Park rangers and volunteers from all over Crookes are coming together this Sunday with intent to tidy and ‘spruce up’ the Bole Hills.

The Friends of the Bole Hills Ranger Morning is set to start at 10am with cleaning up and pruning overgrown vegetation as the primary focus of the session.

The Bole Hills offer a space for walkers to explore, wildlife to inhabit, and a place where friends can gather to watch the sun set over the Sheffield city skyline.

Friends of the Bole Hills volunteer, Katie Monach said: “It was lockdown when people started discovering the Bole Hills as a spot to enjoy and watch sunsets, however with more usage you get things like the litter getting out of control.”

Ms Monach shares a ‘deep-rooted’ love for the park along with many other families in the area.

She said: “I grew up on the Bole Hills, my kids, who are now 18 and 16, grew up playing on the Bole Hills and it gave me a really long-standing environmental interest.”

The Friends of the Bole Hills group run frequent volunteer sessions throughout the year.

Last June, the team focused on cleaning up the steps down to the BMX track – making it more accessible to users. October saw the team put a proportionately large focus on bulb planting and vegetation control.

Every year, the month of March sees a ‘spring clear-up’ session.

The Park Rangers and volunteers urge people to get involved in this Sunday’s Ranger Morning – offering a free supply of drinks and biscuits to participants.

Ms Monach said: “I enjoy getting my hands dirty, but my main role this year is chatting to people. I want to get things in place through marketing, bid writing and gaining publicity.

“If someone can do a good job at laying the foundations it can be easier for other people to take over once they step down.”

Ms Monach also shared her experience as a runner and how the Bole Hills gives locals a space to work on their physical and mental health.

If you are interested in volunteering in Sunday’s Ranger Morning and have any questions, contact: thefriendsofthebolehills@gmail.com

Main Image: Friends gathered on the Bole Hills overlooking Sheffield. Photo © Neil Theasby (cc-by-sa/2.0)