taking part in uk year of Service

TCV sees nature, the outdoors and local community greenspaces as a rich resource for learning, skills and employability. This ranges from recognising the incidental learning of all our volunteers to running training courses and delivering long term traineeships and apprenticeships. We believe that as well as specific training programmes or employability schemes, many people will need handson work experience, placements and traineeships in order to gain the practical experience and skills they need to get into employment.

Abby weeding in the garden at the 15th century Provan Hall.

Abigail (Abby) McKay and Gregor McLeod, both 23 years old, recently completed their nine-month paid traineeships with the Conservation Volunteers as part of the uk year of Service. towards the end of their traineeships, Abby and Gregor reflected on their experiences during the programme.

Abby mckay

i was introduced to the uk year of Service scheme with tCV through my job coach. we were looking for a position that combined my geography degree, and passion to work with people and the outdoors. the role with tCV sounded perfect!

during my time on the programme, i have been involved in a variety of projects that have helped me gain valuable experience. Prominently, i have worked with the tCVsupported Seven lochs wetland Park on the outskirts of north Glasgow on communitybased projects. my role has been split mainly between assisting with the Seven lochs employability Programme (SleP) and nature-based activities for young people.

SleP has involved environmental activities such as landscaping, horticulture and heritage conservation, along with lantra accredited skills training. outside of the Seven lochs project i’ve attended lots of tCV events that have taken place throughout Scotland’s Central Belt. whether working on a big event such as planting wildflowers, bird box making, or litter picking – it’s been great to work as part of a large tCV team.

Along with hands-on conservation activities i have understood the benefits of outdoor learning for young people. within the Seven lochs area we have worked with youth groups, schools, and college groups to provide enjoyable outdoor sessions exploring and learning about the local area. i have also gained skills working with adults with additional needs. learning and meeting new people has grown my passion to work with people to enhance their self-confidence and encourage new experiences. And the importance of community has really stood out for me. 7

Abby surveying bees and butterflies with Seven Lochs volunteer Tom at Hogganfield Park. Bird box making at an Interfaith Glasgow community event. the traineeship gave me other diverse learning opportunities. i had fun completing my lantra drive-on-mower training, and i also achieved my forest School training which focuses on the holistic development of young people.

discovering the beauty of the Seven lochs wetland Park has been an absolute positive. i have loved working with the volunteers i’ve met at SleP, the friday conservation group, the wildlife surveys, and the various events we organised. for me, the volunteers make tCV so unique.

looking forward, i am going to continue working with young people. By engaging with all the different groups, i have appreciated the importance of being outdoors and having a connection with nature. i would like to incorporate my love of sports to encourage outdoor, active education for young people. the staff at tCV have been nothing but welcoming throughout my traineeship. i have definitely made some friends for life!

Gregor mcleod

Before the traineeship began, i had been a regular volunteer with the tCV Stirling midweek Group for just over three years, so was already familiar with the set-up of what the work might entail and already knew many of the staff and volunteers that i would be working with.

Working with the Stirling Volunteers and Enable Green Gym

the majority of the 9-month post has been spent working alongside and supporting Senior Project officers ettie Shattock, and more recently douglas traynor, on their volunteer sessions across Stirling and the forth Valley area. the main responsibility we’ve shared has been organising and running the Stirling Volunteers.

Having worked with the midweek Group for virtually the whole post, it has been extremely rewarding and encouraging to see the benefits that working in the outdoors has brought to the volunteers who regularly give over their time and effort each week.

Gregor erecting a box at Drumbowie Community Park in Standburn, near Polmont, for species such as blue tits.

ettie SHAttoCk these benefits have included learning new practical skills, building their confidence, meeting new people who are friendly and welcoming to all, and improving both their physical and mental health and wellbeing simply by being outside and working in the natural world.

Being involved in the enable Green Gym sessions in Stirling has also been incredibly uplifting to take part in. the time and effort taken to bring people with complex additional support needs outdoors and interacting with the world around them has been remarkable and rewarding to be a part of.

Shadowing work experience with senior staff projects at TCV

A huge advantage of this traineeship has been that you could shadow different project leaders and interact with staff and trainees from other offices to find out what their sessions are like. i have been particularly fortunate to have been given the opportunity to support a number of staff based out of the Stirling office and it has given me privileged insights into the variety of activities that tCV provide and deliver.

Training for employability

Another benefit of being on the traineeship is you have a wide range of fantastic training opportunities provided by tCV to improve your existing skills and work on building new expertise and gaining qualifications to increase the chances of future employment within the environmental conservation sector.

Qualifications like the lantra Brushcutters and trimmers course and opportunities to learn the right techniques for woodland management were extremely useful in developing my competency in practical skills that will be crucial going into job interviews. other courses like those revolving around outdoor and mental health first aid, risk assessments and safeguarding, were all invaluable in understanding how tCV sessions are safely managed and delivered.

Working as part of a team and leadership responsibility

my confidence and self-esteem have improved massively over the traineeship as i’ve been

Five trainees recently completed their UK Year of Service traineeships with TCV. Pictured from left to right are Luka Coutts, Abby McKay, Gavin Mulgrew and Gregor McLeod, whilst Kirsty Purves was unavailable that day. We thank them all for their hard work and enthusiasm over recent months and wish them the very best for

the future. AnnA HAmilton able to instigate conversations and engage in discussions much more than before. my self-belief and sense of purpose has also hugely increased.

Dealing with unfamiliar and challenging situations

i personally feel like i’ve had the chance to gain a lot more experience in situations that were perhaps more outside my normal comfort zone than what was usual at the start of this traineeship. working at tCV has been an enormous help in coping with that and the staff are always very supportive and encouraging in working through any unfamiliar scenarios.

for example, i had little experience of leadership before the traineeship and initially wasn’t exactly comfortable speaking in front of a group of volunteers about a session. now with sufficient preparation, i feel that i can give a competent introductory talk to volunteers, regular and new, and explain the necessary safety measures during a work session.

Where I’m hoping to go after the traineeship

it’s been simply brilliant to have worked in some fantastic greenspaces with the most amazing team of staff and volunteers across the forth Valley area, and i’ve built up a far greater knowledge and understanding of what it takes to be employed in the environmental conservation sector.

i would like to give the biggest of thankyous to every staff member and volunteer at tCV Stirling who have made this traineeship the most fantastic and fulfilling placement possible. they truly are some of the most skilled, knowledgeable, hard-working, genuine, brilliant people one could ever hope to work and be part of the team with. everyone has made this a joy to have experienced and i can’t thank them enough. Cheers guys, it’s been a blast. All the best!