L'Arche London
We're L'Arche, an international movement of communities for people with and without learning disabilities. L'Arche London, based in West Norwood, is made up of about 100 people with and without learning disabilities, some of whom live in our community houses and others who participate in our workshops or drama group. Joy, openness, and relationship is at the heart of our shared…
Description
Help maintain our community gardens and kitchen garden in West Norwood and West Dulwich. We are looking for gardeners to help maintain our gardens. We are a community in West Norwood and West Dulwich made up of several houses of people with and without learning disabilities living together. Several of these houses have medium-sized gardens that need maintaining (mowing the lawn, weeding, pruning). We also have a garden workshop with a greenhouse, raised beds, and lots of fruit and vegetables growing.
Allotments in London have an average waiting list of over two years, so this is a great way to get your hands dirty and grow some veg! You would be welcome to take some of what you grew home.
This is also a great way to join a fun community and make friends with people who see the world differently to you.
Duties
General gardening maintenance (mowing lawns, weeding).
Growing fruit and vegetables (fruit trees, raised beds, greenhouse).
Garden development projects (like landscaping) if this is something you were interested in.
There's also a chance to do some gardening with our members with learning disabilities if you were interested in this.
Who will the volunteers be working with?
The volunteers will be supported by the Volunteer Coordinator but on a day to day basis they will work with the members with learning disabilities and the assistants who support our members.
Training
All volunteers receive a foundational level of training in health and safety and accompanying people with learning disabilities. There will be opportunities to receive additional training in first aid, sign language, autism, and health and safety.
This is a very flexible opportunity. It might be that you want to come once a month for an hour to mow a lawn, and that would be greatly appreciated. Or you might make a more regular commitment to come and spend a half day a week in the garden workshop. We can discuss what would work for you.
