What do the community volunteers do?

Volunteers can get involved in one or more of the following areas:

1) Farm animal care

2) Farm and garden maintenance tasks

3) Woodland and pond conservation and management

4) Growing plants and crops

5) Working with junior volunteers

6) Assisting with educational programmes

7) Carryng out administration tasks

8) Fund raising

9) Supervising volunteers needing support

10) Reception and guide duties

As you see the range of tasks carried out by volunteers at Down to Earth is wide. There is something for everyone whatever their interests. No experience is necessary as full training is given 'on the job' while working alongside experienced staff and volunteers. All that is required is the enthusiasm and a willingness to commit a small amount of time to a good cause.

What do volunteers get out of it?

• They learn new skills in animal care, vegetable growing, general plant care and conservation.
• It provides family volunteers with the opportunity to spend quality time with their family whilst enjoying the farm environment.
• It gets them out of the house and involved in active, health promoting activities with like-minded people from the community who are interested in sustainable living.
• Above all its fun and an opportunity to meet new people.

Volunteer Vacancies (updated October 2008)

1. Farm volunteers

• Evening rotas - Working in a team of two or three people you will spend an hour feeding and shutting away our animals for the night. This rota is carried out one hour before dark. Family groups working together (ie children accompanied by an adult relative) are very welcome.
• We currently have vacancies on Sunday and Tuesday evenings.
•  
• Sunday Morning Rota - A rota assistant is required on Sunday mornings 9am - 12noon.  Working alongside a member of staff or experienced volunteer, you will be given full training.  You will be required to work at least two Saturday mornings a month.
• For these vacancies you must be at least 18yrs of age although family groups (including at least one adult over 18yrs of age accompanied by children over 8yrs) are welcome

 

• 2. Garden Volunteers
• Weekday morning garden volunteer - Working on your own or with one other volunteer you will take responsibility for maintenance of the farm raised bed, tubs and borders and the greenhouse. The willingness to cut the grass would also be very useful. This work can be carried out any morning of the week.
• Weekday morning community gardener - Working on your own or with other volunteers you will carry out routine maintenance, grass cutting, weeding, raised bed preparation, hedge trimming etc in our developing Community garden. This work can be carried on any morning of the week.

How to become a volunteer at Down to Earth

1. Contact the Centre Manager on 023  8052 2706 to express an interest and arrange a time to come along and look around and find out more about volunteering.
2. Fill in an application form (this can be done verbally with the Centre Manager if necessary). We will require details of two referees who are willing to fill in a short reference form on your behalf. All references are confidential and will only be seen by the Centre Manager. Volunteers working during school hours will be required to undergo a CRB check. Once your references are received and assuming they are satisfactory you will be invited to start volunteering at a time convenient to you.