Page 12 • The HERALD • 23rd April 2026 v EMAIL YOUR NEWS: editor@herald-publishing.co.uk v All aspects of Plastering undertaken Fully Qualified, Reliable, Quality Service Free Quotations Call Joe: 07713 724610 @jbplastering92 SPECIALISING IN HOUSE RENOVATIONS THE FITTING OF BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS CARPENTRY, GARAGE CONVERSIONS PATIOS AND GENERAL BUILDING Family-run business with over 30 years of experience Tel: 07774134992 w: southernhomedevelopments.co.uk MY MARINE FINISHER Specialising in Marine Restorations High Quality Finish • Polishing • Grp Repair • Varnishing • Painting • Teak Renovation • Valeting • Monthly Wash • Vinyl Application and more… • 25 years experience • Traditionally trained in all aspectsof Marine finishing • Friendly helpful service Matthew Young 07766 704659 Mymarinefinisher@outlook.com Leaky taps, wonky shelves, flat-pack nightmares, squeaky doors, pictures hung straight, TVs on walls and most of those other jobs you need doing. Reliable, tidy, fully insured, and won’t leave you with a bigger mess than you started with! New Forest & Waterside: SO40–SO43, SO45, SO51 Jim – 07379 383307 HANDYMAN NO JOB TOO SMALL DECORATING Interior and Exterior Established 1985 07867 528307 mark.blake.decorating@gmail.com To advertise your business in The Herald, contact Sue on 023 8084 0815 or email: sjones@herald-publishing.co.uk New Forest National Park Authority and Community First Host Inaugural New Forest Volunteer Collective Dozens of organisations came together at the rst New Forest Volunteer Collective to better share learning and expertise. e New Forest Volunteer Collective was convened by the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA), in partnership with Community First, in Brockenhurst on Saturday 21st March to foster a greater sense of volunteering community in the New Forest. e event sparked in-depth thought-provoking discussions, as well as vital networking. ere was also a talk on Community First’s Volunteer First service. Discussions and feedback captured from the Volunteer Collective will be used to improve how volunteering-including organisations work together and better support the volunteering community in the New Forest. e NPA also hosted its annual New Forest National Park Volunteer Fair in January, attended by 750 people with 50 organisations represented. It also hosts a volunteer nder on its website showcasing the breadth of volunteer organisations and opportunities available across the National Park. Community First o ers a volunteer brokerage service matching volunteers with organisations across Hampshire, including the New Forest. New Forest National Park Authority lead access and volunteering o cer, Adam Vasey said: “We often find that volunteer-including organisations make good connections at our Volunteer Fair, however this doesn’t extend much beyond who they happen to have a stall next to. So we created the New Forest Volunteer Collective, alongside Community First, to bring those organisations together to share expertise wider across Team New Forest. Topics explored on the day included recruitment, particularly of younger and working age volunteers, microvolunteering, conflict management, and celebrating volunteer achievements.” Community First lead volunteering service coordinator, Jag Singh said: “It was genuinely inspiring to see so many organisations come together with a shared commitment to strengthening volunteering across the New Forest. There was a real openness in the room, with people sharing honest experiences, practical ideas and learning from one another. At Community First, through our Volunteer First service, we see every day how important those connections are. This felt like a meaningful step towards building a stronger, more joined up volunteering community, and we are really looking forward to what comes next.” e New Forest Volunteer Collective and the NPA’s ongoing support of volunteering in the National Park is made possible by National Lottery Players through our New Routes to Nature project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Find out more about volunteering in the New Forest on the NPA website: https://newforestnpa.gov.uk/getinvolved/volunteer Find out more about Community First and its Volunteer First service at: https://www.c rst.org.uk Organisations coming together at the New Forest Volunteer Collective 2026 (Credit: New Forest National Park Authority) New Forest National Park Authority lead access and volunteering officer, Adam Vasey (centre) (Credit: New Forest National Park Authority)
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