About
This Website is a work in progress
This document turned website was created because I am very passionate about the benefits of volunteering and taking care of nature. I realise how difficult it is to find or know where to look for cool organisations to volunteer with or to support so I wanted to compile a list of as many as I could find. Not all are directly accessible from Brighton but I wanted to include them still because they are useful to know about.
I’ve written a bit about each organisation to make it so you have context on them without having to open too many links. Some of the organisations I have not worked with but I have used information that is available on their websites to add to their about section.
I’ve formatted these into different categories to make it easier to find volunteering with groups that you want to support. In the future I want to create a key for the groups to make it easier to find groups that suit you.
If you have any groups you want to add or anything you want to say contact me at:
Community Gardens and Gardening Groups
These are groups and organisations which do gardening/horticulture in the local area. I have also added bigger groups that are gardening/horticulturally based as it made more sense to place them here.
Growing Hollingdean
Growing Hollingdean is a local ecological group that has helped create multiple community gardens around the city. They hold community events like seed swaps and plant fairs. They also have volunteering days at many of the gardens as well as tree guardians.
Brighton Permaculture Trust
Brighton Permaculture trust is a local organisation which looks to implement permaculture around the city. They host courses where you can learn how to build in more sustainable ways and learn how to care for plants like tree running courses. They also produce apple juice and cider from the orchards and they have volunteering opportunities to help with the process of making them. You can volunteer at the permaculture plots as well to help maintain community spaces.
Brighton and Hove food partnership
Friends of Preston Park
The Living Coast
Fork and Dig It
Special Branch Tree Nursery
Brighton And Hove Green Spaces Forum
English Heritage
Common Cause
Lewes District Food Partnership
Lovebrook Farm
Local Groups
These are groups around the city that are smaller/independent from larger groups like the Wildlife Trusts, etc.
Benfield Valley Project
The Benfield Valley Project is a conservation group to help maintain the Nature reserve for all who use it.
Brighton and Hove CityParks
CityParks is run by the council and has work days on Wednesday and Friday. They do conservation projects in parks and nature reserves around the city.
Brighton and Hove Tidy Up Team
The Brighton and Hove Tidy Up team is organised by the council and trains volunteers to clean up litter around the city. If you wanted to get involved with litter picking but were not sure where to start volunteering with the Tidy Up team would be a good way to start!
Coldean Commons
Coldean Commons is a chalk grassland restoration project based behind the Varley Halls of residence. They also do BioChar burnings with the wood and plant matter that the restoration creates and as well as other community events.
Railway Land Wildlife Trust
The Railway Land Wildlife Trust is a nature reserve in Lewes, they have volunteered to help restore habitats in the reserve. They also hold events in the space and have events about local nature.
The Aquifer Partnership
Whilst not providing voluntary positions the aquifer partnership is a very interesting organisation and I would recommend looking at their website.
Wildflower Conservation Society
Based at Stanmer Park the Wildflower Conservation Society grows wildflowers and is involved with planting bee banks around the city.
Seaford Natural History Society
Lewes Climate Hub
Animal Groups
These are groups that work with the conservation of animals, insects and others.
Buglife
Buglife is an organisation that works with bugs and invertebrates. They have conservation projects all around the UK but the one most relevant to Brighton is the Changing Chalk Partnership which includes three projects which are looking to restore and protect the south downs grassland.
Bumblebee Conservation Trust
The bumblebee conservation trust works with the conservation of bees, they have the information on volunteering with them on their website.
Badger Trust
The Badger Trust works to conserve badgers, you can get involved with local groups to help support badgers in your local area. This might involve monitoring badger numbers and recording badger sightings.
Froglife
Froglife is an organisation which looks to support amphibians. Their project Discovering Dewponds is working to restore dewponds along the south downs. There is also the Toad Patrol which helps toads migrate across roads.
Sussex Butterfly Conservation
Sussex Butterfly Conservation works to record and protect butterfly habitats. They have different voluntary positions, from doing conservation and monitoring to more management type volunteering.
Sussex Moth Group
The Sussex Moth group is a smaller, local group that sometimes hosts Moth events.
The Mammal Society
The Mammal Society looks at the conservation of mammals all across the UK and Ireland. They have both events and local groups where you can get involved.
The Wildlife Ambulance
Located in Whitesmith, which is near lewes, the wildlife ambulance has multiple voluntary roles where you can help care for animals.
Help Wildlife
Help Wildlife is a directory for people who have found injured wildlife. They do not have in person volunteering but have volunteering opportunities to help with their online presence such as helping run their social media pages.
Bat Conservation Trust
Bird Groups
Sussex Ornithological Society
The Sussex Ornithological Society hosts bird watching events around Sussex. The link page also has useful resources relevant to birdwatching.
Shoreham Ornithological Society
A smaller group of bird watchers from Shoreham who host local bird watching events.
Lewes Swift Supporters
The Swift Supporters have information on their website on how to support swifts and host events about swifts.
British Ornithological Society
The British Ornithological Society is a great resource on birds. They have citizen science that anyone can get involved with. They do not have local volunteering but citizen science is a good way to help with the conservation of birds
The RSPB
The RSPB is a conservation organisation which works with the conservation of birds. It has a wealth of resources and volunteering opportunities throughout the UK with multiple nature reserves in Sussex.
The Fat Birder
Fat Birder is an organisation which connects birding groups to each other, it has many different birding societies around the UK on its website. It does not provide voluntary roles but the many birding groups are a good stepping point.
Barn Owl Trust
The barn owl trust works with the conservation of barn owls, they have volunteering positions as well as events.
British Ornithologist Union
The British Ornithologist Union is a scientific organisation which works with research and scientific pursuits with birds. They do not have volunteering but are a useful resource for academics.
British Trust For Ornithology
The British Trust For Ornithology is an organisation which looks to conserve and research birds. They host both volunteering and events. They have a youth BTO which holds free events and more for young people.
Hawk and Owl Trust
The Hawk and Owl Trust look to conserve hawks and owls. This organisation does provide volunteering and events but they are located in Norfolk and Somerset.
Raptor Rescue
Raptor Rescue is an organisation which works with the rehabilitation of raptors. They support volunteering to help care for injured birds.
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
The WWT helps maintain wetlands and conserve wildfowl. They have volunteering positions at all of their wetland centres, the closest being Arundel.
Friends of Rye Harbour
Friends of Rye Harbour is a group separate from Sussex Wildlife Trust which helps maintain the nature reserve.
Brighton & District Local Group RSPB
This is the portal for Brighton and Hove’s local RSPB. You need to be a member to join which costs £10 and is unrelated to being a member of the RSPB. They need volunteers to run the committee. They also host walks and events which you do not need to be a member to go to but cost money to attend.
Eastbourne & District Local Group RSPB
This is the portal for Eastbourne & District Local Group RSPB. You need to be a member to join which costs £10 and is unrelated to being a member of the RSPB. They also host walks and events which you do not need to be a member to go to but cost money to attend.
General Conservation Groups
Engage with general conservation groups dedicated to preserving the environment.
Plantlife
South Downs National Park
Young Wilders
UK Youth For Nature
The Woodland Trust
The Wildlife Trusts
Sussex Wildlife Trust
The Countryside Charity
Friends Of The South Downs
Earth Watch
South Downs Network
Sussex Past
Changing Chalk Volunteering
The Conservation Volunteers
Heal Rewilding
National Trust
Friends of The Earth
Species Recovery Trust
Not voluntary
Marine Conservation Groups
Wild Coast Sussex
Marine Conservation Society
Sussex Dolphin Project
Ghost Fishing UK
Surfers Against Sewage
The Shark Trust
Save Our Seabed
Not voluntary
Ocean Conservation Trust
River Conservation Groups
Wider Ouse with Sussex Wildlife Trust
Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust
The River Trust
Canal and River Trust
Anglers Trust
Other
Find other groups and opportunities that don't fit into the above categories.