ

The aim is to read reviews/get initial descriptions specific points whilst visually interpreting them. Whether image or type - this will depend on the books style or themes.

WE HAD IT SO GOOD> Linda Grant

THE SISTERS BROTHERS> Patrick DeWitt

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP> S J Watson

PERIODIC TALES> Hugh Aldersey-Williams

MY DEAR I WANTED TO TELL YOU> Louisa Young

Top 50

Top 50 Books 2011

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman

4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling

6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne

8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell

9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis

10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller

12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë

13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks

14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier

15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling

23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling

24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling

25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien

26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy

27. Middlemarch, George Eliot

28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving

29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck

30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson

32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez

33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett

34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens

35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl

36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson

37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute

38. Persuasion, Jane Austen

39. Dune, Frank Herbert

40. Emma, Jane Austen

41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery

42. Watership Down, Richard Adams

43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh

46. Animal Farm, George Orwell

47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy

49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian

50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher

I think the main problem with grabbing books from here is that a lot of them are well known as films and I want to re-establish a written book in a new light.

Waterstones Book Club and Amazon top 5

WATERSTONES

AMAZON

Patterns

Questions?

What will they be used for?
How can the concept become more important?
What themes can be used?
How can I stop myself copying other designs?
will they be type/image based or both?

Considering all of these I need to makesure I don't merely focus on making pretty patterns, rather create something which is for a specific subject and find a purpose for designing them. I don't want them to just be shallow image based designs.

Themes:
Colour
Geometry
typographic
Nature
Environment
Stories - I Think this has the most scope for something with backbone.

What sorts of stories?

Nursery Rhymes, Shakespeare, Old stories, Books in the charts, Top 5 ever written.

I really want to focus on books with are well reviewed and are seen as really good books but which have not been made into films and which are a range of genres.

GENRES

Romance,
history,
Comedy,
Horror,
War,
Crime,
Army,
Thriller,
Sci-fi
Biography,
Autobiography.

INITIAL IDEAS.

Sections within publication.

Walking
Lakes
Rainy Days
Towns/Accommodation
Arts and culture
History

I want to focus on image and colour throughout the publication and keep the type simple and somewhat invisible.

It would be good to possibly try out type as image so as to merge the two.

CONTOURS

I think contours and gradients on mountain walking maps are really beautiful and would like to play around with ideas revolving around this for the walking section.

Considering the lake district is a place to get away from city life I want to focus a few double page spread specifically on image and no words - when walking it is easy to be overwhelmed by what is around to mean that there are no words to describe it.