Volunteering

Volunteering on city farms & community gardens

Many City Farms and Community Gardens are dependent on volunteers for their survival and development, as they often only have a few, if any, paid staff.

Many projects were started by a group of volunteers from their local community and continue to encourage volunteers to take part at all levels of their organisation, working alongside other members of the community to:

• Look after livestock and crops
• Support other users with, for example, special needs to become involved with the farm or garden
• Help run community enterprises like cafes and shops
• Get involved in afterschool clubs, projects and playwork
• Carry out general maintenance and construction work
• Help with administration and fundraising
• And, of course, as members of their management committees to be responsible for their overall management and sustainability.

Volunteering on city farms and community gardens is a great way to meet people, get involved in a local community project, and to gain new skills and, in some cases, vocational qualifications. Most of all, it's fun!

 

How we can help

We receive many requests from the public about opportunities to volunteer on City Farms and Community Gardens. Unfortunately, we cannot provide details of vacancies to individuals. Opportunities vary so much as each farm and garden is unique, and of course the situation on the ground is constantly changing.

We can, however, provide details of projects in your area for you to contact to find out more. Our  City Farm Visitor List provides details of the names and addresses of city farms throughout the UK and you can also download maps of city farms and community gardens from our publications page.

Alternatively, you can use the search function on our homepage - and in the near future a map-based search - to find places near you which may be interested in taking on volunteers.

 

Other organisations for volunteers

British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) is the largest organisation in the UK promoting practical conservation work by volunteers. It offers thousands of volunteering opportunites every year throughout the UK as well as an international programme. Visit their website to find out more at www.btcv.org.uk/

Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOFERS) is a membership organisation which puts volunteers in touch with organic farmers and gardeners who are looking for help. To find out more, including how to join, e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit the website at www.wwoof.org.uk/

The National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs may also be able to help. Tel: 01203 857 200 or take a look at their website at www.nfyfc.org.uk/

The Volunteering England website has more information about volunteering in general at www.volunteering.org.uk/

Do-it is the UK's first national volunteering database with thousands of volunteering opportunities which you can search according to the type of cause you want to support, the kind of work you want to do and the time you have available. Find out more at www.do-it.org.uk/