The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) is a registered charity founded in 1926 to defend our local countryside and its wildlife.  Each county has an independent charity within the national CPRE organisation, and CPRE Bucks is your local CPRE branch.

Our Buckinghamshire countryside includes Green Belt, the Chilterns Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and precious resources, such as many of the world’s rare chalk streams.  CPRE Bucks takes action to protect the natural beauty of these landscapes for both people and wildlife.  We aim to:

  • promote and enhance the character of the Buckinghamshire countryside
  • promote a more sustainable approach to land use
  • defend the Buckinghamshire countryside from damaging development

Our countryside is under unprecedented threat from the demands of a growing population and economy.  Buckinghamshire in particular is under huge pressure from government projects, such as the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor and HS2.  There is also political upheaval arising from the government’s decision to make Buckinghamshire a Unitary Authority and all the (current) District Councils are in the middle of preparing Local Plans that set out their intentions for house building and industry development over the next 20 years.

CPRE Bucks need volunteers to help us defend the countryside from over building and support the development of sustainable communities. As a volunteer, you could become part of our Creating Sustainable Community campaign, help us apply for grants, raise our profile with the local media or even lend a hand with office admin, help us respond to major planning consultations and monitor planning applications in your area.

For more information about volunteering, contact francesca@CPREbucks.org.uk for an exploratory chat.

 

If you have two hours per week

  • Helping at events we’re always in need of people who can give a few hours at market stalls, local shows and events or those who can use their organisational skills to set up an event.
  • Helping in the office Our branches always love help with filing, mailings, taking meeting minutes, archiving, accounts or letter writing.
  • Developing our presence on social media Retweet us, like our posts, post about our work on Facebook and share our activity with your friends.

One or two days per week

  • Producing publicity Write news releases or organise photo opportunities, create newsletters, websites or campaign materials.
  • Media volunteering Prepare press releases and contact local media to get them to cover an event that the branch is organising.
  • Data analysing Gather and analyse data to help us write a case study around environmental issues.
  • Helping your branch develop a fundraising and recruitment strategy Help fundraising efforts in your local area by using your skills to develop the fundraising potential of your local CPRE group or by helping to recruit new members.
  • Lobbying Chat to councillors, MPs and local authority officers about CPRE’s campaigns.
  • Become a threat detector! If you know about the planning process, you could help assess local planning applications. If you don’t know how, we’d be happy to tell you more.