Volunteering at The Bressingham Gardens
Give the gift of your time, skills and dedication
We would love to have you in our team!
The Bressingham Gardens are accepting applications from volunteers for Garden Maintenance, Carpentry and general maintenance, flower arranging, propagation, administration.
Please download the form HERE to fill in and email back to penny@bressinghamgardens.com if you are interested in applying to join our Garden Maintenance Volunteer Team.
If you prefer to have a phone chat, please call 0496759785
Below is an overview of the positions, but please do get in touch if you have questions or would like to help but are not sure if you tick the boxes – if there is willingness and passion we can certainly find a way together!
Garden Maintenance
Bressingham Gardens Maintenance Volunteers help maintain the gardens in their top condition. Volunteers will work outside from April through October. With staff supervision, volunteers will weed, prune and deadhead, water and put the garden to bed, for more experienced volunteers more opportunities will arise like preparing beds, propagating plants and lead guided visits of the gardens. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
What do The Bressingham Gardens expect from me?
This position is for volunteers interested in performing general gardening practices outdoors who are enthusiastic about plants, communicate well with staff and the public, and don’t mind repetitive tasks like weeding (sometimes for extended periods of time).
Volunteers should be willing and able to:
– Commit for at least 3 months (we do occasionally have special short term projects for 3-4 weeks, please do get in touch)
– Perform general gardening chores including weeding, deadheading, watering, pruning and planting.
– Take instruction from the staff and be able to work independently or as part of a team
– Work in hot weather
– Stoop and bend
– Answer occasional visitor inquiries about the gardens and plants
– a willingness to identify plants or learn plant identification skills (not necessary but a bonus)
General Maintenance: What is needed?
– Assistance with Basic carpentry, painting and decorating, plumbing, small repairs and general upkeep of our beloved historical buildings.
Flower arranging: What is needed?
– Help with cutting, drying and arranging fresh flowers from the gardens and nursery to decorate the beautiful Georgian Mansion rooms as part of a small team under supervision from our Creative staff
– Help with foraging and preparing materials for floristry workshops
Digital archivist: What is needed?
– Help with sorting and archiving over 80K digital images of plants and gardens
What can I expect from The Bressingham Gardens?
– A welcoming and enjoyable experience
– To be treated fairly and with respect
– Recognition and appreciation for your contribution
– The opportunity to be part of the success in one of the most beautiful English Gardens (as rated by Carol Klein on her 2021 Program on Channel 5)
– Working in a small group of like minded friendly people who love plants and being outdoors
– A volunteer pass allowing free entry to The Bressingham Gardens for one year (during the open season) is available on completion of 60 hours.
– The Bressingham Gardens Volunteer T-shirt on completion of 120 hours.
– A certificate to demonstrate work carried out for The Bressingham Gardens is available on request to show future employers or further education providers.
Schedule
Applicants must commit to contributing at least 3-6 hours per week from April through October. Shifts start times are 9 am and 1 pm Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. There are no weekend or evening opportunities available for this volunteer position.
How to find us
The Bressingham Gardens lay to the west of Bressingham Garden Centre and Bressingham Steam Museum, both of which have ample car parks, although on very busy holiday weekends or event days an additional car park will be open, entry west of Bressingham Church.
The Gardens lie south of the A1066 road, 2.5 miles west of Diss, 14 miles east of Thetford.