If you’d like to volunteer at Hawkwood Community Plant Nursery, Organiclea’s growing site,  please email jo@organiclea.org.uk or call 020 8524 4994.

Volunteer days

• We hold open work days once a month on the last Sunday of the month 12pm – 4pm. Just show up and join in.

• Regular volunteer days are Wednesdays and Fridays 11am-4pm, and Tuesday afternoons 1.30-4pm.
• Volunteer start dates take place on the 1st Wednesday and 3rd Friday of every month.

Volunteer induction dates for Spring/Summer 2013 are:   Friday 17th May,  Wednesday 5th June, Friday 21st June, Wednesday 3rd July, Friday 19th July, Wednesday 7th August and Friday 16th August. All inductions start at 11am.

The site has indoor space but please dress for the outdoors and bring a packed lunch (except Wednesdays).

How to get here.

Current volunteer roles at Hawkwood Nursery:

• Horticultural Assistant: help us grow fruit and vegetables and learn about organic food production
• Veg Packers: Wednesdays only, join a team of veg box packers who play a vital role in getting local food delivered around the borough
• Cooks: Wednesday mornings only, help to prepare shared lunch of local, organic ingredients for all volunteers
• Harvest hands: Tuesday mornings, support our weekly harvest of salad and other seasonal fruit and veg
• Stall volunteers: talk to customers and help us sell our produce

• Horticultural Assistant

There is always a range of seasonal activities to do, both in the glasshouse and outside, some more energetic (lifting, shovelling) than others (seed sowing, harvesting). On Fridays we focus our attentions on fruit, on Wednesdays we turn out attention to vegetable production and harvesting.

Wednesdays 11am-4pm, Fridays 11am-4pm and Tuesdays 1.30-4.30pm. If you are interested in getting involved in growing food at Hawkwood please email jo@organiclea.org.uk or call 020 8524 4994.

• Veg Box Packers

Every Wednesday a team of volunteers helps us to pack local, organic veg bags for box scheme customers all over Waltham Forest. Volunteers  weigh and sort fruit and veg and put them in bags. This role is suitable for volunteers with a wide range of physical abilities.

Wednesdays 10.30am-3pm. If you are interested in the veg box scheme please email jo@organiclea.org.uk or call 020 8524 4994.

• Cooks

On Wednesdays we sit down to a shared lunch together. Volunteer cooks, led by a Cooking Teacher, help to prepare a healthy, vegetarian lunch using ingredients harvested from our site, or from other local growers.

Wednesdays 11am-2pm. If you are interested in joining the cooking team and learning about cooking with seasonal food please contact jo@organiclea.org.uk or call 020 8524 4994.

• Harvest Hands
  

If you love a good salad pack and have a desire to learn more about the process of harvesting and preparing produce for market you could join the Tuesday harvest team. Volunteers put their hands to harvesting, weighing, quality control and packing of produce. Harvest hands can expect to take home a bag of produce every week and be involved in focused gardening activity after the harvesting is completed.

Tuesdays 11am-4pm. If you are interested in joining a team of regular and reliable Harvest Hands contact jo@organiclea.org.uk or call 020 8524 4994

• Stall Volunteers

Help out on our Saturday market stall outside the Hornbeam Cafe in Walthamstow. Talk to customers, learn about the produce and gain customer services skills. Volunteers commit to a monthly shift on the stall or provide occasional cover  as needed. During their shift volunteers get a free lunch at the Hornbeam Cafe and a 20% discount on their shopping at the stall. To find out more about helping on the stall please contact jo@organiclea.org.uk or call 020 8524 4994.