Volunteering Opportunities
Our volunteers are the heart and soul of the farm, collectively achieving a huge amount of work throughout the year. We welcome up to 80 volunteers to the farm every week. Volunteers primarily get involved in either VegBox Packing or Crop Production, with some specialised small teams focusing on other key activities on the farm.
Volunteer sessions happen Monday – Thursday, either in the morning or afternoon. Saturday volunteer sessions occur once or twice a month depending on the time of year. We use an online rota system so that volunteers can sign up to volunteer sessions they would like to attend. There is no expected ongoing commitment.
If you are interested, please fill in your details on our volunteer registration form and arrange your first session with Sonia. Volunteering at the farm is done on the understanding that people freely give their time to do work without being paid.
Why Volunteer?
Our volunteers tell us they experience a wide range of benefits, including:
- Improved mental and physical health
- Feeling part of a community
- Meeting new people and making new friends
- Learning new skills and gaining knowledge
- Improved confidence
- Greater connection to food: growing, cooking, and farming
Volunteer Registration Form
If you would like to volunteer, please fill in your details on our Volunteer Registration Form
Weekly Volunteer Sessions
VegBox Packing
VegBox Packing sessions take place inside our barn. The tasks include weighing, portioning and packing the fruit and veg we sell via our online shop, getting everything ready for delivery to our customers.
- Tuesdays: 8.30am – 12pm / 1pm – 4pm
- Tuesdays: 12pm – 1pm: Receiving the Delivery (to be combined with either morning or afternoon volunteering, involves lots of lifting)
- Wednesdays: 8.30am – 12pm / 1pm – 4pm
- Thursdays: 8:30am – 12pm
Crop Production
Crop Production sessions take place out in the fields, or inside our polytunnels. The tasks include seed sowing, planting out, crop maintenance, harvesting, clearing and composting.
- Crop Production happens every Wednesday: 9am – 12pm / 1pm – 4pm
- Harvesting Helpers happens every Tuesday: 9am – 1pm
- Saturday Crop Production happens twice a month from April – October, and once a month from November – March: 10am – 1pm / 2pm – 5pm
Other Farm Volunteer Sessions
VegBox Bag Sorting:
- Mondays 8.30am – 10am: sorting through all of our returned empty customer bags, so they are ready to be filled with fruit and veg again
Laying the Groundwork:
- Mondays 1pm – 4pm: A more gentle crop production session focusing on clearing and composting, harvesting and weeding, helping around the farm
DIY and farm maintenance:
- Thursdays 1pm – 4pm: mostly fixing broken things, no prior experience necessary!
Supported Volunteering
Supported volunteer sessions are distinct from our general volunteer sessions. Key characteristics include:
- Smaller group size, with a low ratio of staff to volunteers
- Quieter sessions occurring when there are fewer people on site
- Activities that are designed to be therapeutic and inclusive
- No time pressure or operational demands
We host one weekly supported volunteer session for adults with autism and / or learning disabilities. There is a charge of £30 per session. Please email Sonia for more information.
Children & Young People
Children aged 8 – 17 must be accompanied by an adult while they are volunteering. It is not possible for children younger than 8 to volunteer, but we welcome younger children to our open days and community events. Please email Sonia for more information.
Contact
Sonia is our Head of Communications and is the main point of contact for volunteers and visitors to the farm. Sonia’s email address is sonia@suttoncommunityfarm.org.uk