Spring is the Time to Garden

The weather’s warming up, it feels like spring – and it could be the perfect time to get out in the fresh air and enjoy gardening.

If you don’t have a garden, yours is already lovely and tidy, or you just get pleasure from gardening, why not help a local community group, charity or school? There are dozens of volunteer gardening opportunities across South Bedfordshire.

Most organisations aren’t looking for experts; they just want willing helpers who enjoy gardening or being outside. Typical tasks include watering, weeding, sowing seeds, planting on seedlings, grass cutting, and pruning or hedge trimming.

Gardening-related opportunities are usually time flexible, so days and hours can be arranged to suit volunteers. Even if you work shifts, there should a role that matches your availability.

Bedfordshire and Luton Mind needs a volunteer Courtyard Gardener at its Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable sites. The organisation wants people to look after the plant tubs that provide a welcome splash of colour and also if possible, to grow a few plants for use in their kitchen..

In Houghton Regis, the Tithe Farm Neighbourhood Centre is looking for volunteer Gardeners and Vegetable Gardeners. These are both ideal opportunities to spend time nurturing and developing a local garden or vegetable garden, to meet new people, gain experience and (where appropriate) to gain nationally-recognised qualifications if desired.

An enthusiastic gardener is sought by The Mayday Trust in Leighton Buzzard to help residents run their gardening club. The trust would like the volunteer to pass on their enthusiasm and experience and help extend the produce grown in their allotment and used in the cookery club.

There are also several schools in the area that would like people to assist in the upkeep of their grounds. Frequently, if volunteers want, they can become more involved with the children, through lunchtime or after-school gardening clubs and similar.To find out more about these or other volunteering opportunities in your local area, contact Lucy, Rebecca or Janet at the Volunteer Centre South Bedfordshire, tel. 01525 850559.