Volunteer Gardening
suecopestake
Posts: 7
I recently started my own gardening service business providing local people with most gardening jobs that they either can no longer manage themselves due to age, health, busy lives or simply not knowing enough and not being confident enough to garden. I am also very fortunate to have a full book of customers but sadly this means that I am turning new customers away (putting them on a waiting list). I am regularly being contacted by elderly and disabled people who long for help with their garden. At present the only charity that I know of that provides a voluntary gardening service is Age UK. A disabled lady too young for Age UK services contacted me and I was not able to recommend any charity for her. How many charities out there in the uk offer gardening services, just simple things like cutting the grass and a bit of weeding, pruning etc? And I mean proper weeding, not just pushing a hoe around.
Posts
Have a look here ...https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/what-we-do/projects/
The assisted gardening scheme may be of help to some if there's a scheme in their area.
Last edited: 28 February 2018 11:51:07
In South Northants there's another scheme https://do-it.org/opportunities/63692c58-3514-40b7-9b05-1314ef470ab2
and there's this one https://www.groundwork.org.uk/Sites/east/pages/green-aiders-herts-beds-and-cambs in Herts, Beds, Cambs and Essex.
Local authorities should be aware of other schemes ... people can phone their local council Customer Services number for information.
I suppose it depends where you are but some rural places have a "Village Agent" - usually someone acting on a P/T basis - who tries to get help for elderly/disabled/WHY. Some may include some sort of gardening service - always worth looking into if you live in that sort of location.