Do you have an interest in conservation, growing and education?

We offer volunteering roles for local DofE students who will enjoy the many benefits of spending time outdoors. You’ll develop your teamwork, communication and leadership skills, as well as making a difference in the community and preserving our green spaces!

You may find yourself carrying out tasks such as:

• practical conservation work: safe use of hand tools, map reading or species identification;
• helping with our education groups: storytelling, sharing your own experiences, sowing and growing;
• environmental work: litter picking or species monitoring.

Recent activities have included:

• building planters
• creating fences
• growing fruit and vegetables
• supporting outdoor events

FAQs:

Who can apply? Anyone who is undertaking or considering undertaking their Bronze, Silver or Gold DofE Award.

When to apply? We accept applications at the beginning of each term on a first come, first served basis.

How to apply: Candidate and parent/guardian return completed consent form (fill it out online or download to print). We advise consulting your GP about tetanus.

Is there a cost? There is an administration fee of £50 per student. This fee supports our conservation work and future learning events and we would encourage you, if you can, to pay full price. We do not want cost to be a barrier to our activities, as such we have a limited number of free and discounted places available, please email [email protected] for details.

How many places are there? We accept 10 students per term.

Will there be an induction? Yes, each term will start with a 2-hour induction. You will learn about our organisation and the work we do and have time to meet the rest of the students and discuss what you hope to achieve during your time with us.

When and where will the sessions take place: Sessions are offered every Saturday from 10am to noon at our Community Growing Area. Once a month some students will be offered the opportunity to join the monthly conservation sessions on Barnes Common.

What if I don’t complete my hours in one term? If you miss a session or need to catch up on your hours, there are additional opportunities with our events, litter picking, leaflet drops etc. You will not be able to roll over to the next term as we will take on new group of 10 students.

What to wear? We provide all PPE (personal protective equipment), we advise dressing for the weather, wearing clothes you don’t mind getting muddy, and sturdy shoes.

Where to go? All activities start and finish at Vine Road Park SW13 0NE unless stated.

Are all the lead volunteers DBS checked? Yes, all lead volunteers are DBS checked

Do I need to have any experience of conservation? No; an interest in the environment and green spaces might be helpful, but no experience is necessary.

Can I return as a volunteer when I have completed the DofE programme? Yes, we welcome students to join our regular team of volunteers. If you are under 18 you will need parental consent.

We welcome all applications and look forward to sharing the joys of spending time in and looking after our local outside spaces with you!

How do I find out more: please email Frankie at [email protected].