Friends of Parks & Green Spaces

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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 Ray Mill Island website





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


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 Ray Mill Island website





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


Friends of Parks & Green Spaces - Stories, Updates and Photos

Updates and stories from community groups in our parks and green spaces across the borough. 

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  • Share Friends of Ray Mill Island Dry Hedging Project on Facebook Share Friends of Ray Mill Island Dry Hedging Project on Twitter Share Friends of Ray Mill Island Dry Hedging Project on Linkedin Email Friends of Ray Mill Island Dry Hedging Project link

    Friends of Ray Mill Island Dry Hedging Project

    by FoRMI, over 1 year ago

    Volunteers from Wild Maidenhead and the Friends of Ray Mill Island teamed up last weekend as part of a plan to help improve biodiversity at the much-loved riverside park, next to Boulters Lock in Maidenhead. The volunteers constructed a ‘dry hedge’ around a large beech tree stump, protecting an area of natural riverside vegetation from grazing geese to allow it to regenerate. Fungi and insects will colonise the tree stump as it decays, in turn attracting birds such as woodpeckers.

    A double row of posts was hammered in around the site, with loose branches then used to fill in between... Continue reading

    Volunteers from Wild Maidenhead and the Friends of Ray Mill Island teamed up last weekend as part of a plan to help improve biodiversity at the much-loved riverside park, next to Boulters Lock in Maidenhead. The volunteers constructed a ‘dry hedge’ around a large beech tree stump, protecting an area of natural riverside vegetation from grazing geese to allow it to regenerate. Fungi and insects will colonise the tree stump as it decays, in turn attracting birds such as woodpeckers.

    A double row of posts was hammered in around the site, with loose branches then used to fill in between the posts to create the ‘dry hedge’ barrier. All the materials were sourced on the island, from piles left by contractors after trimming back overgrown trees and shrubs.

    Peter Gibbs, President of Wild Maidenhead paused from the work to say – “This is a great example of what can be achieved when community groups come together and combine resources. Wild Maidenhead’s Wilder Parks project aims to improve biodiversity in our town’s parks. Our volunteers are already working in Kidwell’s, Oaken Grove, Ockwell’s and Desborough and we’re delighted to now add Ray Mill Island to that list, thanks to the Friends.”

    Local councillors Jack Douglas, Gurch Singh and Richard Coe dropped by to see how the work was progressing, and quickly found themselves roped in to help with the task! Visitors to the park were intrigued by the work, with many asking questions and expressing thanks and support when the project was explained.

    Friends of Ray Mill Island founder Tara Crist was delighted with the result. “It looks fantastic! We’ll be planting up some locally grown native plants inside the enclosure later in the year. It’s wonderful that locals are wanting to join us in preserving the island's beauty through increasing natural habitats. We have so many exciting projects for the island and can't wait to show them off and get more people involved!


    Nivi and Tara wanted to say a massive thank you to Ascot resident Shoshan Dagan, a Landscape architect who has volunteered to come on board to fully support the greening and rewilding projects on the island. We are truly grateful for all her time, wisdom and energy as we are no experts on these matters. She did a fantastic job of organising us on Saturday and we look forward to project planning with her. That is one of the beauties of volunteering , wonderful people appear in your life with all different talents and adds to enriching your own. We want to enjoy what we do for the island and have it be a fun process.

  • Share Community Open Afternoon 23 June 3-7pm on Facebook Share Community Open Afternoon 23 June 3-7pm on Twitter Share Community Open Afternoon 23 June 3-7pm on Linkedin Email Community Open Afternoon 23 June 3-7pm link

    Community Open Afternoon 23 June 3-7pm

    by FoRMI, almost 2 years ago

    Please do share this, there will be fitness, yoga, tai chi, paddleboaring classes you can attend for free as well as plenty of community groups like Wild Maidenhead, River Rangers. We will let you know who is coming. Hope you can make it!

    Please do share this, there will be fitness, yoga, tai chi, paddleboaring classes you can attend for free as well as plenty of community groups like Wild Maidenhead, River Rangers. We will let you know who is coming. Hope you can make it!

  • Share Launch of Friends of Ray Mill Island on Facebook Share Launch of Friends of Ray Mill Island on Twitter Share Launch of Friends of Ray Mill Island on Linkedin Email Launch of Friends of Ray Mill Island link

    Launch of Friends of Ray Mill Island

    by FoRMI, almost 2 years ago

    The flyers are ready for print and the signs very nearly. We are working hard behind the scenes for our open community day. Anyone want to volunteer or want to have a stall then please contact us.



    The flyers are ready for print and the signs very nearly. We are working hard behind the scenes for our open community day. Anyone want to volunteer or want to have a stall then please contact us.



  • Share Wild Maidenhead 'Wilder Parks' Project on Facebook Share Wild Maidenhead 'Wilder Parks' Project on Twitter Share Wild Maidenhead 'Wilder Parks' Project on Linkedin Email Wild Maidenhead 'Wilder Parks' Project link

    Wild Maidenhead 'Wilder Parks' Project

    by Wild Maidenhead, almost 2 years ago

    If you love your local park and value wildlife and nature too, then get in touch. Wild Maidenhead, a volunteer group dedicated to protecting and enhancing our spaces for nature, is seeking more volunteers to support our 'Wilder Parks' project.

    You can join one of our existing teams helping make space for nature in Oaken Grove, Desborough or the 'Pit' Park, where we run regular activities, or talk to us about setting up a team in your local park. We can help with fun stuff like seeds, planting advice and bird boxes and also with the less fun stuff like... Continue reading

    If you love your local park and value wildlife and nature too, then get in touch. Wild Maidenhead, a volunteer group dedicated to protecting and enhancing our spaces for nature, is seeking more volunteers to support our 'Wilder Parks' project.

    You can join one of our existing teams helping make space for nature in Oaken Grove, Desborough or the 'Pit' Park, where we run regular activities, or talk to us about setting up a team in your local park. We can help with fun stuff like seeds, planting advice and bird boxes and also with the less fun stuff like risk assessments, health and safety and permissions from landowners - all the support you need to make a difference for nature.

    To find out more or get involved email us at wildmaidenhead@gmail.com

    To check out our latest events and activities, all free to join, visit our website:

    https://www.wildmaidenhead.org.uk/events



  • Share Launching Just Giving Page on Facebook Share Launching Just Giving Page on Twitter Share Launching Just Giving Page on Linkedin Email Launching Just Giving Page link

    Launching Just Giving Page

    by FoRMI, about 2 years ago

    Nivi and I are very excited about this new local project and sharing our intentions with our local residents, fans of the island, local clubs and organisations. We will keep you updated. We are ready to share our Just Giving Link

    Nivi and I are very excited about this new local project and sharing our intentions with our local residents, fans of the island, local clubs and organisations. We will keep you updated. We are ready to share our Just Giving Link

Page last updated: 18 Dec 2025, 02:49 PM