Volunteer
Like a glorious tree, our volunteer family grows larger each year!
We wouldn’t be here today without the dedication and motivation of hundreds of volunteers since our journey began way back in 2015 and are so grateful to all these wonderful people who have helped with the harvests, constructing the polytunnel, planting food in the garden and the day-to-day running of our communal spaces. Without them, Hempen wouldn’t be where it is today!
We host a range of different volunteering opportunities at Hempen so there’s usually something that’s perfect for everyone.
covid-19 update
As a response to the pandemic, we have many additional safety measures in place to protect the wellbeing of our residents, employees and volunteers. For the most up-to-date information about our volunteering – check our facebook page.
You can also take a look at our COVID-19 guidance here.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to email volunteering@hempen.co.uk
Our aim is to offer volunteers the possibility to get involved with our cooperative in ways that are nourishing and empowering. Volunteering is wide-ranging and collaborative, so we hope it can offer people a springboard for good things beyond the farm!
Types of volunteering
We offer regular day visit volunteering opportunities for people living locally, as well as short term, 1-2 weeks, residential volunteering for people living further afield. For the first time this year, we are also offering trainee placements.
Inclusion
Hempen is dedicated to making the volunteering we offer as inclusive as possible. We are working hard to build a space which is open and participatory and are always looking to hear your ideas about how we can make volunteering at the farm an inviting and enjoyable experience for everyone.
If you have any ideas about how we can improve accessibility to the opportunities on offer, let us know!
Community Volunteering
Community Volunteering days run on Tuesdays and offer a regular opportunity for people living locally to volunteer with us at the farm.
There’s a huge range of activities, from gardening to woodwork, cooking to crafts. It’s always exciting to exchange and learn from each other, so we welcome your ideas too!
We want to make volunteering as accessible and enjoyable as possible, so please let us know how we can support you during your time at the farm, or if you need assistance with travel.
*Please note that among our Community Volunteers are people who face barriers to their participation and involvement in volunteering. This might be a language barrier, mental health challenges, migration status, finances, physical wellbeing or something else. We want to support all our volunteers to be sensitive to these differences. You will be asked to do an awareness induction to support you in volunteering in sensitive and empowering ways.
Find out more about Growing Solidarity, a key strand of our Community Volunteering Days here.
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 whilst making a structured and meaningful contribution to the cooperative. The volunteerships are an exchange of skills and experiences for the mutual benefit of both the volunteer and the cooperative.
Keep an eye out for volunteering placement updates here.
Training
Kickstart is a government initiative specifically aimed to offer young people (16-24) a stepping stone into their chosen sector of work.
Hempen is excited to be offering 3 distinct Kickstart training opportunities this Spring. We hope the placements will give the successful applicants the opportunity to deep-dive into a worker cooperative and develop skills that can be used with us and beyond!
Updates on 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. We will do what we can to accommodate!
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 coordinators Tom and Sophe, then send us an email over to 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.”
