Community Spirit Shines Thanks to Green Recovery Volunteers

From Effort to Impact: Green Recovery Volunteers Celebrated in Hinchingbrooke.

Hinchingbrooke Country Park, in Huntingdon, which covers 150 acres of open grasslands, mature woodland and lakes, provided the perfect backdrop for the Green Recovery Project, focussing on nurturing growth, communication skills, conflict resolution, building confidence and teaching new practical skills, leading to volunteers gaining qualifications.

The 8-week course led towards City & Guilds Level 1 Award in Practical Horticulture, and City & Guilds Level 1 Award in Employability Skills qualifications for participants, and was delivered by local environmental charity Groundwork East, supported by Huntingdonshire District Council.

A celebration event was held for the tenth Green Recovery Project on 28 August 2025 at the Countryside Centre in Hinchingbrooke Country Park, attended by Mrs Sue Freestone OBE – Deputy Lieutenant, Michelle Sacks the CEO of Huntingdonshire District Council, Councillor Sarah Conboy elected leader of Huntingdonshire District Council, and The Hon Frances Stanley DL High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire alongside the participants and Groundwork East representatives.

Over the series of projects, 50 participants have completed the course, with 75% going into employment, education, or volunteering 3 months after completing the project. 100% of participants said their mental health had improved through involvement in the project.

I found out about the project at the Jobcentre, I’d been out of work and didn’t know what I wanted to do. I loved this project and I am so glad I did it, I would 100% recommend it to other people.

There were some difficult aspects to the project, but dealing with these helped me build my resilience to facing other challenges in life. The project was better than I had expected; it’s given me an idea of what work I want to do, I’ve made friends, and I feel a lot more hopeful for the future.

Elijah, project participant

The participants of the Green Recovery Project have the chance to learn new skills, gain qualifications, and improve their mental health. Being local residents means they have ownership of the conservation tasks they complete. They see the difference these projects make, not only to the biodiversity in the area, but also to the public green spaces we work in. Members of the public are often interested in the work we are completing and are enthusiastic about the benefits it has to wildlife and nature.

Eve Lucas, Senior Project Officer, Groundwork East