Green Gown Awards 2019 - University of Chester - Finalist

The Welly Wednesday’s project organises monthly conservation and outdoor volunteer workdays at various locations across Cheshire and North Wales, with organisations ranging from Cheshire Wildlife Trust; National Trust to local community groups. Activities can include habitat management; footpath building and gardening. The project is led by student volunteers who manage the project with support from the Volunteering Team. 

The project started in 2015/16 and was run by Project Officer, Jo Morison for two years until 2017/18. The project was developed into a Student Led Project in 2018/19 and two Project Leaders were appointed. The Project was run by Conservation Biology student, Joe Moodie and International Development and Chinese Studies student Zoe Bredenkamp who continued to make the project a success and implemented new ideas to ensure the project appealed to students; including utilising social media to engage a wider audience, such as ‘Instagram Takeovers’.  

Since the project became Student Led, the number of attendees has increased overall.  

Top 3 learnings:

• Be flexible and prepared to try new things!  
• Working in partnership with the local community can help your project grow.  
• It’s easier to learn about nature when you’re outside embracing it!