Hi, who are you and what do you volunteer as?

Hi, I’m Anna Burke and my main volunteering role is Chair of Manor Park Friends Group, one of many Friends of Parks groups.  We were created in 2013 to help to look after and promote Manor Park in Sutton’s town centre.  We run lots of exciting events, raise money for park amenities and for the Mayor’s charities and our members volunteer to keep the park tidy and plant trees, bulbs and wildflowers.

Our ambitions have really grown over the past few years.  We’ve raised lots of funds for planting trees and a Social Orchard and look forward to seeing the iconic Manor Park Fountain fully restored this year.  We’ve become known for our events, including an annual grand summer fete and Dog Show, plus lots of arts based activities and our Christmas celebrations.  During lockdown, we noticed that local families were really struggling and we crowdfunded to provide free Covid-safe activities all through the summer months.  We’ve carried on since lockdown, with free yoga, sports and arts for all in our lovely park.  None of this would be possible without all the amazing organisations and charities we partner with, like Sutton New Town Community Festival and many more.  My role in all this is to coordinate our wonderful volunteers, to use my previous experience in fundraising and sometimes to nag a bit!

Like many volunteers, I wear more than one hat!

I’m also a volunteer Teaching Assistant with the Refugee and Migrant Network Sutton.  I really enjoy meeting people from so many different cultures and helping them to learn English.  I also provide one to one support for a young refugee – it’s very inspiring!  I also sit on the Mayor’s Charities Committee and belong to a number of local interest groups. I volunteer at the London Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Parade – this year I was a very wet mermaid! Plus I’m also a member of Sutton Environment Champions.  I also volunteer for ad hoc tasks – this year I’m helping to assess Art Network Sutton’s grant applications.

What got you interested?

I’ve volunteered throughout my life and I’ve always been interested.  My working background was in mentoring and community support and I wanted to offer my skills and keep them up to date.

I also like to learn and I find that volunteering expands the mind – I learn new things every day and I’ve met so many inspiring people!

I got into volunteering in Manor Park as I live very locally – I love to see families enjoying the environment and activities that we help to provide. 

Probably the thing I’m most proud of is the avenue of trees in Manor Park that we planted in 2019.  I successfully applied for funding from the Mayor of London to make this happen.  We looked after the trees really well and they’re all flourishing -  it’s inspiring to think that they’ll still be there (hopefully) in centuries to come.

What would you say to someone interested in volunteering?

Just go for it!

There are so many opportunities out there that there’s something for everyone.  You can commit as much or as little time as you like or that fits into your life – it’s not just for the retired.  You might want to capitalise on your existing skills or learn something completely new – it’s a great way to meet new friends and very good for mental and physical health.