VOLUNTEER
Share your time with us
Our projects wouldn’t function without our amazing volunteers. We now have six projects all running thanks to the work of volunteers. And that’s before we even get started on the work that goes on in the background – planning, coordinating, marketing, DIY, fundraising, surveys and much more.
Whether you’d like to roll up your sleeves at one of our Secret Garden open sessions, grow in your own back garden, deliver food to people in need or give your time in a different way, we have a range of volunteering opportunities – and we’d love your support.
- Garden Visitors – Volunteers in the garden can engage at any level based on their ability and availability. Drop in to our Secret Garden between 9am and 1pm on a Monday or Friday. Families welcome! Where possible we aim to thank our volunteers with fresh produce from the gardens.
- Grounded Facilitators – These are our longer term volunteers who want to have a deeper involvement with us. This could include leading sessions, helping with decision making, specific responsibility like looking after watering or chickens or sitting on the steering group, offering skills such as book-keeping or volunteer coordination.
- Grounded Growers – We want everyone to get involved in growing where they can, whether in your garden, a neighbour’s garden, at your local community garden or at an allotment. We have some capacity to offer support, consultations and even supply what’s needed to set your space up for food growing. Become a Grounded Grower today.
Find out more about other volunteering opportunities below – and then get in touch!
VOLUNTEER TODAY
Or get in touch to find out more.
Email us at volunteer@groundedcommunity.co.uk
Drop in to the Secret Garden between 9am and 1pm on a Monday or Friday
Garden Sessions
Join our friendly community of volunteers to grow food for each other and those in need. All are welcome and no prior experience is needed, just a willingness to get stuck in.
- Monday and Friday mornings at The Secret Garden – 9am-1pm, all year round*
- Gardening skills workshops happen at the Secret Garden on the 2nd & 4th Friday of the month – 11am to 12pm*
- *Check specific dates on our calendar page. We are closed on bank holiday Mondays and for two weeks at Christmas.
There are a wide range of tasks for all abilities and we learn from each other, so no experience or skill is needed. Depending on the time of year, you could be…
- Sowin
g and planting - Waterin
g - Weeding
- Harvest
ing - Composting
- Fi
xing & building - Doing manual work
- Looking after our chickens
We have a break for hot drinks and snacks at 11am.
On Fridays there is a tour for new volunteers at 10am.
Please drop us a line first before you come for the first time to an open session.
Grounded Gatherers
We hold weekly sessions at Vale Lodge community kitchen to preserve and make meals and products from surplus foods we gather.
You can also gather food for us, from your own fruit trees or within your neighbourhood, spread the word and fill out the local map to show all the resources we have around us.
Other Volunteering Opportunities
We also offer volunteering days for community groups and corporate organisations to come and work with us on specific projects and tasks. We would love to hear from local businesses about how you can support us.
Good Gym is a local group who have helped – they meet in town, run to a site and get stuck in for a 45 minute chore and run back again… getting fit and feeling good! JP Morgan, Wessex Water, Lush and General Electric have been to help too, bringing large groups and contributing financially to a specific task such as building polytunnels and sheds.
trustee opportunities
Our trustees play a vital role at Grounded Community – they support decision-making, funding applications, planning and strategy. Quite a few roll up their sleeves and get stuck in at the garden too (though that’s not essential!)
If you’re interested in becoming a Grounded Community trustee, contact us to find out more.