Volunteer

Our harvest season normally begins in late summer/autumn, around the second week of September, for one month or more. We advise all with a passion for getting this bountiful plant out into the world to try to be here for harvest time.

Please note, this year things are a little different. As many of you will already know, in July, the Home Office revoked our licence to grow hemp https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49082533. But this by no means spell the end of Hempen!

We are looking for help on the farm during the harvest period. We are looking for 2-3 volunteers to stay with us for 3-7 days at a time. We will need help with a whole host of tasks in and around site, flexibility is key!

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Before you apply, please read the following:

• You must be over 18 to apply.
• We welcome day visits for those who are local.
• Overnight volunteers are for minimum stay of 3 days, maximum stay of two weeks.
• Working hours are 4 days a week from MON – FRI 9:30am – 5:30pm.
• Hempen is closed over SAT & SUN so unfortunately we cannot facilitate weekend visits.
• We take on volunteers all year round (although try to make it for our Hemp Harvesting Season in September).
• We organise accommodation for you during the winter, camping in the spring/summer.
• Live-in vehicles are awesome, you can park up in our fields.
• Work boots are the best and most appropriate shoes to wear onsite, otherwise good waterproof boots or wellies are advised.
• There are various site health and safety concerns and so we cannot accommodate children onsite at this time.
• Hempen is a working farm, so please leave pets at home or with friends.
• You must receive permission from us before using or publishing any photographs or videos.

​At the bottom of this page is a volunteer form for you to fill out, so we can learn all about you, and think about where you can be most helpful while you’re here. ​

How long can I volunteer at Hempen?

We have a time limit on how long we can host people, so please make it clear how long you’d like to stay for. Sometimes it’s relatively quiet here, and other times it can get pretty busy. This means that there are times where either we are at capacity of people we can host, or we might not need volunteers for a little while.​

How much will I be expected to work?

Volunteers are asked to work 28 hours per week. In return for your hard work, we offer 3 meals a day, snacks, and access to our massive tea selection. We like to think of Hempen as a very pleasant place to be, and an opportunity to learn about alternative ways of working, community and hemp. We sit in beautiful surroundings, being nestled beside a large mixed woodland and a short walk from the famous Wind in the Willows stretch of the Thames… perfect for swimming or messing about in a boat.​

What about accommodation?

Accommodation is often in short supply, especially in warmer weather. Occasionally there might be some accommodation available, but it’s very likely you’ll need to bring a tent and sleeping bag as these are the only spaces we can guarantee. When you arrive, you’ll be welcomed warmly by our volunteer co-ordinator and given an induction of the site. It’s a working place with lots going on, so this is important!​

What kind of work will I be doing?

Many people who volunteer at Hempen do so because they want to learn about growing hemp. The secret is that the hemp is quite happy being left on its own in the field to do its thing! Most of us don’t do much work in the field outside of harvest time, but there should be plenty of opportunity to ask questions to our hemp boffins. Volunteer jobs vary quite a lot depending on what’s going on and what your skills are, but the most common are either site tasks, such as helping with building and maintenance, or production tasks, such as helping process the hemp, or bottling and labelling things we make. We also love people who are happy to help us with the domestic side of things, like cooking and keeping things tidy!​ Please let us know in the volunteer form if you have particular skills or qualifications that might be helpful. Also do let us know what you enjoy doing, so you can help us best and we can help you have an excellent time!

Please also read our Safer Spaces agreement, so you have an idea of how we ask everyone to behave and contribute to the community.

Still want to volunteer at Hempen? Great! Click HERE to fill out the volunteer form.

We’ll get back to you to talk more and confirm your visit. Once we have confirmed, you will receive a confirmation email with details of items to bring with you and how to get here. You must have confirmation before arriving to volunteer at Hempen.

Feel free to drop us an email at volunteering@hempen.co.uk