Why volunteers matter to our communities – and how you can get involved

05 June 2026

Wallasey Central Park volunteers

Volunteers Week is being celebrated across Wirral to acknowledge those who give their time to support their local communities.

Around the borough hundreds of people offer their time every week to support a wide range of services, from helping keep our parks clean and tidy to assisting young people and supporting libraries.

In Wallasey’s Central Park volunteers play a key role in keeping the park in excellent condition, and Charlotte Roberts, Garden Maintenance Supervisor at Wallasey Central Park, says they “enhance” the services the council provides.

Charlotte said:

People sometimes assume volunteers are there to save the council money, but it’s much more than that. Volunteering gives people opportunities, whether that’s building confidence, meeting new people, getting outdoors, learning new skills or simply feeling part of something bigger.
We’ve seen people join the group who were new to the area and didn’t know anyone, and now they’ve built real friendships and support networks through the park. We have volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, and every one of them brings something different to the team.
The volunteers make a huge contribution to Central Park, but they are there to enhance what we do, not replace staff. The staff provide the foundation and structure that keeps the park running day to day, and the volunteers are the extra layer that helps us go even further. They bring enthusiasm, ideas and pride into the space, and because of their support we’re able to achieve projects and improvements that simply wouldn’t otherwise happen.

In 2025 alone, volunteers contributed a combined total of 1,145 hours – a figure expected to rise this year. Tasks range from leaf collection and spade edging to weeding beds and painting, with volunteers of all ages, from their early 20s to retirement, getting involved.

Volunteer activity at the park includes twice-weekly gardening sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays, support from Wirral Community Anglers in maintaining the main lake, and the running of The Walled Garden Café by volunteers.

Central Park is one of Wirral’s 31 Green Flags green spaces. The international award recognises the good quality parks and green spaces. Jo Hanik, Head Ranger for Wirral Parks and Countryside Service believes they would not have the accolades without volunteers.

Jo highlighted groups such as the Friends of Hilbre who host open days on the island as well as seal watching, and said:

“If we didn’t have the support from Friends groups and other park stakeholders, we wouldn’t have the Green Flag Awards. It’s as simple as that; their contributions are incredible.
Volunteering isn’t just litter picking – if that’s all someone wants to do then that’s fine, but people can also be looking for practical experience to support their academic achievements or to learn new skills to help with a new career; or they may be retired and want to stay physically active.
Volunteer groups can create great friendships and we hear from so many volunteers who say that coming along to help really helps with their mental health – taking a few hours a week to get outside and knowing that they are making a significant contribution.

Wirral Parks and Countryside Service also support schools with offering work placement opportunities. At Wirral Country Park we’ve had placements over a total of 14 weeks in the last 12 months. Quite often, on the first day, the students are understandably a bit apprehensive; by the second day they start to get more involved and by the end of the week they are really enjoying the experience. It’s great to see young people who want to take up a career in countryside management and we sometime see the same volunteers years later as they volunteer with us as part of their college or university studies.

In youth services, volunteers can also make a profound difference. Wirral Youth Justice Service has recently taken on 29 volunteers who will work with young people.

Some work as mentors, acting as role models, providing supporting and listening to issues while others sit on youth justice panels.

Carl Loughlin, Volunteer Coordinator, said:

A lot of what we do is prevention work; preventing young people getting a criminal record. One of the biggest things for us is when you might get stopped in the supermarket a few years later and someone who you’ve worked with says that we changed their life because we put them straight and in the right direction.
I always tell volunteers to use it to their advantage because the work they do can help turn lives around.

The national Volunteers Week campaign, running from Monday 1 June to Sunday 7 June, is now in its 42nd year and highlights the vital role volunteers.

Considering volunteering?

Volunteering in Wirral is a great opportunity to develop new skills and gain experience, whilst making a difference to people’s lives. There are lots of ways to get involved; from helping out in your local area to making a regular commitment to a community or charity group.

Becoming a volunteer is a great way to: