Access for all in Cheshire

For International Youth Day, we’re celebrating the contributions of younger volunteers across our network of local groups. Molly Bostock has been advocating for a ‘Countryside for All’. Here, she tells us what she’s been up to.

After leaving city life, Molly recently moved to a rural town in Cheshire. There, she rediscovered the value of green space. The Cheshire countryside includes a mix of farmland, heathland, and woodlands. Notable features include the Sandstone Trail, Delamere Forest, and the Wirral Peninsula.

Molly says, ‘the countryside’s important to me, I think increasingly more as I get older for calm and clarity and connection with the natural world.’ Like many people, she finds green spaces a peaceful escape from the stress and noise of modern life.

Beyond this, however, Molly also finds the countryside to be a source of inspiration across all areas of her life.

Why volunteering?

After her move, Molly chose to volunteer locally to learn about the area and connect with the community. Volunteering helped her understand local efforts to protect nature and advocate for the environment on people’s doorsteps.

The PR and Comms volunteer role suited Molly perfectly. It combined her passion for the environment with her love of writing. ‘I knew I wanted something to strengthen my skillset within that, to be challenged and to join a team that could provide that for me.’

Molly found the role to be exactly what she was looking for, and more. She’s written articles for the website and coordinated social media posts. ‘My writing skills are definitely improving—being more concise and writing for specific audiences is something that I really love. I’m constantly learning.’ She’s also taken on a variety of other tasks with support from CPRE Cheshire’s close-knit team. The flexible role allows her to contribute in ways that suit her schedule and interests, all while improving her communication skills and confidence.

Watch this video to find out what Molly enjoys most about volunteering with CPRE.

Diversity and Inclusion – from Local to National

Molly has already made a big impact locally. Since then, she’s also joined national efforts to widen access to CPRE’s movement. She is now a key member of the group that champions Equality, Diversity and Inclusion across the charity. ‘That includes promoting access for people that might struggle to access the countryside, making it a countryside for all, a welcoming place for all religions, nationalities, races, genders, sexual orientations—anyone should be welcome. The main ethos of CPRE is “A countryside for all”. So, it really is a fundamental part of what we do as a charity.’ This work is vital in the environmental sector, where many still face barriers to accessing nature. Molly has spoken at CPRE’s national assembly about improving EDI. She’s also supported the rollout of robust EDI statements across our local groups.

Thinking about Volunteering?

Volunteering with CPRE has been a rewarding opportunity for Molly. She suggests getting in touch with your local CPRE group to find out if volunteering would be a good fit for you, and how it can fit around your own needs and interests.

In particular, she recommends volunteering because it’s been an output to act on what she cares about in a collaborative setting.

‘I heard this quote the other day: “Guilt is not a mobilizing emotion.” I think, especially with climate change, there is just a sense of overwhelm. And there could be a feeling of guilt, of “What can I personally do? Am I doing enough?” You’ve always got to be realistic, but just to be involved in something that you think hopefully will make some kind of difference—that is a great thing.

It’s important to realise wherever you’re coming from, whatever your commitments, if you’ve got a spare hour and you think “I really want to do something with that, I want to make a difference.” I think volunteering with CPRE, you do make a difference.’

Get Involved

If you would like to get involved in the work of your local CPRE, or view our other countrywide volunteering opportunities, take a look at our volunteering pages and current opportunities. There are a huge variety of ways you can be a part of what we do.

You can find out more about CPRE Cheshire here. You can check out the Instagram page here and Facebook page here.