Our Volunteer Movement 2025
As we step into our centenary year, we’re taking a moment to celebrate some of the amazing ways our volunteers contributed to the countryside they love in 2025 — from tackling the climate and nature crises through research and practical projects, to advocating for the protection and regeneration of the green spaces that matter to them, and more.
Getting hands on
CPRE volunteers across England mobilised at local level, getting stuck into practical projects like Hedgerow Heroes, Magnificent Meadows, Dark Skies, Litter Picking and Citizen Science.
In early 2025, phase four of CPRE’s Hedgerow Heroes project was successfully completed, with volunteers across the country spending over 15,000 hours helping to plant and restore over 28,000 metres of hedgerow, with an incredible 125,765 trees planted! So far, Hedgerow Heroes has officially helped to create and restore 66 miles of hedgerow. This season, 13 CPRE groups are contributing towards our goal of delivering 100 miles by the end of 2026 – all inspiring hundreds of volunteers, including children and young people!
In Hampshire, volunteers got stuck into phase two of the brilliant Magnificent Meadows Project. Watch volunteers practicing traditional meadow management such as scything, making hay by hand and gathering seed to enhance new meadows in this BBC News feature:
Our practical projects offer the perfect opportunity to learn new skills, make connections and improve wellbeing, enabling volunteers to make a huge difference to their local environments. These are just some examples of ways to get involved, why not check out opportunities to make a difference this year? If you can’t see a role near you, it’s worth checking out the website of your nearest CPRE directly!
Engaging younger & more diverse audiences
In 2025, we welcomed over 900 new volunteers to our movement, including younger and more diverse voices helping to shape the countryside’s future.
Our Online Campaigns Activist project offers volunteers the opportunity to develop their advocacy skills and influence outcomes for the countryside in their free time, wherever they are. We promoted this role widely with universities last year, leading to a growth in younger people from more diverse backgrounds joining us. We now have just under 400 Online Campaigns Activists, with over 280 new recruits in 2025 alone. Our growing number of Online Campaigns Activists have taken over 250 quick actions, from signing petitions, to writing to MPs, to making pledges. Hear from Jacky about why this flexible role is a great way to stand up for the countryside.
Our new Digital Content Creation volunteer role has helped us diversify the voices we hear from on our national social media channels. Videos like the one below created by Kyuwon Kim are really helping us to simplify complex planning matters, making important issues more accessible to a wider audience:
View this post on Instagram
Communication volunteers at local CPREs have also been creating brilliant content, helping to engage new audiences with our work. Hear from Fran, Social Media and Website Volunteer, about how she’s been developing the online presence of CPRE Northamptonshire, and read about the CPRE Volunteer Award she received for her excellent comms contributions. CPRE volunteers have also been instrumental in championing equality and diversity for everyone up and down the country. Molly, PR and Comms Volunteer at CPRE Cheshire, told us about how she’s been advocating for a ‘countryside for all.’
Leading the way
More than 250 Trustees continued to volunteer their passion, experience and leadership skills to the CPRE network in 2025. They contribute important project, strategy and policy work, enabling groups across England to thrive for a better future for our countryside. We spoke to some of our local trustees, including Lisa, Colin and Sally, who are the heart of CPRE’s work in their communities, to find out what trusteeship is all about.
New opportunities for younger voices
Volunteers who are new to Trusteeship have brought enthusiasm and diverse perspectives – vital in our work towards a countryside for everyone. Looking ahead, CPRE Lancashire are searching for Young Trustees (aged 18-30) to support their work. Meanwhile, Friends of the Lake District are promoting an exciting opportunity for individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 to be part of their Youth Voice project. We’re really looking forward to seeing how these initiatives develop in 2026. Take a look at our current opportunities – could you bring your skills and passion to being a CPRE Trustee in your area?
Celebrating achievements
In 2025, local groups recognised 24 amazing volunteers and trustees with CPRE Volunteer Awards. We’re delighted to be able to showcase contributions made by inspiring volunteers across the network. A special mention was given to Venus Cheng, a valued member of CPRE London’s HR team. Read Venus’ volunteer story here.
Thank you again to all the volunteers who shared their stories with us in 2025 – you can find them all on our Stories webpage.
Looking ahead
We want to say a heartfelt thank you to our expanding network of over 2800 volunteers for the incredible impact they made in 2025 – the contributions showcased here represent just a snapshot of the brilliant work and volunteering projects happening at CPRE groups across the country.
Now in our centenary year, we’re inviting you to Love Your Countryside – to help protect what matters, regenerate what’s been lost and connect to the places that sustain us all. Volunteers are at the heart of our mission, and there’s never been a more important time to join our friendly, inclusive and impactful movement as we reimagine a countryside that’s beautiful, resilient and loved by everyone. If you’d like to make a difference, take a look at our current opportunities here, reach out to your local group, or get in touch with us at volunteeringteam@cpre.org.uk
