34 From inside the community Colchester Countryside Volunteer Rangers Volunteers Celebrating the Council’s 50 Years To celebrate Colchester City Council’s 50th-year anniversary, they have been sharing stories from staff, volunteers, councillors and residents who make huge and often unseen contributions to Colchester. As part of Volunteer Week (1st – 7th June) they published stories from volunteers who give up their precious free time to help care for Colchester’s award-winning parks and litter pick in our communities to keep them clean and tidy. This included Graham Womack, Volunteer Ranger at High Woods Country Park and Paul Horwood, Committee Treasurer for Colchester Countryside Volunteer Rangers (CCVR). Graham Womack has been a Volunteer Ranger for 24 years. He spoke to Colchester City Council about his desire to give something back to the community, whilst working outside, learning new skills and making new friends. Paul Horwood has held this position for CCVR since 2011, after being made redundant and searching for a volunteer role to occupy his time and meet new people. Alongside his essential financial role, he talks about the enjoyment he gets from helping to make bird boxes and the joy of recruiting new volunteers to the team. Cllr David King, Leader of Colchester City Council, said: “The Council can do nothing without its incredible workforce, and those who voluntarily help others. It is thanks to the skill and dedication of hundreds of staff and volunteers that the Council continues to deliver much needed services for our residents. “Over the last few years, volunteers, and the work that they do has become even more important to making sure our parks and green spaces are kept at the award-winning standard that everyone is used to. This would not be possible without them – and I want to say a huge thank you.
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