A retired banker is calling for local people to do something different this year and volunteer in the New Forest.

People looking for new experiences are being invited to the New Forest Volunteer Fair tomorrow (Saturday) at Lyndhurst Community Centre.

More than 30 organisations will offer opportunities to record wildlife, restore landscapes, unravel wartime secrets and help some of society’s most vulnerable. The fair will be opened by two people who have benefited from years of volunteering in the national park.

One of those is Derek Tippets, from Cadnam,  who was looking for a complete change of scene when he became a volunteer ranger for the Forestry Commission after taking early retirement from a career in finance.

He said: ‘Although I grew up in the countryside I spent most of my life in cities. I thought I knew the Forest but I’ve learned an awful lot more about its history, customs and traditions whilst getting involved in its conservation.’

Derek is now looking to recruit active volunteers for the Pondhead Conservation Trust, using hand tools and sustainable techniques to restore an area of woodland to improve its biodiversity and public enjoyment.

He said: ‘You meet all sorts of interesting people as a volunteer. There’s plenty of fresh air and exercise, much cheaper than a gym, and you’re helping to restore a natural area right in the heart of the New Forest.’

Performing the opening honours at the fair with Derek will be Dominik Reynolds, who became the RSPB’s youngest volunteer in the country at the age of nine.

Dominik, now 14, has been volunteering for six years at the New Forest Reptile Centre near Lyndhurst, sharing his knowledge of birds and reptiles with visitors.

He has won a string of awards including Young Animal Enthusiast of the year at the Daily Mirror and RSPCA’s 2014 Animal Hero Awards.

To find out more about the New Forest Volunteer Fair visit newforestnpa.gov.uk/volunteerfair2015.