The charity looking after Flat Holm Island is looking for volunteers to go there and work to protect the island for future generations
Volunteers unwinding on the beach(Image: Bridget Box)
A charity that works to preserve an island off the South Wales coast has said it needs “double” it’s number of volunteers to help continue to protect the island’s nature and heritage.
“We already have 15-20 people who volunteer with us regularly, but we could probably do with double that to be honest,” said Bridget Box, President of the Flat Holm Society.
“Not having enough volunteers is always a worry, and it just means we have to do less or pick smaller jobs to do, which has been the case for the last couple of years, which is a shame.”
The Flat Holm Society was established in the 1980s to protect Flat Holm, which lies about 5 miles off the coast of Cardiff.
Flat Holm Island Lighthouse(Image: Bridget Box)
Volunteers typically spend a weekend on the island and work 6 hour days doing a variety of jobs that can vary from painting and building maintenance to beach cleans, scrub clearances and gull counts.
Volunteers are ferried to the island on a small RIB boat and once there can stay in accommodation that varies from bunking in a dormitory to yurts, tents and camping pods. Whilst there, they must get used to a “quite basic” life in a place with no mains water or electricity.
Bridget Box, President of the Flat Holm Society(Image: Bridget Box)
Bridget said: “The volunteering is fun and the people who do it enjoy it, it makes them feel good to be doing something and give back. It’s healthy, you’re in the outdoors and I think it’s really good for you psychologically.”
“It’s a little bit of escapism. You can be on Flat Holm and see both sides of the channel; at night you can see Cardiff and all of the lights, but at the same time you’re isolated.”
Volunteers are ferried to the island on this RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat)(Image: Bridget Box)
When not working, volunteers can relax and enjoy the beautiful nature and scenery the island offers or even pay a visit to the island’s very own pub, The Gull and Leek.
Bridget, from Barry, first came to the island 39 years ago, and has spent 25 years on the committee of the society, previously serving as both secretary and chair.
“As soon as I got off the boat and walked up the steps, I was hooked,” she said.
An important job of the volunteers is preserving the ecosystem of the island, which is a nature reserve. Scrub clearances make room for nesting gulls, of which there are more than 2,000 pairs on the island, a number the society wants to see increase.
Flat Holm Foghorn Station(Image: Bridget Box)
Bridget said: “We don’t want to see the gulls nesting in our towns; we want them to nest on Flat Holm.”
Volunteers can also see the remains of the Victorian-era cholera isolation hospital and gun batteries.
Bridget gives talks to the public about the island’s history which she describes as “unbelievable.” At different times the island has played host to medieval Christians, Vikings, cholera patients, and soldiers during WW2.
Above all, Bridget and the society want to share their love of Flat Holm with the public.
Volunteers being briefed(Image: Bridget Box)
“It’s a unique place, it’s a part of Cardiff, it’s the most southerly point in Wales, and it’s right on our doorstep,” Bridget said.
“On days like yesterday, when it’s a sunny day, it’s the best place in the world. After working, at the end of the day, we’ll sit on the beach and watch the sun go down over the channel.
“Even if people didn’t want to volunteer, I’d still tell them to go out and visit to see what it’s about. I guarantee you you’ll fall in love with it,” she said.
Volunteers working on building maintenance(Image: Bridget Box)
The island is owned by Cardiff Council.
A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: “Flat Holm’s location, 5 miles off the coast of Cardiff, makes it the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of city life but can also make managing the island’s unique habitat and historic buildings a challenge.
“The support of the Flat Holm Island Society and all the dedicated volunteers who give up their time to work alongside our team makes a real difference to the work we do to protect and preserve the island for future generations to enjoy.”
Volunteering trips run from March through to October, and potential volunteers can apply by becoming a member of the Flat Holm Society through its website.
