Why do volunteers need funding? Well, although we give our time for free, we need the expertise of our intrepid leader, Catherine Tregaskes of environmental charity Groundwork Leicester and Leicestershire.

She supplies the tools and the know-how.

In the past we have received grants from Melton Council, Mars, the PC Hickenbotham Trust and the Florence Turner Trust but our current funding problem lies in the fact we are doing a lot of work in the country park. As this is owned by the council, charities and many funding bodies are not able to contribute.

In the country park the volunteers carry out a wide variety of work that men on machines cannot do. This year we have installed interpretation panels along the woodland walk, built a footbridge, cleared the brook and cleared reeds from the front of the bird-hide to improve visibility, repainted the Sustrans milepost, picked litter and thinned the tree pens.

Many people have commented on the difference we are making but we are dependant on further funding from the council if we are to carry on.

We know the council has many demands on its budget but we offer tremendous value for money. For the price of one person's wages, one day a week, the borough receives the efforts of all our volunteers.

JUDITH SZYMANSKI,
BARBARA WATSON,
SUE RILEY,
COLIN HALL,
CATE DEARN,
MICK MURRAY,
ALAN WHITFIELD,
BRIAN CHRISTIAN,
CHRIS THOMPSON (and the Melton Pathways Group)
Members of Melton Conservation Volunteers