Scottish Canals’ Post

📣 Here's our next Hull What's On video, which is all about the amazing KCOMhome team who spent the day with Pollinate Eco Garden Hornsea! ✅ To view the full video, please click here: https://lnkd.in/eARf6CkJ #CorporateVolunteering #eastriding #hull #smile365

Benefits of Volunteering: 😃 Personal Fulfilment: Volunteering can provide a sense of purpose, satisfaction, and personal growth. 💡 Skill Development: Gain new skills and experiences that can enhance your professional and personal life. ❤️ Community Impact: Make a tangible difference in your community and contribute to positive change. 🤝 Social Connections: Build a network of supportive and caring individuals. By following these steps, you can find fulfilling volunteer opportunities and make a meaningful impact in your community.

I learned a new skill - ‘Scything’ 🌾 My team had their annual volunteering day at Beetle Bank Farm today - every NFU Mutual employee is entitled to take part in one, and it’s a great opportunity to get outdoors, help local projects, and do some team-building! We had a great day, the weather was much better than anticipated, and although I’m probably going to ache like hell tomorrow, it was a very rewarding experience 🫶🏼 Here are some benefits to scything vs more modern techniques: 🌱It helps to protect biodiversity 🌱It promotes mindfulness 🌱It is less disruptive to wildlife 🌱It is easier to create habitat diversity 🌱It allows selective mowing 🌱It has better accessibility 🌱It has lower health and safety risks 🌱It is a good form of exercise Now I’m not saying that scything is an appropriate option for all agricultural needs, however it is making a comeback, and certainly has it’s own advantages for some forms of grassland management! #NFUMutal #Volunteering #GreatPlaceToWork #GrowWild #ScythingTheWay

What difference can you make on walks this weekend? Join 26,000 dog owners picking up a couple of pieces of litter on walks to protect animals, communities and our precious environment. It only takes a minute but makes a huge impact - 38 million pieces of litter every year, a few pieces at a time. The truly amazing thing is how great it feels to do something so simple that has an immediate and very visible difference. On #mentalhealthawareness week, why not give it a try and see.... #dogowners #walkingthedog #environmentalcharity #volunteering

Here’s another familiar face! Today we are spotlighting Harriet Simand as part of #VolunteerAppreciationWeek! Harriet is a retired teacher who loves gardening, travelling and dogs.   1. How long have you volunteered with Evergreen?    This is my third year as a tour guide! 2. What inspired you to volunteer with Evergreen?    I love the site, the nature and the historic buildings. I love feeling like I am in nature even though I am in the middle of the city.   3. Tell us about your roles and impact as a volunteer.     I am a tour guide for public and private tours. I also volunteer for different festivals and the craft club. I love meeting the public and sharing the unique history of Evergreen Brick Works with them. I have been coming here for years and had no idea about its history!   4. What’s your favourite thing about volunteering at Evergreen Brick Works?   I love interacting with the public, especially kids, and spending time with my fellow tour guides who are so much fun to hang out with.   5. What’s the most important thing that you’ve learned from volunteering?    Interacting with people in nature makes everyone happy. 6. Why do you think access to green public space is important? We live in a big city with lots of buildings and concrete. We often overlook the ravines and the plants and animals who live there. You can feel part of nature even if you live in a big city.

🌳 Did you know #OurCounty has increased its annual budget for reforestation efforts by over 70% compared to 2021? 🤔 This has helped us maximize opportunities and double the number of trees planted at parks and green areas, as well as in roadways, at county buildings and in environmentally endangered areas. 🌿 The county is close to finalizing a contract with the USDA to implement a $10 million grant to plant trees primarily on streets in targeted areas over the next five years. 💵 ➡️ 🌲 Programs like Adopt-a-Tree and Million Trees Miami are resulting in an additional 10,000 trees provided to residents to plant each year through free giveaways. 🆓 Last month, Miami-Dade County Office of Resilience was invited to a tree planting event with Coca-Cola Beverages Florida where 80 trees were planted at North Pointe Community Center. 🌱   Our Extreme Heat Action Plan aims to reduce excessive heat by expanding the tree canopy and adding more vegetation across urban areas. ☀️ 🔗 Learn more about our Extreme Heat Action Plan: https://lnkd.in/e9G3f_qc 🔗 Learn more about how you can Adopt-a-Tree for FREE: https://lnkd.in/g_xPUPNk #miamidade #miamidadecounty #miami #officeofresilience #resilience #southflorida #resilient305 #heatseason #extremeheat #trees #volunteers #plantatree #arborday

Time is running out but ways to make an impact are plentiful! As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support and share the many ways you can continue to make a meaningful impact right here in our community. Your generosity helps us cultivate vibrant community spaces and empower a growing network of passionate gardeners.  Here are some great options for supporting GROW today, or in the year ahead:  Donor-Advised Funds: Make a donation directly from your DAF for an immediate impact.  Monthly Giving: Consider setting up a recurring monthly gift to provide ongoing support throughout the year.  Employer Matching: Many employers offer matching gift programs. Deepen your impact by checking with your company!  Qualified Charitable Distribution: If you’re 70½ or older, consider directing a distribution from your IRA to support GROW’s mission.  Legacy Gifts: Plan for the future and leave a lasting impact by including GROW in your estate plans.  Volunteer: Join our board to support gardens, expand your network, and make the most meaningful impact on the future of gardening in Seattle! As you reflect on your giving this year, we hope you’ll consider GROW in your plans. Your support fuels our efforts to create inclusive and sustainable community spaces.  Thank you for being a vital part of our community. Wishing you a joyful and prosperous New Year! https://lnkd.in/gKhAEN8K

According to the USDA’S Economic Research Service, in 2023 consumers in the United States spent an average of 11.2 percent of their disposable income (income after taxes) on food. The proportion of income spent on food by those living in poverty, without any additional federal assistance is very different.  In the eight states that make up Head Start Region IV, a family of four, earning 100% of the FPG (federal poverty guidelines) spends between 30.4% to 50.2% of their income on food.

Growing and nurturing - plants, people, community, physical and mental wellbeing 🪴 🌱 🍃 Love this initiative. Social connection, outdoor time, gentle physical activity. “One group of more than 300 people aged over-50 following a particular project. Results showed: * 86 per cent felt less isolated and socialised more * 76 per cent said they had become more engaged in their local community” Their useful resources: * The RHS community gardens directory for groups nationwide * Incredible Edible groups if you are interested in growing food together * Gardening Organic directory listing of organic gardening groups nationwide * Men's Shed's Association are community spaces for men to connect. Activities vary by 'shed', but some help with projects at gardens and parks and share gardening / allotment tips. For anyone who would like to start up their own local 'shed', they also offer plenty of help and encouragement. Particularly good to see initiatives targeting men’s health too. Men, historically, are perhaps less likely to access support regarding their health - mental health especially. Building supportive communities has such potential for improving wellbeing. #HealthandWellbeing #HolisticHealth #MensHealth #HealthOptimisation

To wrap up #EarthMonth, this weekend I graduated from Forest ReLeaf of Missouri's Tree Stewardship program, which included 12 hours of classroom instruction and 15 hours of volunteer work. Over the past month, I participated in some local volunteer activities, including: 🌳 Planting trees along the Great Rivers Greenway 🌱 Potting tree seedlings at the Forest ReLeaf nursery 🌷 Pulling tulips at the Missouri Botanical Garden 🚮 Picking up trash and removing invasive species with Open Space STL 🧤 Mulching and pruning park trees with STL Neighborhood Foresters The most important thing I learned during this program ... There are some amazing organizations in St. Louis making our city a greener, healthier and more beautiful place to live. If you're like me and at times feel overwhelmed by the immense amount of work needed to safeguard our environment, go out and give a few hours of your time at one of these (or similar) organizations. You'll feel better knowing that you made a lasting and positive impact on your community. That, and say no to mulch volcanoes 😉 (Seriously though, they're awful for trees.) If you're in the St. Louis region, please check out these incredible organizations. #volunteer #arborday #earthday #stlouis #sustainability #community #conservation