I work for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

What sort of voluntary work do you do, and where?

"I work as a 'pin badge box' minder in my local area. This means that I find suitable sites at which to place pin badge boxes which, as the name suggests, are boxes of bird badges which people can purchase at a a suggested contribution of £1.
"My job is to monitor these boxes, collect and bank the cash raised and to order new stock to replenish the boxes. At the moment I have eight boxes in my local area, in places like golf clubs, pet shops, garden centres and even in the school where I teach."

How did you get started?

"I got started through being a member of the RSPB itself. In one of the quarterly magazines which I receive there was a feature on a 'pin badge minder' in Scotland. It sounded a very worthwhile thing to do and didn't sound like it was going to be too difficult to manage on top of being a teacher and a Mum! I emailed this volunteer as the article suggested and was put in touch with RSPB Cymru in Cardiff."

How long have you been a volunteer?

"I've been a volunteer now for almost 10 months and in that time I've raised over £1000."

Are there any special skills you need to be a volunteer?

"I wouldn't say you need any special skills, although it goes without saying that you have to be trustworthy where there is money involved. Being sociable helps in persuading people to take the boxes, although everyone I have asked so far has been very accommodating. I do keep my own personal records (very simple ones I must add) of how much I have collected and which badges I've left where."

How many hours a week/month do you give?"

"I would say that each month it takes about four hours of my time. I chose to have eight boxes,I could have opted to mind more or less to suit me."

What are the best, and worst things about being a volunteer?

"The best things are that it gives a sense of fulfillment and that you get to meet new people. It has been lovely to see the children at school begin to develop a keen interest in birds and wildlife as a result of these badages - although I have to add that I do reinforce the fact that they must not pester their parents for the badges!
"The worst things are finding that there has been a low sale of badges at a particular site or poor donations in relation to the number of badges gone. Once I went to empty a box only to find that some lowlife had actually stolen the box, so I don't use that site any more."

How can others get involved?

"All you need to do is log on to the RSPB website and there are details of how to volunteer".

MORE: BBC SW Wales Nature: RSPB Cymru profile RSPB Website