Volunteering with Growing Communities

If you are interested in organic growing and want to make a difference, come and join our regular volunteer work team.  Volunteers are essential in helping us to grow food in the heart of the city.

Anyone who is interested in gardening and growing can volunteer - no previous experience is necessary!  It's a great way of improving your growing skills and meeting other local people while making a real contribution to Growing Communities' aim of setting up practical, long-lasting alternatives to the current food system.  Last year over 120 volunteers worked with us on the sites. The volunteers work with Growing Communities' Grower Paul Bradbury to help produce organic salad leaves on our market gardens in Hackney.  The produce is sold through our organic fruit and vegetable box scheme. 

How to join the volunteer work team

If you want to volunteer with us you need to attend one of our Introductory Sessions. These run on the first Sunday of the month at Springfield or the third Monday of the month at Allens Gardens. The sessions start promptly at 9.30am and last approximately 2 hours. You are then welcome to volunteer for the rest of day if you wish. Please wear old clothes and sturdy shoes and bring a packed lunch. 

The sites will be closed for the whole of January. They will reopen in February 2012.

February 5th Sunday (Springfield)               27th Monday (Allens)*
March 4th Sunday (Springfield)                   19th Monday (Allens)
April 1st Sunday (Springfield)                     16th Monday (Allens)
May 6th Sunday (Springfield)                      21st Monday (Allens)
June 3rd Sunday (Springfield)                     18th Monday (Allens)
July 1st Sunday (Springfield)                      16th Monday (Allens)
August 5th Sunday (Springfield)                 20th Monday (Allens)
September 2nd Sunday (Springfield)           17th Monday (Allens)
October 7th Sunday (Springfield)                15th Monday (Allens)
November 4th Sunday (Springfield)             19th Monday (Allens)
December 2nd Sunday (Springfield)             CLOSED on 17th

* this session has been moved from Monday 20th February

After having done an introductory session, you can come to either the weekday or weekend volunteering at any of the sites.

Weekday volunteering

The main volunteer work team sessions take place on:
Mondays, 10am till 4pm at Allens Gardens
Tuesdays, 10am till 4pm at the Springfield site
Thursdays, 10am to 4pm at the Clissold Park site

Please see below for maps.

Weekend volunteering

Volunteer work team sessions also take place on the 1st Sunday of each month between 10.00am and 4.00pm. These Sunday workdays are always at our Springfield site.

How to find us

All the sites are on the map below. The Allens Garden site is a little hidden! You'll find us through the gates between the flats on the very corner of Bethune Road and Manor Road. It might look like a private entrance but go through the gate and you'll find us at the bottom of the tarred road to the right.