'Feel good' factor the reward for Silverdale Country Park volunteer

A tremendous ‘feel good’ factor is the reward for volunteering, says Silverdale Country Park volunteer David Slack.

David, 63, a retired shop manager, has been volunteering at the Land Trust site for six years after first becoming involved in 2012 when he was president of the Newcastle-Under-Lyme Lions club, and since then has dedicated hours of his time to planting trees at the site.

When David first got involved he had heard about the Woodland Trust’s offer of free tree packs to anyone wanting to green up Britain.

He made a successful application and as a result 200 trees were planted by him and other volunteers along the ridge at the top of the 83 hectare country park.

Further applications to the Woodland Trust followed and since that date over 800 trees are now thriving on the former colliery site, thanks to the efforts of David and other volunteers.

He has also been involved in the installation of four benches and gets a huge amount of satisfaction from how these improvements have enhanced visitors’ enjoyment of the park.

David said:

“Coming back and seeing how the trees are maturing and how well they’ve grown gives you a real sense of achievement. The view from the four benches, each commemorating different Lions club connections, is absolutely brilliant. From the top of the ridge, you can see right over the Potteries and across towards Apedale Country Park in the other direction.

“The colliery closed about 20 years ago and the transformation of the area has been amazing. The air is so much cleaner now and it’s great to see all the wildlife thriving. For people who enjoy being outside in the fresh air, it’s the perfect place to volunteer.”