5 minutes with... why volunteering is rewarding for Rachel

5 minutes with...

Living within sight of Peak District moorland, our volunteer co-ordinator Rachel Mora-Bannon needs no reminding of the importance of looking after our precious landscapes.

Before joining the Peak District National Park Authority in 2019, I spent 16 years with the National Trust, working in a variety of jobs. In my most recent role, I worked as a regional volunteering and participation consultant, supporting National Trust properties across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire with volunteering and community programmes.

I spend a lot of time exploring and relaxing in the Peak District with my family and my love of the National Park attracted me to my job as volunteer co-ordinator. I live on the very edge of the Peak District and can see moorland from my house, so I wanted a job that could directly impact on the conservation of a place which is really important to me.

The best part of my job is the variety – no two days are the same. I also really like inspiring others to see the potential of volunteering in organisations, and also highlighting the potential benefits for individuals. Volunteering – or giving back – is one of the key ways to wellbeing. It really is a great way for people to support the work of the Peak District National Park but to also to do something which will benefit themselves.

The least exciting part of my job is that volunteer co-ordination is quite deskbased. A lot of time is spent on the phone and at the computer. I would like to get out of the office a bit more and explore the Peak District.

People may be surprised to learn that I don’t directly manage any volunteers myself. All of our volunteers are managed by other members of the team and I support those managers in the volunteer programmes.

Volunteering can be rewarding in so many ways and is a great way to make the most of the Peak District. Find out about volunteer opportunities across the Park to get an understanding of what it takes to manage and conserve this National Park. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved at every level, from drop-in ‘Muck In’ days with the Eastern Moors Partnership to Peak Park Conservation Volunteer days every month to more specialist roles with the South West Peak and Moors for the Future partnerships.

My favourite spot in the Peak District National Park is Millstone Edge and the view down the Hope Valley. It’s a really accessible place for families and we have brought our little boy here since he could

Rachel likes inspiring others to see the potential of volunteering in organisations.

walk. We love scrambling over rocks and admiring the views.

If I could be anywhere else in the world, it would be Conil de la Frontera in Andalucia. It has miles of pristine white beaches and Atlantic waves. It is a place I visit every year with my Spanish husband. It’s where he holidayed as a child and now we take our son there.

Bakewell tart or Bakewell pudding? Pudding!