An extract from the Friends Newsletter, February 2024

Readers will recall the piece we did last year about plans to recruit volunteer rangers to help support visitors to key area in the AONB. Views was interested to learn how things were working out and it was a pleasure to be invited to a feedback session when volunteers Ceri, Frank and Phil met with the AONB’s Project lead Ceri Lloyd and Rhiannon Bartley, the volunteers’ main day to day support.

There was a very welcome expression of interest when the scheme was first mooted, but when personal interests and time pressures were fully explored, the final cohort was eleven very committed individuals who wanted to share their love of the landscape with a desire to help others – and this was just the kind of number that the AONB team had the capacity to manage, so a definite win/win! The next step was to kit them out with the all-important logo emblazoned T Shirt and Top!

Talking about their experience so far Ceri, Frank and Phil were all very positive. Based principally around Bwlch Pen Barras/Moel Famau. they had enjoyed combining interaction with our many visitors with practical activities like the thankless task of litter picking. Phil recalled one occasion where they had been able to support an unwell person until professional help arrived. The meeting ranged over a number of issues where experience gained so far can be used to enhance the service in the future. One very positive development was agreement to set up arrangements where the volunteers can better communicate informally with each other, both to share information and experience and to build friendships. The Volunteers also expressed a willingness to monitor less well trodden areas of the AONB too.

Overall, the scheme has been a great success and thoughts are already turning to how it might be extended to other honeypot sites in the AONB. It was heartening to hear how positive most contact with visiting members of the public had been. Unsurprisingly, the most problematically issue for all three was dogs not under close control. Generally, most people approached had been happy to take advice – but there are always exceptions ……!
So, grateful thanks from Friends to Ceri, Frank, Phil and their equally committed colleagues on a splendid contribution so far. We look forward to checking on further progress before too long.

John Roberts, Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley