HUNDREDS of new volunteering opportunities across the South Downs will soon be easier to find for people wanting to gain new skills, discover local history, make new friends, get exercise, or enjoy nature.

The new interactive online volunteering map, developed by the South Downs National Park Authority, means that prospective volunteers will be able to find opportunities to support causes close to their hearts and close to their homes.

The new map will be launched at the South Downs volunteering fair in Midhurst on Saturday. Large organisations including the National Trust, Parham House, Petersfield Museum and Arundel Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, as well as smaller charities like Friends of Hollingbury and Burstead Woods, will be among those attending on the day and recruiting online.

Wildlife, communities and landscapes all benefit from tens of thousands of volunteer days given each year to hundreds of organisations across the South Downs National Park.

National park authority spokesman Ian Hartle said: “Some people like to give their time on a one-off basis, others turn up every week come rain or shine. Some are there for the great sense of companionship and others to get fit but they all get to enjoy giving something back. Whatever reason they have for giving up their time we are grateful and want to make it as easy as possible for people to find the right opportunity for them and for the national park.”

The first volunteering opportunities will be online from Saturday at southdowns.gov.uk/volunteering-map. The volunteering fair runs from 11am-3pm at the South Downs Centre in Midhurst.