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How to organise a community event

Photo by Connor McGoldrick

Connor provides a step-by-step guide to planning a nature event in your community.
A photo of a group of people planting hedges on a floodplain. They are dressed in warm clothes, it is winter and there are bare trees in the background.

Photo by Connor McGoldrick

In the community engagement team here at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust (WWT), we love to work with the communities that share our desire to get everyone outside and enjoying nature. Whether this is a walk in the great outdoors, or volunteering to get involved in some practical conservation, things are always easier and more enjoyable with company. But how do we do this? Hopefully this blog should help you through some of the steps we would suggest when trying to bring your community together for wildlife.

Organising a community nature event in our county is a fantastic way to bring people together while protecting the local environment. From the striking Malvern Hills, through the patchwork of woodlands, to the low rivers and wetlands of the various waterways that run through the county, Worcestershire offers plenty of varied opportunities for communities to get involved in conservation in some of the most outstanding natural environments in the country.

So, with that in mind, these are some of the steps that we would take when trying to plan an event in your community:

Start with a clear goal:

Decide what you want the event to achieve. This could be a litter pick along a local river or canal, planting trees in a community space, restoring hedgerows, or creating wildlife habitats. Having a clear purpose helps attract volunteers and makes it easier to plan activities.

Choose the right location:

Look for an area that would benefit from conservation work and is accessible for volunteers. Local parks, nature reserves, canal paths and village greens are all good options. Make sure to check whether permission is required from the landowner, local council or a conservation organisation first.

Partner with local groups:

Working with community organisations can increase your reach and resources. Parish councils, schools, local wildlife groups such as us at WWT and volunteer organisations are often happy to support environmental projects. They may also provide tools or experienced volunteers to help your event run smoothly.

Plan the logistics:

Decide on a date and time that suits most people, such as a weekend or evening. Arrange equipment like gloves, litter pickers, spades or plants depending on the activity. Ensure you have a basic risk assessment in place and consider health and safety, including first aid and clear guidance for volunteers.

Promote the event locally:

Spread the word through community Facebook groups, local noticeboards, libraries and village newsletters. A simple poster or social media post explaining the purpose, location, time and what volunteers should bring can make a big difference. If you have any partner organisations, ask if they can advertise the event more widely. Do be careful to not overwhelm yourself with numbers, as too many people can make an event much harder to control without enough helpers and volunteers.

Celebrate your effort:

We always find that tea, biscuits or cake, and a short thank-you gathering at the end helps build that sense of community and encourages people to get involved again.  Let people know if you intend on planning any future events and consider setting up some kind of group chat to help with planning any further down the line.

A photo of three people sitting on the grass in a path mown through the middle of a meadow. They are hunting for bugs and looking at paperwork.

Photo by Nick Packham

Community events like these have a lasting impact on Worcestershire’s natural spaces and are a great way to get everybody involved in keeping our wildlife healthy and happy.  If you are interested in hosting an event like this in your community, please get in contact with us in the community engagement team at WWT and we’ll see if we can help you get nature moving in the right direction in your area.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund logo - teal coloured background with a fingers crossed logo and the words Made possible with Heritage Fund

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