Invited to No 10

When you receive an invite to No 10 Downing St, you don't turn down the opportunity! I was lucky enough to be one of 40 Wildlife Trust volunteers who attended a reception in the garden of No 10 last week. Gordon Brown was holding the event to say thank you to volunteers in the environmental sector - there were probably around 150 volunteers from different organisations across the country.

The Prime Minister himself gave a speech and chatted to a few volunteers. I wasn't lucky enough to meet him but I did get the chance to talk to David Kidney MP, Under Secretary of State for the DECC (Dept of Energy and Climate Change). Hilary Benn was also there - he even chatted to some of us as we were waiting in the queue!

It was a really great opportunity to talk to decision makers - these are the people that can make a difference to polices and our lives. I'd have really appreciated more time to talk to them but the event couldn't go on forever. Maybe next time.....

John, Beaconwood and midweek volunteer