Welcome to Julie, our Green Engagement Worker

RGWN is delighted to welcome our Green Engagement Worker, Julie Jowett, to our team to help spread the word about the benefits of nature-engagement activities for wellbeing. Julie has worked for the RHS as a Senior Community Outreach Advisor and hence has a lot of experience with promoting opportunities for gardening-based activities to local communities. Over the coming year, Julie will attend various community events to talk to people about the many different activities offered by RGWN members across the Greater Reading Area.

For her first event, Julie joined Nature Nurture for their “Dose of Nature Wild Day” at Holy Brook Nook at the end of March. Being on the reception desk, Julie spoke to many of the attendees, telling local people how to get involved in the projects run by Nature Nurture at Holy Brook Nook, and chatting to others about the many other activities in the Greater Reading Area.

Julie also asked about possible barriers to getting involved in such activities. Knowing about opportunities to engage with nature and having the confidence to go along to organised sessions were mentioned as barriers to involvement. Julie hopes to address the first of these over the coming year through talking to local people at the many public events and festivals, including the Reading University Centenary Community Festival in May and Waterfest in June. Look out for the RGWN stand at such events and you might find out more about our many member organisations. We are grateful to Reading Borough Council for funding this position.