Volunteering

We welcome volunteers irrespective of ethnicity, race, nationality, disability, age, religion or belief, gender, and sexual orientation.

We would love to hear from you

Please fill in this form to register your interest and book your induction session.

Please come to the induction session booked or email info@calthorpecommunitygarden.org.uk if any issues to attend or if you have any other questions.

Volunteer with us!

Calthorpe Community Garden is the perfect place for anyone looking for volunteer opportunities in a safe and secure environment. Your assistance allows us to keep our garden up and running, and to deliver essential services for vulnerable groups in our community. You can find out about the different opportunites below or by reading the volunteer brochure.

Benefits to you

A safe and welcoming place to socialise and make new friends while supporting the local community.
Gardening can reduce stress and generally improve your mental and physical well-being.
You will gain valuable skills which might open new work opportunities for you.
You will have access to workshops, training and events organised by us.

How to sign up

Before coming to volunteer, we ask everyone to attend an induction session, which takes place every two weeks. During this induction session, you’ll learn more about our volunteering policies, the history of Calthorpe, and the volunteering opportunities available. You can express your interest through the button below.

Volunteer brochure

Express your interest!

We need administrative support for the general running of the garden and community centre. This role would suit someone who’s looking to start or change their career in the social enterprise community sector, and/or looking to refresh their skills after a career break.
Days and times are to be agreed with Martha. Half days, preferably on Mondays or Thursdays.
During these sessions, we undertake composting tasks as required. As part of our closed-loop food system, we collect and process food and garden waste into our composting systems.
We are proud to have 6 different composting systems as part of our closed-loop system:
- bokashi fermentation process
- cold composting system
- hotbin composting
- leaf mould
- wormery
- ridan food waste composter
You can read more about our different composting methods on our blog.
If you are interested in sustainability, organic food growing, closed-loop systems, zero-waste, and want to engage in outdoor activities with others in the community, this is the perfect opportunity for you!
You will gain valuable experience and training on a live closed-loop food system working in a community setting and can take part in our community lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The composting sessions take place on Monday from 10am-12pm. Composting is also part of our gardening sessions on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Tools and guidance will be provided. We can differentiate for individual needs.
We regularly run community festivals and events and need support on the day with setting up, welcoming the public, and other jobs.
You will gain valuable experience working in a community setting and will get a chance to participate in the event.
You can find our upcoming events here.
During these sessions, we undertake seasonal gardening tasks as required, such as food growing, composting, weeding, tidying, etc. As part of our closed-loop food system, we collect and process food and garden waste into our composting systems.
If you are interested in sustainability, organic food growing, closed-loop systems, zero-waste, and want to engage in outdoor activities with others in the community, this is the perfect opportunity for you!
You will gain valuable experience and training on a live closed-loop food system working in a community setting and can take part in our community lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The gardening sessions are on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Tools and guidance will be provided. We can differentiate for individual needs.
We deliver community lunches twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays for up to 30 people that participate in our gardening sessions and craft activities, many of them are elderly and from migrant communities.
We are searching for committed volunteers with kitchen experience who are organised, enjoy working as part of a team, are hands-on, and passionate about community.
For this role we would need you to be regularly available on either Wednesdays from 11:00am until 2pm and/or Fridays from 11am to 2pm.
You will have the opportunity to socialise with our friendly participants and volunteers during lunch. If you are interested in practicing Spanish, the best day for volunteering is Friday.

“I moved to London in 2024 to pursue my Master's in Environment, Politics, and Development at SOAS University. Next to my studies, I wanted to become more involved in my local community to create a sense of belonging and feel more at home. I walked past Calthorpe Community Garden and was immediately intrigued by the space as it seemed to do so many different activities for so many different people! It seemed like a place that put all the theory I learned in school in practice: a local, bottom-up initiative to create community and simultaneously enhance knowledge on growing your own food, thus adapting to climate change.

I decided to become involved in the administration-side of the organisation as I was curious to learn more about how such a place was run behind-the-scenes. I gained new experience and practical skills but also met many new people (staff, volunteers, community members) and immediately felt 'at home''. Everyone was super lovely and always welcomed me with open arms! They were also flexible and understanding whenever I couldn't make it because of deadlines, exams, or friends visiting ;).

So many activities and events are organised as well so there are plenty of opportunities to meet people at Calthorpe. I can't recommend volunteering (or at least becoming involved with) Calthorpe enough!”

-- Myrthe van den Berg, former admin volunteer