City Farm Volunteering Opportunity this Autumn
Looking to do some volunteering this October?
With autumn fast approaching, it might be the ideal time for some outdoor volunteering experiences before the dark days set in. Over the last few months, we’ve researched and found a couple of City Farms across London that are offering up opportunities to get outside and get involved with environmental work in October.
These city farms are charitable organisations that work with communities and volunteers to provide a green space in the heart of the city, adopting environmentally sustainable farming practices and providing an opportunity to connect with animals and nature. They often house farmyard animals that people can care for, and have organic vegetable gardens and animal enclosures that require regular repair and maintenance. On group days out, volunteers usually have the opportunity to get involved with animal grooming and feeding, planting and gardening, cleaning and clearing, barrowing soil, woodworking and building, and much much more.
As one of most highly rated city farms in London, the Hackney City Farm charity has recently offered CSCEN members a group volunteering day from the 29th of October onwards, to assist with the running of the working farm and the organic community garden. The kind of work here would include pond digging, tree planting, stable repairing, gardening, bird box making, composting, and more. After the day out, there’d also be the opportunity to look around the farm and interact with the animals at the sanctuary, which include ducks, goats, geese, sheep, pigs, and chickens. Although the visit around the farm is free, current volunteer days have been priced at £50/volunteer with half days (10am-1pm) at £35/volunteer. This is to cover costs of running the farm. Additionally, Hackney also offers a pottery class at the farm for £20/person in the evenings every week.
Another city farm that offers volunteering opportunities is Stepney City Farm, who offer a free volunteering day every month on Saturday for anyone to come help out and meet new people. The day, starting at 1pm to 4pm, revolves around animal care and gardening activities, with educational sessions in between on life at the farm. Although the September sessions for this year have finished, there will likely be more opportunities in October and November in 2024.
If anyone is interested in joining a half-day/full day of CSCEN volunteering at Hackney City Farm, please do let us know by contacting cameron.gordon@faststream.civilservice.gov.uk. Additionally, if you would like to be informed of any free first-come first-serve volunteering days that some city farms offer on the weekends, or if you would like to know more about city farms in their region, please contact us as well! We have compiled a list of the best city farms opportunities in London and their respective details if your team is interested in a group volunteering day.