Are you looking to volunteer in the new year? We would love to welcome you to the team at Barnes Common: our volunteers are vital and we would struggle to exist without them! Here is how they help us throughout the year, writes our Volunteer Coordinator, Frankie Doorgachurn.
Our conservation volunteers are instrumental in restoring and preserving Barnes Common, Leg o’ Mutton, Sheen and Palewell Commons. They get together every Wednesday and also at monthly weekend sessions, whatever the weather; they go litter picking, they wade in the Beverley Brook, build berms to improve water flow, monitor invertebrate populations, conduct water quality testing, helping to track biodiversity and ecological health. They have contributed to Barnes Common winning the desirable Gold award in London in Bloom and they do this all year round.
It’s the same with The Vine Road Community Growing Project which has blossomed under volunteer leadership throughout the seasons. This initiative, which won “Community Project of the Year” at the Richmond Community Heroes Awards offers a space for people of all ages and abilities to learn, grow, and connect. Volunteers maintain gardens and welcome newcomers with open arms. The literal fruits of their labour has provided the local food bank with boxes of fresh vegetables throughout most of the year.
Our learning volunteers play an essential role in educational youth engagement. At the seasonal Yaffles Nature Club they introduce children and families to local wildlife with storytelling, guiding, and enthusiasm inspiring young learners to connect and nurture a lifelong love of nature, priceless and a popular distraction from the obsessions with screens! My children loved building dens on the common! Our diligent volunteers give up 2 hours every Saturday to supervise and support students in their route to gaining Duke of Edinburgh awards.
Our popular annual Autumn Fayre could not happen without our dedicated volunteers, In 2025 a team of over 30 helped with a whole range of actvitivities including pumpkin carving, helping staff on stalls, apple pressing, baking homemade cakes and more. We would love to hear from event volunteers who are keen to help at our first big event of the 2026, our weird and wonderful Winter Wassail in February.
In 2025, as well as helping us run events, our volunteers participated in challenge events such as the Richmond Running Festival, running 10k and half marathons for our charity: every penny raised is used to directly support our conservation, community engagement and outdoor learning aims today, and in the future. We have two places for this year’s run at Kew in March – interested?
Do you have any fundraising ideas? Would you like to help us raise money? Get in touch with us via email below.
Last year our volunteers have donated a total of 7,085 hours of their time – an incredible amount of help that means we can do more, fulfil our goals and further our vision and mission. Their impact is rooted in quiet progress with added community connection and wellbeing, resulting in a place for wildlife for all of us to enjoy.
If you would like to volunteer with Barnes Common, contact Frankie: [email protected]
If you would like to donate to our charity, you can do so on our website here.