Office Work Experience
I have been a volunteer with Heath Hands since 2023, not as long as most but what I have gained from it in that time has been life changing.
Being from North London I have visited Hampstead Heath my whole life, as a pocket of countryside in an urban landscape. I joined Heath Hands first as a conservation volunteer, to gain experience and one day get a job in the sector. It was a fantastic way to learn about all the physical work that goes into protecting the hugely wide-ranging habitats on the heath, but I wanted to know more.
It was last summer that I got involved as a wildlife monitor, helping to record numbers of snakes, butterflies and hedgehogs. Another great way to learn about these animals, spend time in nature and help preserve the amazing variety of life on Hampstead Heath.
Installing a hedgehog monitoring camera
After seeing the call out for an office volunteer on the newsletter I jumped at the chance. Always wanting to know more about how Heath Hands, and charities like it, function it was absolutely fascinating to get an inside look.
I was offered a work experience placement as an office assistant in September 2024, the experience I’ve gained has been invaluable. It has been an amazing opportunity to get so much insight into how a conservation charity is run, both day to day and in the long term.
During my work experience I was often in the office, helping with communications, admin and marketing. I have greatly enjoyed gaining experience and confidence in writing newsletters, making posters and creating social media posts in a professional context.
During the slightly warmer months I ran the stall at the newly acquired tennis hut at the Parliament Hill farmer’s market. I got to meet so many interesting people and engage with visitors about all the work we do at Heath Hands, for conservation, learning, community and wellbeing, as well as helping to raise some funds to continue this work.
Everyday at Heath Hands has offered something new and interesting. I have jumped on to leading volunteer sessions last minute, joined nature walks, gone on visits to other local green spaces and attended meetings that have really enriched my understanding of the nature around me and the myriad of ways people and groups can bring their knowledge and skills to the conservation sector.
A recent highlight has been getting to be involved with a hedgehog connectivity workshop, where local community groups and organisations working in North London could come together to exchange information and ideas about everything they’ve done to increase wildlife connectivity. This was a fascinating opportunity to hear from other groups, gain contacts and see first hand the importance and impact of engaging with others that share a common goal.
The team at Heath Hands have been so helpful and kind, all offering their own unique expertise, allowing me to learn about wildlife, session leading, engaging with the public, writing, managing finances, charity governance, administration and everything in between.
I am endlessly grateful for this opportunity and will continue to be involved with Heath Hands in different ways for the foreseeable future.
Hannah Dineen
