Volunteering

Gardening can be beneficial for people who are recovering from homelessness.

You would be based at our Margate hostel which has a spacious garden with a vegetable patch, rose bushes and a seated courtyard area.

While maintaining the garden, you'd also encourage our residents to get involved. You can show them how outdoor activities boost mental health while also being someone they can have friendly chats with or talk to about problems they are facing. If residents have ideas for the garden, you can take these to our staff to see if they can be implemented.

This role is perfect for someone who has gardening skills, wants to help others and can spare roughly six hours a week. If you’re passionate about gardening and helping people get to where they want to be in life, we want to hear from you.

What we need from you

• General gardening skills
• A friendly and welcoming demeanour
• Good listening skills and a commitment to confidentiality when dealing with sensitive subjects
• The ability to encourage residents to get involved with gardening
• The ability to health & safety guidelines
• Two references will be required

Application

To apply for this role please download and complete our application form and email it to volunteer@porchlight.org.uk

The benefits of volunteering

You’ll have the chance to develop your skills and gain valuable work experience as part of a friendly team in a reputable charity. As a Porchlight volunteer, you can access any relevant courses in our training programme and you will also receive full travel expenses and be provided with any equipment needed to carry out this role.

Skills you'll gain.

• Caring for and supporting others