Help to Save our Green Spaces

Are you keen to save the Bedfordshire countryside, its rural communities and towns from urban sprawl? With work on many thousands of houses already well on its way to deliver existing Local Plan commitments, groups locally are campaigning to make sure that any further growth, towards an ultimate target of 43,000 additional new houses by 2031 in South Bedfordshire is delivered in a sustainable way.

Volunteering with the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Bedfordshire, Leighton-Linslade Opposes Unsustainable Development (LOUD) or Friends of the Earth South Bedfordshire is one of the ways that you can help to protect the green spaces in South Bedfordshire. They monitor and challenge the proposals of both small and large scale developments if they involve development that would threaten the character and wildlife of the county. 

Volunteering is rewarding work and can be very varied as you can see from the list of opportunities below. You can volunteer either occasionally or on a regular basis. CPRE Bedfordshire, LOUD and Friends of the Earth are always in need of volunteers to help them with the increasingly demanding task of protecting Bedfordshire’s countryside.

Andy Wood of LOUD gives his reasons for becoming involved: "Speaking personally, and as someone who has lived here for many years, I have always had deep feelings about this area. It may not be the Lake District or rural Devon, but it's still got a lot going for it and it's worth standing up for. I feel that I've seen a slow erosion these few years of some of the things that are good about the area - a declining Town Centre, the arrival of mass housing developments that don't pay their way in terms of infrastructure - and so the threat of all this extra housing has finally inspired me to try and do something to help my town. After all, it's where I live - I'd be mad not to feel I have a vested interest in its well-being".

As a volunteer you could:

Respond to planning applications - If you want to know about, or are interested in the planning process, you could help assess local planning applications. CPRE will provide training for anyone who is not familiar with this.

Attend meetings – You could report on decisions made at local/district council and public meetings that have an environmental impact on local residents and businesses and increasingly represent the views of Friends of the Earth, CPRE or LOUD at meetings.

Research - you can help Friends of the Earth by researching information for local campaigns.

Produce publicity - You could help highlight campaigning activities through the local media by writing a press release, setting up a publicity stunt/photo opportunity or create newsletters and campaign materials.

Lobby - Are you willing to speak to councillors, MPs and local authority officers about housing growth issues and other campaigns?

• There is a petition to the House of Commons that can be signed on the LOUD website (www.lb-loud.co.uk) opposing future unsustainable development in South Bedfordshire.
• Friends of the Earth lobbied local councillors successfully to reverse some of the cuts to the Linslade Bus service.

Fundraise - Help fundraising efforts in your local area or use your skills to develop the fundraising potential of these organisations. This can be anything from helping out with collections at local fairs to assisting with grant funding applications.

• This year Friends of the Earth are raising money to plant trees and bushes around Leighton Buzzard to support wildlife and to make areas more attractive. They have raised money for top transport consultants to challenge the case for building roads, the Wing bypass and the Luton Northern Bypass. 

Help at events and distribute leaflets – Help at local shows and events or use your co-ordination skills to set up an event. Deliver CPRE campaign leaflets to local homes to keep people informed of local issues.

Become a Trustee - CPRE Bedfordshire are urgently looking for people to serve (as Trustees) on their Branch Committee to help them achieve their objectives of protecting the countryside by campaigning on environmental issues and encouraging sustainable use of land.

How to help

If you are interested in finding out more about any of these volunteering opportunities please contact Rebecca or Lucy at the Volunteer Centre at Voluntary and Community Action on 01525 850559 or email volunteer@action-southbeds.org.uk.  If you would like to explore other volunteering opportunities that are available in South Bedfordshire please contact the Volunteer Centre for a Volunteering Directory or to arrange an informal chat.

Notes

1. CPRE Bedfordshire is part of a national charity and acts as a voice for everyone who wants to protect and enhance the Bedfordshire countryside and its rural communities and since 2003, has been heavily involved in campaigning over the Government’s plans for massive growth in the area. http://www.cprebeds.plus.com/CPRE_Contacts.htm

2. South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth are fighting for local solutions to reduce carbon emissions and improve the quality of life in South Bedfordshire. These include campaigning for safe cycle ways, good bus services, supporting the town centre market and farmers market, making sure that new housing is built to high environmental standards and fighting for green spaces and biodiversity. They recently helped organise a demonstration for a cycle bridge over the new bypass at the Wing Hill Roundabout. http://www.southbedsfoe.co.uk/index.htm

3. Leighton-Linslade Opposes Unsustainable Development (LOUD) was formed in September 2006 to oppose the Government strategy to construct 43,000 dwellings in South Bedfordshire by 2031, 26300 of which are to be built by 2021. http://www.lb-loud.co.uk

4. Plans for Bedfordshire are featured in the Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy (MKSM). It is part of the Government's Sustainable Communities Plan.

5. The Volunteer Centre is part of Voluntary and Community Action South Bedfordshire. Voluntary and Community Action is committed to strengthening the effectiveness of the voluntary and community sector in South Bedfordshire by developing, enabling, promoting and supporting voluntary and community action. It seeks to achieve this through advocacy; capacity building activities; enhancing the provision of volunteering opportunities; the exchange of information; the provision of training; advice and consultancy; and by working in partnership with others.

Contact: David Allen, Information Officer
Address: Bossard House, West Street, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 1DA
Telephone: 01525 850559 or  07981 550419 (mobile)                                   
Email: info@action-southbeds.org.uk