Volunteering is a key part of what we do at The Community Farm. Through volunteering, members of our community can get first-hand experience of farm life.
If you’d like to volunteer, you can join our one-day volunteer events or come out to the fields on a regular basis. We also have activities other than working in the fields for which we request voluntary support.
To receive updates about the volunteer activities please add your details to our mailing list.
Occasionally we circulate requests for volunteers who can help with a specific one-off activities. If you’d like to be kept informed, please make sure you’ve ticked the box marked ‘Updates when volunteers are needed’ when you join our mailing list.
One-day volunteer events
Throughout the spring, summer and autumn we hold one-day volunteer days which involve volunteers coming to work out in the fields. While volunteers actively participate in the work of the farm these events are intended to be sociable and fun too. It is a beautiful setting, overlooking Chew Valley Lake. Adults and (supervised) children are welcome. Normally we start at 10am and finish by 4pm. Whenever possible we provide lunch for which we request a contribution to cover costs. Alternatively we ask volunteers to bring a packed lunch. Some volunteers also choose to bring along a little food to share, but that’s entirely up to you. Facilities are basic, but there is a compost toilet and drinking water tap.
There is often a limit of 15 people per event. Farm members have priority booking. Members can bring along their spouse, partner or one friend, and any children in their care. Non-members are welcome to come along for one session to get a taster prior to becoming members.
Our 2012 Community Farmer Days are:
Saturday 14th April 2012
Saturday 12th May 2012
Saturday 26th May 2012
Saturday 9th June 2012
Saturday 23rd June 2012
Saturday 14th July 2012
Saturday 1st September 2012
Saturday 6th October 2012
Saturday 10th November 2012
You can complete the booking form to book place.
We really appreciate the support of our volunteers, so please bear in mind that if you book in for one of these events there will be an expectation for you to turn up on the day. We provide staff to lead groups and prepare refreshments for volunteers. If you really do need to cancel, please try to give us plenty of notice so we can make alternative arrangements.
Transport
We are committed to minimising our environmental impact and therefore encourage volunteers to travel to the farm as sustainably as possible. Provided we have sufficient numbers of volunteers booking a place, we book a minibus service from Bristol Centre and TempleMeadsto the farm and back which costs £5 payable on the day (to cover the hire costs). If you are unable to travel using the minibus we strongly encourage you to car share or travel by bicycle if possible. Public transport to the farm is very limited.
Regular volunteering
Regular volunteers have the opportunity to participate in the farm work, share knowledge and gain experience. Regular volunteers usually come for a day or more each week (weekdays only), starting at 8am and finishing around 4pm. However, we can be relatively flexible depending on your availability. What we do ask is that you commit to a regular time – a minimum of half a day, ideally weekly (at least fortnightly) for a minimum of three months.
Once you have completed an application form we will arrange for you come for a day at the farm to get to know the place and people better, talk through health and safety, and participate in the work. This gives you an opportunity to see if volunteering at the Farm is right for you, before you make the commitment to regular volunteering. It also enables us to give you some feedback. Once this day is complete we will ask you to complete a volunteer agreement before commencing regular work at the farm.
If you would like to volunteer on a regular basis please complete the Regular Volunteering Application Form.
What to bring
You will need to be suitably dressed. Come prepared whatever the weather and wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. If it’s raining, obviously wet weather clothing will be needed. If it’s sunny please use sunblock and wear a hat. If you have steel toe-cap boots we recommend you wear them, otherwise wear strong footwear such as walking boots. If it’s very muddy wellies might be more appropriate; we’ll let you know if this is the case. Wear gardening gloves to protect your hands.
If you’re volunteering regularly you’ll need to bring your own packed lunch. For our one day events, we aim to provide lunch. Please bring a water bottle, there is a tap on site where you can refill this. There are currently no facilities for making hot drinks up in the fields, so it’s worth considering bringing a flask with a hot drink.
We will provide any tools required. However, a pair of secateurs and a trowel can come in handy.
Other voluntary opportunities
There are other ways to volunteer with the Community Farm. We sometimes seek people with specific expertise in areas such as publicity or engineering or people to help with data entry, leaflet distribution or staffing stands at events. If you think you can help with any of these things, please do let us know by emailing: volunteer@thecommunityfarm.co.uk
Volunteering for all
Please note: volunteering opportunities for less able people and the disabled are limited at the moment as the Farm’s fields are not very accessible and the facilities are basic. We will be working on this to ensure opportunities for all in the future. If you have a disability and would like to volunteer please contact us for more details volunteer@thecommunityfarm.co.uk