Gardening Volunteer

Our office in Welwyn village has a small courtyard garden which is the first thing people see when they arrive. This is also where we occasionally hold meetings and host events. We are looking for a Gardening Volunteer to care for the plants and the hard landscaping and keep it looking tip top!

What will you be doing?

You will be responsible for maintaining and caring for our small courtyard garden. This includes:

• Weeding, light pruning and tidying our small perennial border so that it is as attractive as possible;
• Clearing the courtyard paving stones of plant debris, autumn leaves, etc;
• Keeping the seating free of dust and plant debris so it can be used for occasional outdoor meetings;
• Removing weeds in the courtyard and also from the outside edge of our small office building;
• Note – there is no grass, so lawn care is not needed. However, our small garden has not had much attention for several months so initially you will need to spend a little extra time getting it back into good shape.

You will be undertaking this volunteer role on days and times to fit in with your schedule. We have staff and other volunteers in our office Mondays through Thursdays (and sometimes on Fridays) so if you volunteer on those days, there will be colleagues present.

There may be 2 – 3 occasions per year where we will ask you to tidy up our courtyard garden shortly before a significant event, but we will always give you several weeks advance notice of these occasions.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for someone for whom gardening is a hobby, and who will enjoy bringing our courtyard back to its best shape and keeping it that way.

• Someone who enjoys and has some experience of gardening, and is happy to supply and utilise their own personal garden tools such as gloves, trowel, secateurs, weeding fork, whisk broom, etc.
• The ability to commit to volunteering regularly and reliably, however this will be flexible so as to fit within your schedule.
• Have an interest in the countryside and environmental issues.
• Someone who lives in or near Welwyn village where our office is located, or who is happy to travel to Welwyn on a regular basis.

 What difference will you make?

At CPRE Hertfordshire we want to encourage everyone to connect with the countryside and value and enjoy it.  As part of our volunteer team, you will be playing a valuable role in supporting our work and keeping our outdoor space presentable. This is vital in supporting us to host events which are an opportunity for more people to learn about our mission and join us in protecting the countryside.

What’s in it for the volunteer?

Some of our existing volunteers have been with us for many years.  Why do they volunteer with us and what will you get out of it?

• Use your skills and experience to make a positive difference to the countryside
• Have the satisfaction of making a real difference
• Have some variety from your regular work or routine
• Meet like-minded people and enjoy being part of a team
• Get involved with events and workshops on a local and national level, including induction sessions
• The opportunity to learn more about various issues facing the countryside, should you wish to become more involved in our work
• We can give you a reference for your future work or volunteering

For More Information

For more information, or to agree a date and time to visit our office and courtyard garden and consider if this role is something you might like to do, please contact us at   volunteering@cpreherts.org.uk

You may also wish to download the role profile, for reference.

The Hertfordshire countryside is wonderful – join our team to help us to look after it.