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.
This is a very flexible opportunity. It would be great if you had general amateur gardening experience, but do get in touch if not and we can find something that works for you. 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. There's also a chance to do some gardening with our members with learning disabilities if you were interested in this.
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.
- Gardening skills; including growing fruit and veg, pruning, mowing lawns, and maintaining ponds
- Adaptability and resilience
- If you garden with people with learning disabilities, you'll develop your communication skills and learn to connect to people beyond just using words
- Also opportunities for formal training such as first aid, sign language, and supporting autistic people
There is no one kind of person who comes to L'Arche London. We are very diverse in terms of ethnicity, nationality, educational background, religion, age, and LGBTQ+ identity. What our members share is an openness to difference, a curiosity about other people, and a desire to build strong friendships. We are also looking for people who are willing to commit to regular volunteering (at least once a month).
It would be great if you have some gardening experience but this is not essential.
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