A CHARITY which helps fund countryside volunteer work in East Lothian could be forced to fold if it is unable to find new trustees.
East Lothian Conservation Volunteers (ELCV) is a charity consisting of 380 volunteers in East Lothian who help East Lothian Countryside Rangers carry out conservation work in the county.
Volunteers including Dunbar and North Berwick Conservation Volunteers and Aberlady Bay Volunteers, have helped build fencing, maintain paths, plant trees and occasionally perform species counts in the county.
READ MORE: Hard working volunteers help Countryside Rangers clear county path
ELCV was formed as a way to raise funds for agricultural equipment and facilities in East Lothian, with the charity having raised nearly £22,000 in the last five years through donations and fundraising events.
As part of its constitution, trustees must step down after six years in the role, meaning that four of the seven current trustees will leave after the September AGM.
The charity needs three or four new trustees to continue to operate.
Dick Gill, chair of ELCV, said: “We are urgently appealing for new trustees to come forward and take over from those stepping down.
“We fear that if we do not get some interest then we could be in serious danger as a charity.
“We have done some incredible work in recent years, including funding a volunteer hub at Aberlady’s reserve and various equipment for our volunteers too.
“The ELCV trustees meet as a board every two months.
“At each meeting, we review progress with projects we are supporting and consider other similar opportunities as they arise.
“We also hear from the countryside team about volunteer and conservation work and discuss issues arising.
READ MORE: Volunteers come together to help rangers plant trees in North Berwick
“Trustees sponsor individual projects, so they also work a little outside the formal board meetings.
"Generally, though, the total time commitment for each trustees is modest, usually no more than a few hours a month.”
Mr Gill said that he would encourage anyone interested to send an email to chair@elcv.org.uk by May 12 to register their interest and to leave a phone number to be contacted on.
He said: “We are looking for people with a passion for nature. They can already be volunteering with us or can be totally new, just someone who wants to do good and will bring something to the charity.
“We have yet to have much interest but hopefully I will hear from people soon.”
An East Lothian Countryside Ranger spokesperson said: "Over the last five years, the ELCV charity has raised almost £22,000 extra funds to support countryside projects.
"But ELCV now urgently need another three or four new people to join as trustees to help run the charity or, very likely, they will be unable to continue.
"Being a trustee normally involves no more than a few hours of your time a month.
"If you are interested please contact the charity."
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