Environment
These are examples of different types of environmental projects currently involving RSVP volunteers:
Trees and Schools : RSVP schools volunteers are helping children to appreciate the value of trees by setting up projects to collect seeds, nurture seedlings and plant young trees.
Improving Public Spaces : Litter picking, clearing overgrown areas and new planting are some of the tasks carried out by RSVP volunteers in the grounds of sheltered houses, hospitals and public parks.
Gardening : By providing a domestic gardening service, RSVP volunteers are allowing many older people to continue to enjoy their own gardens and allotments when they become too frail to maintain them themselves.
Energy Information : In the 'Energy Challenge', RSVP volunteers in London, Manchester and Scotland are becoming Energy Champions to advise older people how to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Footpath Surveys : RSVP volunteers are helping some local authorities in Scotland by surveying public footpaths to ensure they are kept clear of obstructions.
Recently, RSVP has started a nationwide project to demonstrate how the over 50's can help respond to the challenges and concerns surrounding climate change. As a first step, factsheets and integrated directories for different topics are being produced to provide reliable information and advice. It is hoped that where this exposes local/regional gaps, new volunteering opportunities will be created.
