Get Involved

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Volunteering and getting involved

Harvest couldn’t happen without volunteers, and there are several ways you could get involved:

• Volunteer Growing Champions support new growers in a variety of ways. You could mentor a group of new growers, help set up a community garden or talk to growers at a Harvest event such as Seedy Sunday. You don’t need to have tons of experience, just be passionate about growing food – and want to pass your enthusiasm on to others!

• City Fruit Harvest Volunteers are needed to make this new project a roaring success in Exeter. We’re looking for people to pick, deliver and process fruit; help with publicity; liaise with recipient organisations; organise logistics and speak to tree owners; take photos and record the project… and more! Click [here] to find out more about City Fruit Harvest.

• Allotment Volunteers are needed to look after our new allotment site as part of a small team. We will be using the plot to deliver a series of “How to… ” workshops in 2011/2012, and need some help maintaining the site in between sessions. You will also help raise plants for our community growing projects – and of course get to keep some of the harvest yourself!

• Events Volunteers help to plan and run events to celebrate our achievements. Contact us to find out what’s in the pipeline, and how you can help make it happen!

• Volunteer Drivers are often needed to help move equipment around our various sites, or to help set up gazebos and tables at our regular events. If you’d be happy to do some driving – and be paid your mileage costs of course! – then please let us know.

For more information about any of the above opportunities, contact Harvest Project Workers Andi or Ellie on 01392 205800 or email andit@eci.org.uk or ellie@eci.org.uk.

Volunteer Stories

Harvest currently has over 30 people signed up as volunteers. They get involved in a variety of ways, some helping on a weekly basis, others joining in from time to time when extra hands are needed. There are plenty more opportunities for anyone who has a passion for food growing that they would like to share with others – to find out more contact the Harvest Team.

Below are some of the things our volunteers have been involved in.

Harvest Project – Chestnut Children’s Centre

At the Chestnut Children’s Centre in Wonford I have been working with a group of families developing a piece of land to grow vegetables. It is a great project to be involved with, to take a piece of empty grass and to watch it turn in to a productive growing space. Most of the families have never grown any food before and it’s wonderful to see their enthusiasm. It’s so fantastic to see the little ones enjoy planting seeds and watering the plants. Hopefully I am passing on my passion for growing things.

Rachel Gillmore
 

Permaculture Project at the NBI Pub

After all our planning, training and design meetings it was time to start work. On a fine April Sunday afternoon we all met in the courtyard garden of the pub. We set about clearing the overgrown areas, emptying and replanting the pots and containers. We put all the plants left over in small containers to be sold inside the bar to raise funds for the project. It was good to see the results when people work for a common purpose.

Since then we have been several times to do some more work on the garden but the best thing is just to come and sit and enjoy the community garden in one of the best and friendliest pubs in the city.

Greg Hayes

Forest School at Countess Wear Primary School

In forest school i have been helping with year 6. We have been working out in the community doing gardening. Some of the things we have done:

• laying  slabs to make a path
• make a compost bin
• clearing the boarders of weeds
• put flowers and bulbs in the borders
• making a veg patch and growing potatoes, beans,onions,carrotts
• making bird tables
• planting wild flower patches to attract bees butterflies etc.

In forest  school the children grow their own veg then they cook what they have gown for snack time
The children have They learn all about nature. They like working in teams and learning new stuff. They like to see from sowing the seeds, watching it grow, looking after it  then harvesting and eating it.

The children enjoy forest school and working with their hands and they have fun.

Belinda Eaton