Becoming a client of LCV

COVID-19 outbreak: The current Omicron wave is concerning but for now our task programme continues to run in line with government guidance for Beyond Level 0 (as updated on 2021-11-16) As outdoor activities our tasks are relatively safe but use of the minibus is potentially risky. Therefore we request that all volunteers who are using the minibus to attend tasks should take a lateral flow test on the morning of the task, hopefully catching any cases before they cause an issue. Additional measures may well be announced by the government over the coming days and weeks; should these affect LCV's activities we will inform volunteers.

On a happier note, our exciting task programme for Q1 2022 is now available. We hope to see you on task soon.

LCV offer our volunteer labour to a variety of clients who manage land for conservation purposes. We can undertake a variety of work including vegetation management, ponds, fences, treeplanting and more. This page explains how potential clients can obtain the services of LCV.

How can I obtain the services of LCV?

In brief: contact Matt McCabe, our Task Organiser, who will be happy to discuss your requirements. It may help to review the information for volunteers and about typical day tasks.

During the COVID-19 outbreak we are still organising our task programme on a quarterly basis but there is a possibility that we may have to make changes (or even cancel tasks) at short notice. Furthermore we may be unable to undertake some types of tasks due to the restrictions required to manage the outbreak. Consequently please get in touch as early as possible. This is particularly important for time-dependent activities like tree planting. Our  Coronavirus: volunteering position statement (draft) describes our broad approach to running tasks safely during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are happy to discuss and address any concerns or additional requirements you may have in this regard.

Requirements for clients

We have a few requirements before we agree to work for any client.

  1. A management plan must exist for the land in question. If you require help in drawing up such a plan, LCV may be able to assist with advice and introductions to experts in other organisations.
  2. Any design work for bridges, paths etc is undertaken by the client. If you are not comfortable doing this work LCV may be able to put you in touch with people who can advise.
  3. There are some tasks that LCV cannot do, usually for insurance reasons. In practice this usually does not limit what we can do all that much. For example we are not allowed to use chainsaws, but we are nevertheless safe, proficient and efficient when felling trees with hand tools.
  4. LCV requires a representative from the client to deal with task arrangements and to work alongside volunteers. This is to ensure the task proceeds according to plan. We may waive this requirement at our discretion.
  5. We do charge a small amount to cover our basic running costs

Charges

For day tasks we charge £5.50 per volunteer-day plus mileage costs for the minibus we use to ferry volunteers to the site (currently £0.65/mile). We charge these amounts to ensure that tasks are free for volunteers.

In addition to the usual day-task charges we also expect that clients will pay for any accomodation required for residential tasks. Usually LCV will stay in a bunkhouse or other basic accomodation when on such tasks.

Other information

LCV holds a public liability insurance policy with a cover limit of up to £10,000,000 for any one event. Full details of cover are available on request