Volunteers - The beating heart of the South West Coast Path Association

Our second episode focuses on the people at the heart of the charity – the volunteers.

Rachel meets members of the SWCPA team, Lorna Sherriff and Alex Turner, who work closely with the volunteers, and also chats with SWCPA volunteers Helen Marshall and Steve Church, about why and how they volunteer and what it means to them.

We are incredibly grateful to each and every one of our volunteers who come from many different walks of life and bring with them a host of immeasurable skills, knowledge and enthusiasm plus a shared passion for the South West Coast Path and the outdoors. Whether it's being a path rep and helping with our annual path survey, or volunteering on our community walks to help support other people who want to experience the path, we simply couldn't do what we do without them. Listen and find out more.

Guests in this episode include:

Alex Turner
Coast Path Connectors Project Manager, SWCPA

Alex has worked for SWCPA for over 5 years, starting off on an education project which developed into wider community engagement work. Before this, she worked in environmental education in various roles: teaching in colleges, practical conservation, and working with schools. Alex’s work has always focused on getting people outside into natural environments; learning, protecting, and enjoying.

Lorna Sherriff
National Trails Officer, SWCPA

Lorna grew up and worked on a private forestry estate in West Sussex and always had a passion for the countryside and the outdoors. She undertook a Rural Resource Management Degree at Seale Hayne in Newton Abbot where she fell in love with the South West. Lorna worked at the National Trust as part of the South Devon Ranger Team from 2003, until she joined the SWCPA in 2021. Lorna feels passionate that anyone who wants to get out and experience the coast and countryside whatever background or ability should have that opportunity.

Steve Church
SWCPA Local Rep; Chair, SWCPA Path Committee; SWCPA Planning Advisor, Cornwall

Steve has volunteered at the SWCPA since he retired in 2008. Before this, he worked in a local authority in the environment and countryside planning department and is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Steve was invited to join SWCPA as an advisor and became secretary in 2010 (upon the illness of the previous holder) and became a Trustee 2010-2016. He has stepped down from the Trustee role but continues to be a Local path Rep and Chairs the SWCPA Path Committee.

Helen Marshall
SWCPA Coast Path Connector Volunteer

Helen made the decision to take early retirement last year after almost 40 years of working in a pharmacy. Her interests are walking, wild swimming, gundog training with her 2 black Labradors and keeping an allotment. Helen has lived in Plymouth her whole life and is within a few miles of the coast path regularly walking sections of it and swimming from it in and around Plymouth. Helen is an SWCP completer, a member of the SWCPA and volunteers as part of the Coast Path Connectors project.