Our volunteer work team

If you are interested in organic growing and want to make a difference  - come and join our regular volunteer work team.

The volunteers work with Growing Communities' Grower Ru Litherland to help produce organic vegetables and fruit on our three small market gardens in Hackney.  The produce is sold through our organic fruit and vegetable box scheme.

The volunteer work team are essential in enabling us to grow vegetables in the heart of the city.  Anyone who is interested in gardening and growing can volunteer - no previous experience is necessary!  It's a great way of improving your growing skills and meeting other local people while making a real contribution to Growing Communities' aim of setting up practical, long-lasting alternatives to the current food system.

Alongside the volunteer work team, Growing Communities help to 'grow more growers' through our apprenticeship scheme. Last growing season, Sara and Bruce worked alongside Ru on our market gardens. For the inside story on how and what we grow there, check out Sarah's blog. We have appointed two new Apprentice Growers, Annie and Sean to work with Ru on the sites from April 2008.

Joining the volunteer work team

If you would like to join the work team please come along to one of our introductory "taster" sessions.  These will be taking place from 9.30am until 11.30am on the first Sunday of the month (alternates between Springfield and the Allens Gardens) or the second Monday of the month, 9.30am until 11.30am (always at  Springfield Park).

Sorry, there is no volunteer taster day on 6th July.

Monday 14th July 2008 at Springfield Park

Sunday 3rd Aug 08 at Springfield Park
Monday 11th Aug 2008 at Springfield Park

Sunday 7th Sep 08 at Allens Gardens
Monday 8th Sep 2008 at Springfield Park

Sunday 5th Oct 08 at Springfield Park
Monday 13th Oct 2008 at Springfield Park

Sunday 2nd Nov 08 at Allens Gardens
Monday 10th Nov 2008 at Springfield Park

Sunday 7th  Dec 08 at Springfield Park
Monday 8th Dec 2008 at Springfield Park

Please let us know if you are planning to come along.  See our contact details below.

Weekday volunteering

The main volunteer work team sessions take place every Monday from 10am till 4pm and every Tuesday from 10am till 4pm.

• The Monday work sessions take place at the Springfield site.

• The Tuesday work sessions take place at our Allens Gardens site except the first Tuesday of the month when the session will be at Clissold Park

Weekend volunteering

Volunteer work team sessions also take place on the 1st Sunday of each month (except January) between 10.00am and 4.00pm. These Sunday workdays alternate between our Springfield and Allen Gardens sites i.e.:

1st Sunday in Feb, April, May, June, August, October, December: Springfield

1st Sunday in March, July, September, November: Allens Gardens

There are no volunteer sessions in January.

Back to top

Visit our Market Gardens 

You are very welcome to visit our sites when we are working on them during the week.  We have designed a tour of the gardens which enables visitors to explore the sites by themselves while enabling our grower and volunteer work team to get on with their important work of growing food!  Of course you could just come to sit down and absorb the atmosphere - we think the gardens are beautiful as well as productive spaces.    

You will definitely find us at our Springfield site on Mondays between 10.00am and 4.00pm and at our Allens Gardens site between 10.00am and 2.30pm.

If you are passing by at other times and notice us working then feel free to drop in and say hello.

Arrange a school visit

From July 2006, schools will be able to visit our sites on certain days.

A  one hour school visit includes:

• A tour of the site

• A growing related activity

• Resource materials to take away

• Use of eco-building (with composting toilet)

We charge a fee of £25 for up to 15 children and £50 for between 16 and 30 children.

Give us a call or email if you would like to arrange a visit.

Back to top

growcomm@growingcommunities.org