Volunteering at Bradgate Park, Leicester
At the end of March, we were invited by our friends at Zellar to one of their first Zellar Together days to volunteer at Bradgate Park in Leicestershire, as part of their wonderful climate action initiative. It was a lovely experience, that just so happened to take place on one of the first sunny days of the year. It was also great to meet and speak with the other local businesses taking part.
Bradgate Park is a beautiful 850 acre park in Charnwood Forest, with a long history as a medieval deer park. It also contains the atmospheric ruins of the ancestral home of Lady Jane Grey, the infamous Nine Days' Queen.
Bradgate Park Trust works hard to preserve the space for all people and to maintain the landscape for future generations.
We spent the day digging up invasive species, such as brambles and laurel, to make way for bluebells to bloom in a visitor-free woodland. This will allow the bluebells to grow and thrive in future years, creating a healthier and more sustainable environment for the wildlife around the park.
If you’ve ever visited Bradgate Park, you will know there are many deer, and we had a chance to see them too!
When we first arrived, we had blue skies and lovely views.
Liv working away at digging up a bramble root (it took 10 minutes!).
Before we got started.
After we spent the morning and early afternoon working, you can see the cleared ground, just waiting for the bluebells to emerge.
It's so important to the entire Willoughby team that we make positive contributions to both our local community. Our usual means of achieving this is through the donation of books to local causes, so this project was a fantastic opportunity for us to lift our heads up from the books and give back to a space that is loved by those in Leicester and beyond.
Zellar help us all at Willoughby to take measurable, practical steps to work towards sustainability, and this day was a particularly fun way to do that. If you needed a sign to volunteer in your area, this is it!