We’re Recruiting!
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Click here for films and more information about volunteering at Bosavern
**Farm Shop Volunteers wanted**
Our shop is open 10am-5pm Mon-Fri and 1pm-5pm on Saturdays. These can be split into am and pm shifts. Shop volunteers must be clean, reliable, responsible, trustworthy and able to work independently. Full training will be given. For the right candidate this is a great way to gain experience of customer service and till-work but the role can equally suit a more experienced, sociable person. Our shop and markets team are the face of the farm, welcoming new and existing customers, visitors and volunteers alike. We have a fantastic team enjoying this role already on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays but we have vacancies on our rota for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Please complete our volunteering form.
Clerical & Professional Pro-Bono Volunteers / Interns
Not everyone wants to get their hands dirty! There are lots of skilled, desk-based written tasks which need doing to support a community farm. While we have a small team of people who each bring expertise, we could do with building our capacity further. This might suit a recent graduate looking for work experience on their CV, someone who has a few hours to spare every week or perhaps a retired / semi-retired professional looking to keep their skills honed on an ongoing basis. Specifically we need help with:
IT: Help-desk support for staff, Directors & Trustees (esp MS365 / One Drive / Co-Pilot & improving wifi connectivity)
HR: Drawing up and checking contracts
HR: Reviewing policies and procedures (3-4 per quarter) Admin: Careful but simple/repetitive data-entry tasks (weekly, fortnightly or monthly)
Admin: Maintaining supporter database (monthly)
Order organisers: Someone to help Chris and Hugh to organise our veg box orders / labels (Weds pm in office or Thurs in packing shed)
Writers: Collecting & co-ordinating newsletters (1-2 a month)
Writers: Feature articles for lifestyle magazines (quarterly)
Writers: Minute-taking (first Wed of the month 7-9pm)
Writers: Letters to Trusts, Foundations & company sponsors
Finance: Getting quotes and costings ready for bids, market research to check price comparisons for our own shop goods
Finance: Assisting with project management & claims
Photography: Build up your portfolio by helping to generate timely content for our social media each week
All these skills help to develop and deliver our ambitious plans for both people and the planet. We would be very keen to hear from you if you have professional experience. For an informal chat, please call our CDO Katie Kirk on 07946746396 or send us an email outlining your experience and availability katie.kirk@bosaverncommunityfarm.org.uk .
Odd Jobs, Repairs, Maintenance & Construction Volunteers
We are blessed with one fantastic volunteer already who takes good care of a great many things, but with such a large number of people involved in our community farm, so many buildings and structures to maintain, and limited funds, there are many more jobs than can be done by any one person alone. If you are good at fixing things and have skills in odd jobs, carpentry, plumbing, construction, machinery use, decorating etc then we’d be able to find the right role for you. We recognise that different people prefer to work in different ways e.g:
- taking on responsibility for a solo, specialist weekly role at a time which suits you (eg firewood cutter)
- getting stuck into more of a ‘project’ which you can be in charge of delivering from start to finish because you already have the required skills and experience (we would agree a brief, budget & timescale at the outset)
- tinkering with small odd jobs to fix things across the farm, using recycled & reclaimed materials wherever possible
- join a ‘working party’ alongside other skilled tradespeople to jointly take on a refurb project
- join a ‘working party’ alongside willing but less skilled community volunteers e.g. one day a month / quarter
Practical skills are highly valued. Please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you and let us know the types of things you’d prefer to do by completing our volunteering form.
Cleaning volunteer
A clean and tidy environment helps everyone to feel proud of the place and then its more likely everyone will do their bit to keep it clean and tidy. Keeping our food areas clean and hygienic is already our number one top priority, but we would really welcome help with other areas of the farm such as sweeping through our community polytunnel, cleaning windows, keeping our toilet sheds civilised by removing cobwebs, topping up supplies and adding fresh flowers, offices and farmhouse. If you would like to lend a hand at a time to suit you each week, we can offer the social connection rewards of joining the team effort here at this friendly welcoming community farm where practical skills are highly valued by all. We would love to hear from you! Please complete our volunteering form.
Delivery volunteer
We would welcome another member to the deliveries team for either weekly, or occasional cover. Must be over 25 years of age for our insurance cover, with a full, clean driving licence. This popular role entails loading up the van and delivering our fresh, seasonal produce to our loyal customers across Penwith, with a kind word and a cheery smile! Delivery routes are provided. We have markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays that need occassional delivery cover, Friday veg box deliveries, and potentially Wednesday pick-ups also. Please complete our volunteering form.
Picker / Packer (voluntary role)
Thursdays arrive 9:50 for a 10am start. No prior experiences needed, full training will be given. Our half hour morning teabreak at 11am and the shared communal lunch from 1-2pm is a highlight for all! Breaks provide ample opportunity to connect with like-minded people from all walks of life both locally and from elsewhere in the world and we all help to support one another while doing something constructive for the community. Please complete our volunteering form or just turn up for a no-commitment trial session.
Tree Planting & Tree Care (voluntary role)
From the Autumn through until mid Summer we welcome new volunteers to our Tree Group. They meet every Sunday from 2pm and partake in activities such as tree planting, mulching, bramble clearing etc. There are also potentially specialist tasks (bruscutting, mowing, fruit trees etc) on other days for those who prefer solo tasks and can be trusted to take on extra responsibility (see ‘horticulture section below). Please complete our volunteering form.
Chicken Care (voluntary role)
We are keen to hear from anyone who is interested in caring for the chickens, particularly on Wednesdays when activities include egg-collecting, grading, providing feed and water and also mucking-out. Please complete our volunteering form.
Horticulture Volunteers
We have suitable volunteer roles for the experienced and the well-qualified, the teamplayer and the solo-worker.
Tuesday volunteer sessions arrive 9:50 for a 10am start. No prior experiences needed, full training will be given. Every season brings a variety of tasks e.g. ground clearance, bed preparation, sowing, potting on, planting out, watering, structural supports, weeding, mulching, harvesting, pest control, repairs and maintenance. This is a great way to learn more about sustainable food growing and the team spirit is excellent. You will get to meet people from all walks of life; retired professionals, young adults just starting out, people seeking employment, different nationalities – and the shared communal lunch is a highlight for all! Please complete our volunteering form or just turn up for a no-commitment trial session.
If you are willing to help our efforts but would prefer to work independently on a solo mission then we may be able to create a specialist solo role for you. All these suggested roles would be extremely useful e.g.
- Weekly ‘polytunnel potterer’ to sew, prick out, pot on, water in spring and autumn (experience useful but training can be given)
- fruit cage or fruit tree adopter (experience useful but training can be given)
- Summertime onion weeder (no experience required, instruction can be given)
- Winter willow coppicing (experience useful but training can be given)
- Summer mowing of paths / brushcutting carefully around newly planted trees (LANTRA training required)
- Tractor driving & loading of muck to fetch a tractor/trailer load of horse manure to enrich our soil c.3 times a year (existing LANTRA ticket required)
Some of these roles will require you to have LANTRA training for the relevant machinery tickets, but don’t let that be a barrier – let’s talk! Please let us know you interests, availability by completing our volunteering form.
Cookery Sessions (voluntary role)
On Tuesdays and Thursdays Jeremy Cole, our Cookery Tutor, can work with one person at a time to teach you some healthy cookery skills while preparing the communal lunch. No previous experience is required but we would need advance notice to book you in for a block of sessions. If you are interested in this opportunity, please complete our volunteering form.
Employment
We do not currently have any more paid roles to advertise but do keep checking back here. Occasionally we do get grants for fund additional posts for new activity. Click here for our Guidance to Job Applicants to ensure we receive your best possible application