Planting Up is completely led by volunteers who drive our projects forward in the most amazing ways.
Our volunteers come from all walks of life and give time wherever they can to help with jobs that interest and empower them to help us do what we do; to encourage and educate people in the creation of Milton Keynes community gardens that connect us to growing food, enhancing wildlife habitats and cultivating communities for positive mental health and wellbeing.
There is no long-term commitment asked of our volunteers, and never any obligation to do anything you don’t want to do. After all, volunteering is about us doing something altruistic that makes us feel good, so having some fun doing it just as important to us too.
As part of our volunteer team, you get:
Please help us fill the following volunteer roles described below:
Would you like to share your gardening knowledge to help us create a new community garden in Coffee Hall, Milton Keynes?
We are looking for volunteers to help support our garden work parties on Friday mornings at our Grapevine Coffee Hall site at Christ the Vine Community Church.
Requirements
All you need is a passion for gardening and a willingness to share your experience with a small group of people who make up the Gardening Group.
There is no barrier to the gardening activities we can offer, so this is your opportunity to get creative as you help us to plan what we do in the garden for wildlife and sustainable food growing, and work with the group on jobs around the garden.
Tact, patience, and the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of people is an absolute requirement as you will need to work in small group situations with a range of people including vulnerable adults.
Applications
Volunteers will need to sign up and agree to Grapevine’s Safeguarding Policy and training. In addition, a DBS check will need to be undertaken and the names and contact details of two referees provided.
To register your interest or submit your CV with covering letter, please email us at: [email protected] or [email protected]
Are you interested in community organising and would like to help get a community garden started?
Do you want to use your people skills and basic garden design knowledge to help create a new community garden?
We are looking for volunteers to help support the creation of new community gardens in Milton Keynes.
Requirements
Some knowledge of gardening and community organising would be useful for this role as you will need to use and share your experience.
A willingness to learn and good personal listening and communication skills are essential.
Tact, patience, and the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of people is an absolute requirement.
There is no barrier to what you can do with this role and to the gardening activities we can offer, so this is your opportunity to get creative.
With support from our wider group, you will be expected to help plan community events to hear what local people want to do with their garden and encourage their involvement in creating it.
Ideally, you will be able to help lead garden activities and plan what is done in the garden for wildlife and sustainable food growing, and work with the group on jobs around the garden.
This role will be supported by other volunteers and organisations, so collaboration will be key.
Applications
We have new community garden locations ready to get started on. To register your interest, please email us at: [email protected]
Do you have a penchant for permaculture or a wonder for wildlife?
Maybe your body, mind or soul feasts on food growing, foraging, forest gardening or food recipes?
Or perhaps your gig is pure and simply gardening?
If any of these topics tickle your fancy and you would like to get your thoughts on the page to share them with our community, we’d love to have you write a blog or article for us.
We can help you with spelling, grammar and optimising your writing for the web, leaving you to concentrate on putting together 400 words or more on a topic connected with Planting Up.
Contact us at [email protected] to find out more or to submit your creations.
Are you involved in event marketing or have an interest in doing so?
We’re looking for volunteers like you to help us manage a series of Planting Up events at our Westbury Arts Centre venue and Grapevine Coffee Hall sites over the course of the year.
There’s no obligation for any long-term commitment on your part. We’d like your assistance with one-off events or whatever you can offer in the way of planning, promotion and coordinating our public events.
To register your interest, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]
Are you creative, and enjoy doing arts and crafts?
Have you been told you’re “good with your hands” and consider yourself a practical person?
If yes, hopefully you can help us…
We are looking for volunteers willing to give some time and energy to show other people how to craft useful things for the garden.
Whether you can help us in an advisory capacity or offer hands-on assistance, we would love to hear from you to help us deliver the following creative garden workshops to people of all ages:
Get in touch to explore this with us, by emailing: [email protected]
In today’s consumer world that makes us feel like we are always “too busy” in our jam-packed lives, we consider the people who are willing to give their time and energy to a cause without financial reward, our real-life super heroes who prop up our local economy.
If we ever needed confirmation of that, we need only look to the volunteer community’s efforts that made all the difference during the darkest days of the pandemic!
Volunteers stand out as good humans that don’t just talk about doing stuff, but actually do it.
Volunteers are altruistic people – i.e. defined as: “unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others”. And we recognise these unsung heroes as being absolutely crucial to our communities and organisations.
They are part of a something special, where they are taking action to improve the things they care about in their spare time, and making a positive impact on the world around them.
Volunteers everywhere: we salute you!
The Greek philosopher Aristotle said that the essence of life is “to serve others and do good” which we recognise as an important part of why people volunteer.
With the increasing growth in the social change arena as more non-profits and social enterprises work in the interests of community, and uptake in community action groups like we see with the Transition movement rises, people are starting to understand how volunteering to help each other and different communities benefits not just others but ourselves, too.
The benefits of volunteering are vast for the volunteer as well as the community, individual or organisation receiving their assistance.
In fact, studies have shown that giving in simple ways can help those in need and improve your overall health and happiness in doing so. And that the benefits for the doer can range from stress reduction and combating depression to higher self-esteem and confidence and an overall a sense of purpose.
Our project can help you lead a happier, healthier and more eco-friendly lifestyle as you get stuck in, learn new skills and make new friends volunteering on a meaningful project that will make a positive difference to your local community, Milton Keynes and in tackling climate change.
Find your nearest community garden on our map and contact us to help us add more MK sites.
To join our group, sign up to our mailing list or contact us here. Or you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too.
