The National Trails Volunteer Scheme

Volunteers perform a vital role in helping to maintain The Ridgeway through an ongoing programme of maintenance and improvements.

Currently we have reduced staff capacity and are unable to take on any new practical volunteers or volunteer monitors. We hope to be back up to a full team in the next few months, so please check back in September 2024 to see if there are any volunteering opportunities with the Ridgeway National Trails team.

 

There are various opportunities for volunteers with the Ridgeway and Thames Path Volunteer Scheme.

Practical tasks include vegetation clearance, installation, and repair of signs, gates and bridges and some workshop tasks. Led by staff from the National Trails team, tasks take place most weekdays on The Ridgeway and Thames Path National Trails. All tools and training are provided and the tasks are a good way to meet like-minded people. A task diary is emailed out to registered volunteers in advance, allowing volunteers to choose tasks to suit.

There are also opportunities to become a volunteer ‘monitor’ by adopting a 3-5 mile section of the Trail. Monitors walk their section in their own time at least once every 3 months and after extreme weather conditions, and then use our online reporting website to tell us about the issues they have seen. We particularly welcome volunteers who live or work locally to the Ridgeway because it minimises travel costs and carbon.

Find out more about what volunteers do. 

Volunteering Opportunities

Coming soon – 2024 – all new Historic Ridgeway Project with practical and surveying volunteering opportunities in Oxfordshire & West Berkshire!

Registering your interest in volunteering with us

Please read the documents below and, if you wish to register your interest in volunteering on The Ridgeway, please email us at NT.Volunteers@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Downloads

Ridgeway and Thames Path Volunteer Application Form 2022

Ridgeway and Thames Path prospective volunteer – what to expect leaflet