Jock’s Burn 30 years on….

A day out volunteering with CCI

Kirsten Robb, Development Officer at the Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership, describes a day out with the volunteers cleaning up Jock's Burn in Carluke. 

Want a break from the norm and to get out and meet new people doing something positive in the fresh air? I can’t recommend anything more than a few hours volunteering with Clydesdale Community Initiatives and locals from Carluke to help clean up Jock’s Burn.

Last week I spent a happy few hours helping spruce the place up and chatting to volunteers, including Sam. Thirty years ago he was part of a team from Manpower Services who built the original pathways through Jock’s Burn. It was a 6 month job Sam found really rewarding and he was back last week to give Jocks Burn the tender loving care it deserves.

As we helped pull out a hunk of metal, we got chatting to another volunteer. Sam and him found out they knew each other’s family and reminisced together about a childhood growing up around Tinto reservoir. I love these moments of connections and sharing stories. For me that’s one of the best parts of volunteering in your community.

Suddenly, Sam stopped us all as he spotted a flock of geese fly in formation over Jocks Burn – and we all listened to them honking overhead. At the end of the work, I walked back through the now clear woodland to chat to our other volunteers; Avril, her sister and Jean. A little dipper bobbed happily in the burn, as if thanking the volunteers for their care and heralding the return of nature to the Burn.

There’s still more to do improving paths and the like, with six more sessions planned on 1,7,8,14,15 and 22^nd February. Book with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 01555 664211 and find out more by clicking the link below.