Friends of Parks & Green Spaces

We are incredibly lucky to have a number of parks and green spaces across the borough.

We want to support our residents to get more involved with nature on their doorstep and we are proud to support community and resident-led organisations that care for, and promote, the natural environment. Below you will find groups currently operating in some of our parks - if you would like to know more about how to get involved you can reach out to them directly or email volunteer@rbwm.gov.uk and we can put you in touch.

You will also find the stories section at the bottom of this page where you will find pictures and updates from the groups - If you have a fun or interesting tale to tell about our other parks and green spaces, please add them to our RBWM Park stories section.

If you would like to start your own group or would like to know what's involved , you can contact us at volunteer@rbwm.gov.uk and we would be happy to talk about your ideas and help you take the next step.

We have other ways to get involved with nature on your doorstep - have a look at our Verge on the Wild Side project to find out more! Or if you are interested in volunteering from across the borough you can find all you need to know at All About Volunteering in RBWM

Friends of Ray Mill Island

VOLUNTEER time, skills or resources as an individual, corporate or charity organisation.

SPONSOR to restore and maintain flower beds, pet corner, trees and wildlife habitat.

This is a Community led project, taking steps to enrich the island’s natural haven, by encouraging greater biodiversity of plants and wildlife for present and future generations to thrive.

Benefits to being a Friend of Ray Mill Island

1. Increasing the beauty of the island through more diverse planting. The will help improve natural habitats.

2. Working parties are a great way to meet local people through gardening, DIY and creative projects. They offer more social interaction and opportunities .

3. Volunteering is proven to better one's mental and physical health.

4. Parks – green spaces are all inclusive and attract a wide range of people from all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds . No money is needed to enjoy the beauty of the park and park of outstanding beauty is a gift to all, nature does not judge.

Ways to make Ray Mill Island a haven, attractive to wildlife as well as humans.

• Maintenance of picnic tables & toilet block
• Long term tree planning and planting,
• Increase in the diversity of plant life to attract more pollinators and insects
• Educational signposts – trees and nature's life cycles
• Introduction of Bird and bat boxes
• Rewilding of flower beds and borders
• Nature trails
• Stream maintenance
• Tree sponsorship
• Corporate orange days and investment
• Carbon offsetting investment
• Identification tags for trees and plants

If you would like to support Friends of Ray Mill Island with a donation towards our work, you can do so via our Just Giving page here

Become a Friend of Ray Mill Island by simply sending us an email and tell us how you would like to participate in the island's restoration and maintenance. We look forward to hearing from you.

Email: volunteer@rbwm.gov.uk

Friends of Oaken Grove

Wild Maidenhead are working with RBWM to make our parks more wildlife-friendly - we will be aiming for parks which are 10% wild. This will support the Biodiversity Action Plan, which Wild Maidenhead alongside the other Wild groups in the borough, supported the borough .

Dave Duncan, a member of Wild Maidenhead and also Friends of Oaken Grove Park applied for and was successful in being awarded an innovation fund to boost biodiversity and community engagement in the park. He also was successful in his application to Thatchers (the cider people) to create a community orchard. We were so excited to be able to support this and 10 apple trees have been planted.

Future Plans

These include revamping the wild flower areas and pond maintenance alongside other activities.

Get Involved

If you would like to become a Friend of Oaken Grove or would like to know more, please email wildmaidenhead@gmail.com or visit their website Wildlife group | Wild Maidenhead