STORY: Green Community Hubs – Mark
Mark is one of those people who just gets it. Amid a career change, he started volunteering at Groundwork’s Green Community Hub at The Settlement in Maryport, bringing a wealth of skills and spadefuls of initiative.
Mark instantly recognised the benefits for his own development and career aspirations, the benefits to other participants, and the benefits the project brings to a place like The Settlement.
He’s been there right from the start, from the back-breaking work it took to clear the overgrown site, to getting other people involved, to thinking about its future sustainability, and even jumping into the kitchen to prepare lunch for the group when needed. It’s all helped him secure and prepare for a degree apprenticeship in Project Controls with a construction firm, based at nearby Sellafield.
Speaking of his involvement, Mark said:
“I’m a welder by trade but I fancied a career change; something that’s more people-based and problem solving based. This has been brilliant to get that project management experience and use those skills, and to get something for my CV. Sometimes it can be hard to find work, especially when there are such a lot of people applying, and you need to stand out from them. That was my main motivation.
“There was a lot of clearance work in the beginning – it was totally overgrown – then we found that one of the problems was volunteer motivation, because it’s quite hard when you just come and slog for four hours and it’s really back-breaking work. But then we started the growing season and that has just changed the project completely.
“We’ve seen volunteers’ motivation go through the roof because they can see the fruits of their labour. Now it’s about striking the balance between the ‘chores’ and the things that people really love doing.
“At the start of the project we didn’t have as many people and didn’t have the expertise, and now we’ve got people who bring knowledge and skills, and you’ve got to retain them. You’ve got to make them welcome and feel part of it and keep them coming back.”
With the weekly Monday sessions regularly attracting 20-30 people, Mark sees the wider benefits that a community green space project brings to an organisation like The Settlement, in terms of its own longevity and ability to attract funding.
“Many people in the community are now using the facilities, and if you’ve not got any of that, then you’re going to really struggle to get people to part with their money.
There are so many benefits to volunteering: it’s getting out in the community, it’s keeping those social skills up, it’s being able to go to interviews and tell employers what you’ve been doing. You meet new people, you make new friends, you become part of the community, and you get the recognition for it. Ultimately, I believe that’s what’s helped me get to where I am in terms of my employment going forward.