At Hawkwood, there are many opportunities to make a difference and helping out can be an opportunity to make new friends, have fun, gain new skills, keep busy and active, gain work experience and give something back to the community,
We need help in the garden, at evening talks and films and at our festivals and public events. Sometimes we host a special volunteer event to refurbish our place, so maintenance and other skills can be useful. Contact us for more information.
A regular group of volunteers joins us on Friday morning 10am-1pm in the garden. The age range is 27-72 years and about two thirds women, one third men. Many are in a phase of change in their life, perhaps new to Stroud, wanting to connect with Hawkwood, or seeking a new direction. All abilities are welcome, although it’s necessary to be in a reasonably good state of health to manage outdoor tasks.
Work might be anywhere in the 20 acres around the buildings in the walled garden, polytunnel, woodland, flower, herb and vegetable beds, round the ponds & wetlands. We call it our “green gym” as movements include bending, lifting, digging, carrying, sawing, sweeping and so on. Weeding, planting out and harvesting flowers are also on the menu!
Bernard Jarman, head gardener, leads the team. Everyone is welcome and we enjoy a nice coffee break and chat, with home-made biscuits during the shift. We just ask you to bring your own work gear and we provide tools and equipment.
To express your interest in any of the opportunities please register your information via the link below and if you can’t find anything that’s quite right for you, don’t worry – just contact us to let us know if you have any specific skills or are simply unsure about what you want to do. Email us or call 01453 759 034.
Our course brochure and other publicity materials are the main ways of advertising our events at Hawkwood and we are dependent on its wide circulation in order for it to be effective. This is where we need support to get our publicity out and about to the places where communities will see it such as pubs, shops, community centres, laundrettes, doctors’ surgeries, ensuring our brochure is available in as many outlets as possible.
We occasionally hold work weeks, an opportunity to come and stay at Hawkwood for people with an interest in supporting the maintenance of our building. Tasks include painting, working in the garden, or undertaking special projects. Full board and lodging is provided in exchange for your support.
We regularly seek support for evening concerts, talks and films – we might need an extra hand on the welcome/ticket desk, or with café at the interval or ushering, setting up and clearing up.
A wonderful fundraising event for our local community on the first May Bank Holiday every year – we welcome around 1,000 people. Tasks include helping with our café, car parking, supporting our welcome desk and more.
We believe in supporting people in the workplace by offering short work experience placements in our busy office. Please send a CV and outline your interest to info@hawkwoodcollege.co.uk.
© 2024 Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking | Hawkwood College, Painswick Old Road, Stroud, GL6 7QW
Charity number: 311767 | Company number: 599678
