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Mobilising people power

Case study Get started with... Guidance - 12-02-2025

When nature grows stronger, so do communities. City-wide volunteering schemes are an effective way to bring local authorities and local people together to look after green spaces and natural heritage.

Communities

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©National Trust Images / Annapurna Mellor

With the people, not for the people

Community engagement is key to creating healthier parks and green spaces. It can take many different forms, but the key is to do it with people, not for people.

Because of its history of activism, Nottingham is often referred to as the ‘Rebel City’.

Inspired by this heritage, Nottingham City Council took a pioneering approach to community engagement through volunteering. Bringing environmental charities, local groups and passionate people together, the team created a city-wide volunteering force that makes Nottingham a greener, healthier, happier place to live.

The Nottingham Green Guardians programme enables people to play an active role in their community, improve the local environment and contribute to positive social change.

It supports local need and policy ambitions – from planting 50,000 trees to delivering the city’s pledge to be carbon neutral by 2028.

Hear from the team at Nottingham County Council, as they reflect on what it means to be a modern-day ‘Rebel City’. Then take a look at our guide to make it happen near you.

Nottingham City Council: people power in Rebel City

Discover how the team at Nottingham City Council has created a city-wide force for good.

From habitat restoration to gardening, photography to tree planting, over 440 volunteers and community groups gave nearly 5,000 hours in 2023/2024 as part of the Nottingham Green Guardians.

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Nottingham in numbers

When it comes to achievements – from significant economic return to positive impact on the ground for people and nature – Nottingham Green Guardians’ numbers speak for themselves.

440 people regularly volunteer with the programme.

This has almost doubled since the programme began in 2021. Hundreds more attend ad hoc events like tree planting.

25 to 44

is the average age of the most frequent Green Guardian volunteers.

This is despite the same age group having the lowest participation in volunteering nationally.

50,000+

trees have been planted as part of the programme.

This includes pioneering Miyawaki-style forests, which are ideal for bringing biodiversity into urban areas.

£55,000

is the value attributed to volunteering each year in Nottingham.

Voluntary support helps to address the budget and resource challenges that the city is facing.

How to set up a city-wide volunteering programme

When nature is nearer, everyone wins. And everyone can play their part. Here are four stepping stones to help you establish a scheme that works with your communities. Click below for a snapshot of each step, or download the full guide via the button on the right.

Download the full guide (English)

Strategy & Approach

Capacity & Structure

Systems & Processes

Branding & Awareness

Discover the Nottingham Green Guardians

Visit the Nottingham Green Guardians website to see first-hand how they’re working with communities for the benefit of people and nature.

For more information about how the council is giving residents access to good quality green space now and in the future, read the Nottingham Green Guardians Volunteering Programme Strategy.

Visit the website Read the strategy

A man in a park holds a newly planted tree.

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