You don’t have to be an expert to get involved.

The Heritage Warden network is made up of volunteers who help monitor and conserve the rich heritage of Leicestershire’s countryside and landscape.

The network is run with support from Leicestershire County Council’s Community Heritage Initiative, a project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Rutland County Council. This scheme helps people to record and celebrate natural heritage and provides volunteers with a wealth of information, literature and support to undertake heritage and countryside studies.

Heritage Wardens are asked to keep an eye on local sites of heritage importance. Natural history recording is one of the main focuses of the project. Recording habitats, such as wildflower meadows, ancient woodlands, hedgerows and field ponds, is a top priority and will help to give an insight into the state of the environment in Leicestershire.

Being a Heritage Warden does not require any specialist expertise in the field of heritage recording and can take up as much or as little time as you can spare. By becoming a Heritage Warden you may be able to help in the conservation of the heritage in the local environment. Through local observation of sites, threats to their value can be ascertained at an early stage.

Wardens have access to:
Updates on legislation relevant to conservation and the countryside.
A wide range of information and expertise which local people will be able to tap into.
Training sessions to equip them with the skills needed to help safeguard local heritage.
Monthly newsletters informing them of current surveys, both local and national, relevant training courses and opportunities for funding.

To volunteer as Heritage Warden for your parish or for more information on the scheme, contact:

Community Heritage Initiative
Holly Hayes Environment and Heritage Resources Centre
Leicestershire County Council
216 Birstall Road, Birstall, Leicestershire, LE4 4DG
(0116) 267 1377 email: chi@leics.gov.uk

or visit the Community Heritage Initiative website at www.leics.gov.uk/heritage_wardens

The new training dates for using the Leicestershire Villages website have now been published.

If you are a complete beginner and would like some help getting started using the site then come along to one of the free beginners sessions.

Similarly, if you are an editor on Leicestershire Villages and would like to refresh your skills you can come along to one of the refresher sessions.

If you would like to attend either training course then contact us at admin@leicestershirevillages.com or call 01509 643448.