Volunteer
Like a glorious tree, our volunteer family grows larger each year!
Hundreds of volunteers have come to Hempen building this place to what it is today, all for the love of the hemp plant and community spirit, since our journey began way back in 2015.
We are so grateful to all the wonderful people who have given time to our harvests, constructing the polytunnel, planting food in the garden, day-to-day running of spaces and so much more. Together we are demonstrating what rural sustainable livelihoods built based on organic hemp agriculture in the UK looks like. We are proving what this plant can do for people community and planet.
Types of volunteering at Hempen
You must have an organised visit, before arriving to site.
- Day Visits: Every Tuesday is our Open Community Day! Come by from 10:30am till the afternoon for those of you that are local!
- Short Stay: Monday to Friday you can join us, in a tent or live-in van.
- Placement Volunteerships: get in touch to offer your skills and we are also offering trainee placements, see our Jobs & Opportunities
If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out our application form and/or drop us an email: volunteering@hempen.co.uk
Tuesday Day Visits: community volunteering with ‘Growing Solidarity’
On Tuesdays, we run our community outreach project, Growing Solidarity. If you’d like to take part and support people who face barriers to accessing or engaging with in the natural world, we’d love to hear from you. From gardening to woodwork, cooking to crafts, activities are varied and there’s plenty of space for you to bring your own ideas! In order to make the Growing Solidarity project nourishing and empowering, we provide basic training to our volunteers.
We aim for this day to be as inclusive and accessible, let us know if you need guidance or support getting to the farm.
Short Stay
If you live a bit further afield, you might like to swing by and stay over for a few days!?
We are limited on accommodation so in the winter, you might be best advised to come only if you like cold-camping or have a live-in van as an option to stay. In the summer, camping is beautiful here. As a visitor volunteer you can get stuck into our flow and get involved with other happenings in the co-operative, from helping make products to painting signs, and anything in between!
Placement Volunteerships
Hempen’s Placement Volunteerships offer the chance to build and exchange skills in the cooperative and community for an agreed period of time. Volunteers learn and grow both personally and professionally with a structured and meaningful placement plan.
Keep an eye out for volunteering placement updates here or get in touch with to collectively draft a proposal.
Kickstart Scheme
Kickstart is a government initiative specifically aimed to offer young people (16-24) a stepping stone into their chosen sector of work. Updates on kickstart placements will be posted here.
Ready? Set?! Great!
Just fill in this application form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Remember, we want to do all we can to help you fully participate in the cooperative!
Please let us know if you have access needs. Our site is on uneven ground and small paths, we are a small farm with moving machinery, whilst we are improving accessibility we will do what we can to accommodate needs.
Burning Questions?
Most of the information you need can be found in our FAQs here.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or if you’d rather chat directly with our Volunteer Coordinator Sophe, then email us on volunteering@hempen.co.uk
Volunteer Testimonials
Sadia
“We have enjoyed seeing things gradually grow from being a tiny seed to a completely enormous plant and enjoyed the team (Brenda, Sophie, Dan and Tom) who worked really hard with us. It was a real pleasure and they were so helpful.
We also loved how much fun it was watering them and learnt a lot about gardening and top tips to help us.”
Irene
“Growing Solidarity is a project offering land access and resources to asylum seekers
I got involved because I was able to connect with nature and other people especially during lock down.
I enjoyed growing my own green vegetables and I learned a lot about plants.
Also I enjoyed joining the community on Apple Pressing day.”
Brenda
“I have found solace volunteering at Hempen through the warm welcome received on site and the expert knowledge shared from the process of growing hemp and key gardening skills which I have been applying in my own garden.
I enjoy the care given to the volunteers as I am looked after and all the activities which help to engage the soul with nature. I saw the joy from the children planting their very own vegetables into the veg boxes and their excitement for the next delivery of plants. The connection with nature is so vital for the solidarity project, as modern life can feel disconnected from nature.
Every time I volunteer, I feel inspired internally and externally, connecting to the natural world. Each time I come, I look forward to learning and supporting the ethos of the cooperative.”
Ri Nee
“An oasis of the hemp enthusiast, my four day volunteering at Hempen was brief yet colourful and an eye-opener for what they stand for.
May Hempen grow to be the beacon of light for the best hemp producer in the coming future, and my best wishes to all at Hempen.”