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Volunteer with us!

We’ve got lots of opportunities if you’ve got some spare time and would like to help us. Volunteering with us is a great way to learn new skills, meet like-minded people and help us deliver our conservation, community and education engagement projects.

If you’d like to sign up as a volunteer, please read our policies at the bottom of this  page and fill out our volunteer registration form: Contact and Consent Form. Please email Jackie at [email protected] once you’ve done this and she will put you in touch with the relevant project lead. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about volunteering, please do get in touch!

Please find our current volunteer vacancies below.

Volunteer with us!

We’ve got lots of opportunities if you’ve got some spare time and would like to help us. Volunteering with us is a great way to learn new skills, meet like-minded people and help us deliver our conservation, community and education engagement projects.

If you’d like to sign up as a volunteer, please read our policies at the bottom of this  page and fill out our volunteer registration form: Contact and Consent Form. Please email Jackie at [email protected] once you’ve done this and she will put you in touch with the relevant project lead. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about volunteering, please do get in touch!

Please find our current volunteer vacancies below.

Growing Volunteer

 
The Community Growing Project, based at Vine Road Recreation Ground, is a community garden run on organic and regenerative principles.  We are looking for volunteers to help with every day tasks, including weeding, watering, pruning, seed sowing and harvesting.  You do not need to have any gardening experience in order to volunteer, as all sessions will be led either by the Project Co-ordinator or an experienced lead volunteer.  There will be the opportunity to learn as you go, and the emphasis is on coming together with other members of the community to spend time outdoors and learn from each other in a relaxed and friendly environment.
 
Volunteering with us means you will have the opportunity to attend free learning and training sessions run at the Growing Project, as well as volunteer social events.
 
This is a great role for anyone who would like to get involved in community food growing, whether you are experienced gardener, or would like to try something new.

Contact Nicky to find out more.

 

Core Volunteer

Do you have an interest in food growing and working with young people? The Community Growing Project are looking for someone to join our team of ‘core’ growing volunteers. 

The core volunteers liaise with the project co-ordinator to assist in planning and delivery of the project. This specific role is for someone who is available to assist with the Duke of Edinburgh students who attend our open sessions on Saturdays. Tasks will be set for the students in advance by the Project Co-ordinator. 

Your role would be to lead the group of students in completing the tasks; organising them, motivating them and offering support as needed. Tasks may include general growing activities, such as weeding and watering, as well as bigger projects such as turning the compost bays or building raised beds. 

You do not have to have formal experience in growing or working with young people, but you will need to feel confident in both areas.  As a core volunteer, you would be a part of our core volunteers WhatsApp group, and attend occasional in-person or online meetings, to discuss future planning for the project.
This role will require the volunteer to have a DBS check.

Contact Nicky to find out more.

 

Do you love Barnes Common and our amazing green spaces? Do you have a little bit of spare time? Would you like to get involved in your local community? Join our conservation volunteers!

To find out more, contact Will.

Yaffles Assistant Volunteer

Our popular nature-based session for family groups with young children are informal, social sessions. They offer a great chance for families to get together, have fun, discover more about their local area, and how we can all do a bit to help. We usually head off for an exploratory nature walk with plenty of hands-on fun activities along the way, returning to Vine Road Recreation Ground.

We are looking for a volunteer who can help us on a regular basis, as we grow the program to engage the wider community.

This role is great for a nature lover who enjoys exploring and learning and working with families and young people.

To find out more, contact Paddy.

Learning Activities Support Volunteer

BCL regularly hosts education sessions for local schools and groups, as well as sessions for families during the school holidays and some weekends. These sessions help young people to learn about the biodiversity, history, and geography of the area around them and may involve exploration of the Common, river or pond dipping, plant and wildlife identification, surveying, as well as various learning activities.

The Learning Volunteer would support the safety of the group as we move around, helping to prepare, distribute and collect equipment, and assisting students and staff throughout the day. Weekday availability is necessary for this role.

This role would be great for some who has experience or an interest in nature and education or working with young people.

To find out more, contact  Paddy.

Walk & Talk Volunteer

Our walks and talks across Barnes Common and Leg o’ Mutton are extremely popular, and we would like to do more!

We are looking for some volunteers who have a keen interest in conservation, nature, wildlife and generally enjoy spending time outdoors (in all weather!) and with others. You don’t need to be an expert to lead a walk, but it may be helpful to have some knowledge of the site or your chosen subject, of course we can help to provide information.

Although we do have some set themes for walks throughout the year, additional walks could be general, seasonal or they could reflect your own interests.

This is a flexible role with walks taking place at the weekend, as well as on weekdays and some evenings.

To find out more, contact Jackie.

Duke of Edinburgh Support Volunteer

Barnes Common’s DofE program offers young people the opportunity to volunteer in practical hands-on conservation and environmental work across Barnes Common, Leg o’ Mutton Local Nature Reserve and Vine Road Park.

We aim to grow the program to include a wider group of students and in particular work with local secondary schools.

We are looking for volunteers with an interest in working with the next generation of David Attenboroughs, are enthusiastic about the environment, conservation and nature and don’t mind working outdoors in all weather, getting a bit mucky.

If that sounds like you, then please apply
Experience working with young people, of DofE, knowledge of conservation, working outdoors, using small hand tools and other equipment is a benefit, but not essential as full training is provided.

This role requires a DBS certificate, First Aid and Safeguarding (working with children) training, all of which we can provide.

We are hoping for a regular weekly commitment, although this is flexible.

To find out more about this, or any of our volunteering roles, contact Eve.

Skate Park Lead Volunteer  

A key element of the Vine Road Park redesign is the inclusion of a pump track. The local community has shown great interest in skateboarding and rollerblading and BCL wants to foster this growing community of skaters.

We need a lead volunteer, and any other interested volunteers who have some experience with skating and would like to work to grow a local skating community.

This role will include engaging the community in the project, aiding in the planning of skating events at Vine Road, such as ramp building, and the subsequent ramp use, brainstorming sessions for the design of the skate park, and general support for the ongoing pump track project.

To find out more, contact Eve.

Vine Road Project Working Group Volunteer  

As the Vine Road Project moves forward, BCL is looking to grow the Vine Road Project Working Group. This group provides the opportunity to be involved in the decision-making in the redesign of Vine Road Park, while also offering a helping hand when it comes to community outreach events and fundraising. This is a great opportunity to participate in this community driven park project, with a focus on creating a space to better serve the residents of Barnes and be a destination for all.

To find out more,  contact Eve.

Barnes Community Gardeners Volunteer

BCL proudly hosts Barnes Community Gardeners, who are looking for volunteers to give the occasional hour of their time to work on a variety of projects around Barnes, supporting, amongst others, vulnerable older people, schools, and local community groups.

Our volunteers help us create and maintain community growing spaces, such as the planters outside Barnes Green Centre. We have regular garden clearance days, making vulnerable older people’s gardens safe, as well as working with local schools and other community groups. All our projects aim to make public places more attractive, encourage more wildlife, promote the vitality of our community, and improve health and wellbeing by widening participation in physical activity.

This is a great opportunity for someone who has the odd hour or two to spare and is interested in having fun whilst improving the environment. No experience is necessary, although some knowledge of gardening is a benefit. Enjoying working outdoors and with others is essential.

To find out more, contact Susie.

Litter picking is a vital part of our conservation work. It takes many hours and the work of not only staff, but many volunteers. Some join us every year for our annual clean-up-the-common and some go out weekly in the area near their home. Others litter pick each and every time they are out and about on the common. It really does make a difference. Please click here to find out more about our annual, group and ad hoc litter picks, and to borrow our litter picks.

Gully Guardians


Do you want to improve the flood resilience of your local area? We are looking for Gully Guardians. The aim of this programme is to monitor the highways gullies and drains in your area to help direct and inform the work carried out by the council in maintaining these assets. In doing so we would work towards reducing the flood risk and improving the flood resilience in your area. 
Introductory / training sessions will be provided to volunteers. Interested? Please email Tarun at [email protected].

Related links

Corporate Volunteering

Duke of Edinburgh

Community Growing

Litter picking

Transect Surveying

Work Party Dates