Rosalind helps CPRE Wiltshire keep their supporters up to date with their twice-yearly newsletter. She finds it hugely rewarding to see her work in print, but coordinating it all is not without its challenges. This is her story.

I first got involved with CPRE Wiltshire after seeing a plea on Facebook for help to produce their newsletter. I now produce and edit the 20-page newsletter, and usually help stuff it into envelopes to send out to our supporters. We release a newsletter twice a year – in May and October, including news and updates, and annual events like our Best Kept Village competition.

Hugely rewarding

I find putting together the newsletter immensely rewarding, and it’s introduced me to a number of interesting things and people. It keeps skills I used in my working life from going rusty, and has enabled me to stretch these somewhat. For example, when working I had all my artwork produced in a professional studio, whereas now I have learned how to do it myself.

I also still get a huge kick out of seeing something I have worked on come together in its printed form. Days after one of my first newsletters mailed, a supporter sent in a generous donation. Whether the two were connected I cannot say, but he has donated again shortly after CPRE’s national magazine Countryside Voice was sent to him, so would like to think that to be the case!

My challenges

Creating the newsletter is not without its challenges though. I don’t like to nag contributors so it’s tough to deal with people who are late contributing their material.

Another challenge is contributors who, when given a maximum word count, will send in anything up to twice the number of words I can fit on a page. They seem to think if they ask very nicely, I will somehow make A4 bigger that it is. Pages have edges! If I were to reduce the point size and not use any pictures it would look terrible, and it would likely go unread.

If I had three words to describe my experience it would be this: Stimulating, interesting, but occasionally exasperating.

If you’re thinking of volunteering…

Volunteering for CPRE has certainly introduced me to bits of my county I did not know. Early one sunny Sunday morning I went to take some pictures of a tiny (but Best Kept) village well off the beaten track, and saw a fresh-faced vicar rushing along the road, with his cassock over his arm. I could very nearly hear background music by Elgar!

To someone who is considering volunteering with CPRE I would say this: Find if there is something you are good at doing, and enjoy, that is needed. Life is too short to do things you don’t like doing voluntarily!