Volunteers are an important and valued part of the National Botanic Garden of Wales
As one of the most visited Gardens in the UK, we are noted for our friendly atmosphere and approach to our visitors. We value and very much appreciate our volunteers and regard them amongst our important ambassadors, whether on-site or wherever they go in the world, contributing to developing and promoting our reputation.
Why we support and need Volunteers
The Garden recognises that the activities of volunteers are an important positive force in raising the organisation’s profile and support in the community. Volunteers are a vital part of the Garden’s lifeblood and are amongst its ambassadors. Volunteers are able to bring special extra skills, experience, and dimensions to benefit the Garden. They also help link the Garden closely with the wider community – the community of place and the community of people. Engaging a wide diversity of perspectives and approaches is widely acknowledged as bringing added value to organisations.
As with a lot of charities in the UK, the Garden’s resources are limited. Therefore, to enable the Garden to meet its objectives it has developed and maintains an essential, balanced, effective, and mutually beneficial staff/volunteer partnership. This is based on the principle that Garden staff provide the structure, organisation, direction and day-to-day management, whilst volunteers add value to the Garden’s work by performing a wide range of roles, contributing their time, flexibility, experience and specialist skills. Thus within this framework, volunteering is a legitimate and crucial activity which is supported and encouraged by the Garden.
Volunteer at the Botanic Garden
Do you like being outside, don’t mind a bit of mud or getting wet? Happy to get your hands dirty? Want to help an internationally renowned Garden charity with its conservation work?
If you said yes to all the above, then you may be interested to know that we are looking for volunteers to help our Estates Team in the following areas that make up the National Botanic Garden of Wales; main garden, Arboretum and National Nature Reserve.
Ideally, you will enjoy teamwork, are available to volunteer Wednesdays and Thursdays, have some basic horticulture/estate skills (but these are not essential) are happy to learn new skills and have lots of enthusiasm for people and conservation!
Some of the activities that you will be required to help with are as follows:
Making mulch circles for trees, formative pruning, helping with monitoring tree health, checking labels on trees, path edging, removing old spiral rabbit guards, tree planting, tree watering, bramble clearance, keeping pathways clear underfoot, bulb planting, Himalyan balsalm removal, hedge laying, fencing/gate repairs and help with bagging-up charcoal.
Full training will be provided. All successful applicants will undergo Health & Safety Induction etc. Prospective volunteers must be over the age of 18.
For further details, please contact: jane.down@gardenofwales.org.uk
