Getting involved

Volunteering at the gardens offers people the chance to make a difference in the local community. Not only does it enable you to tend to the gardens and get involved in events but it is also a chance to meet new people, learn new skills and give time to others. HCGA provide the opportunity to meet with people from all walks of life; children, senior citizens, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and professionals.

There are many ways to get involved in our work:

Turn up to one the regular weekly gardening sessions.
Come along to our monthly workdays.
Contribute non-gardening skills.
You can read what some of our volunteers have to say here.

If you would like more information please contact our gardens manager on 07890 514 050 or email: info AT hcga.org.uk.

Weekly Gardening Sessions

We have a mix of volunteers at our weekly sessions. Some volunteers are self-referred but we are increasingly receiving referrals from other agencies in the borough who want to send volunteers with learning difficulties or health needs to our sessions. Support may be required for those with health needs during the intitial sessions - please contact the gardens manager on 07890 514 050 for more details.

We currently have two weekly sessions (starting from the 24th February) where volunteers have the opportunity to learn about proprgation and food growing:

Ravenscourt Greenhouses: 10am - 12pm Wednesdays

Click here for more details about the greenhouses at ravenscourt and how to get there. At the glasshouses we grow flowers, fruit and vegetables for community projects in the borough for school garden clubs, allotments as well as for Loris and Godolphin Gardens

Phoenix School Farm: 10am - 1230pm Tuesdays and Fridays

This year we are planning to grow a wider range of vegetables including yams, sweet potatoes, asparagus, amaranth and soya beans and to create a new herb beb.

Godolphin Garden:

There are currently no mid-week sessions at Godolphin.
Click here for more details about Godolphin and how to get there.

Monthly Workdays

Loris Garden: 11am - 430pm first
Click here for more details about Loris and how to get there. Some examples of activities that we carry out at Loris garden are:

Other ways to contribute

We welcome volunteers with many different skills, not just gardeners. Skills can range from: event organisation, art and design, wildlife surveyors, legal knowledge, photography, plant propagation, financial knowledge, musical interest, conservation, accountancy, leafleting, office skills and construction skills.

In our own words...

"I've been volunteering with HCGA for nine months now. It's a great opportunity to get outside and help out with the gardens and the company is pretty good too!" Mairi Brookes