Tag: Volunteering

27th March 2017

Family Friendly volunteering in the Gardens

Unplug and Play! Our school holiday programme for families to get outside, together in a safe and creative place. Suddenly the Back Garden grew… to 10acres!

Want to try out your work skills? Why not volunteer with us.

*We’re looking right now for volunteers for February half term, Easter and summer holidays apply now to find out how you can make a difference*

We can help you grow and practice your creative, early years, youth work, woodland and gardening skills.

Storytime, crafts, learning to knit, mud kitchens, land art and wildlife activities, we’ve got them all.

You can have a great time helping young people grow – just few hours will make a difference.

We want young children and their grown-ups to find our Gardens a place to get outside, enjoy making and creating, run around and sometimes just be peaceful.

Can you help us support them?

Families can use the Gardens 7 days a week but on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during school holidays, from 12-3pm, we run extra sessions.

Ways you can help:

Perhaps help us run story time in the Maze?
Help us with simple craft activities – frogs from cardboard tubes, recycling milk cartons into wind catchers?
Be part of the giant recycled knit-knot tent made from strips of material and French knitting ‘ropes’.
Garden alongside our junior gardeners?

You don’t have to be an expert, we can show you how to do things.

As well as the sessions we need people to prepare and tidy up – put away the books and cushions, set out the croquet on the lawn, collect the doodles and pin them to the artline.. gather recycled materials ….

Let us know if you have some time- or know of others who’d like to help out. You don’t need to commit to the whole summer, just a few hours of your time can make a big difference.

Want to know more?

You can: Phone. 0121 749 4100, Email :admin@cbhgt.org.uk

Fill out a form here

Come along to one of our regular Volunteer Open sessions (see event calendar – Fridays), 10am- 12, 3Download a copy of this information (pdf) here : Family Activities volunteering

27th March 2017

Event support volunteers

Do you love making something happen? Want to do something good in your community? Like working with others in a team?

Come and be a part of something which makes people smile and help us run a great programme of public events.

Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Trust is a tiny charity with a big Garden – 10 acres!! We are run by volunteers and rely on volunteers to keep the charity going.

We love to share the space with people and, to help us keep the charity going, we also run over 25 public events and 40 family activity sessions. Our volunteers run a small café and a shop too.

Events range from musical afternoons through outdoor family theatre to 1940s nostalgia and rare plant fairs. Many activities happen at weekends or during school holidays.

Why not come and have fun making it fun for everyone.

What will I be doing?

Depending on the event and your preferences, you may be asked to:

meet and greet visitors and make sure they can find their way about
help set up and clear down the event
help set up signs and flyers to advertise the events in advance
staff the shop or stalls
sell raffle tickets and tell people about membership
take refreshments to other volunteers on the day
help the organisers run a smooth event
help direct traffic safely in the car park

What skills, experience and attributes do I need?

Along with being able to give your time on at least 2 or 3 occasions, we ask that you are

flexible and willing to volunteer outdoors
enthusiastic about what we do and helping at events
willing to work as part of a team
Some tasks might involve physically moving tables, equipment etc…. we can adjust according to your needs – there’s a variety of roles!

If you have specific skills and experience that you think might be useful, such as event management, graphic skills, leading teams, till experience, car parking, first aid – do please let us know when you apply.

But don’t worry, we will provide training and induction as needed – a willingness to help out and to learn the ropes is the main thing .

Want to know more?

You can: Phone. 0121 749 4100, Email: admin@cbhgt.org.uk

Fill out the form on this website here

Or come along to one of our regular Volunteer Open sessions , 10am- 12, 31^st March, 28^th April etc…

Download a copy of this (pdf) here : Events Support volunteering

14th February 2017

Volunteers make the welcome work …

We’re full of Family Fun at half term … Can you help make the best welcome for all to the Gardens?
We are recruiting volunteers to support us deliver fun and friendly craft and outdoor activities next week. (Monday 20th Feb – Friday 24th 11-3.30)
All week children and their grown-ups will explore our 10 acres, discover the mud kitchen, hunt for bugs, make daffodil cards and find signs of spring.
Volunteers can help with everything from showing people round, ensuring signs and maps are ready, showing how to make the crafts. Training and induction is given and you’re always in a team with others.
Our cosy café serves visitors warm drinks and snacks… we always need help there too.
Interested? Contact us for a chat. Phone, message or fill in the form on our website here : volunteer-enquiry form
#wegrowtogether

22nd November 2016

2000 bulbs to plant….

It’s that time of year again. Can you help us out?

Tulips were a ‘really big thing’ for our Gardens’ founders. In the 17th century there was even ‘tulipmania’; massive fortunes were won and lost by enthusiasts and tulip traders.

These days we’re a bit more level headed, but we are mad about the beauty of our spring borders.

Many of our lovely ‘daffs’ come back year after year and naturalise in the orchard and grassy banks. But like tulips, they need renewing every now and then.

This year we have over 2,000 tulips, daffodils and narcissi to plant before the cold frost comes.

Can you help us?

You don’t need to be an expert, just come and join us on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday mornings next week and be part of the planting team. We’ll show you how.

We’ll be planting from 10am – 12.30 . on 29th, 30th November & 1st December. Weather permitting. Warming tea and coffee supplied. Turn up at 10, or contact us in advance.

Plant the little globes full of flower goodness… stand back and wait for a spectacular spring!

PS There will be a lot of kneeling and digging with a hand trowel

5th November 2016

Growing the conversation

Social Media Surgeries: As part of our Heritage Lottery Funded programme to become a more self sustaining charity, we are getting to know our neighbours a bit better.

The Gardens are, people often say, a ‘hidden gem’ and a ‘secret treasure’. That is one of our strengths; a green , quiet and peaceful lacuna within an intensely industrialised landscape. Being a bit hidden away and surrounded by gates and walls can nevertheless be a bit forbidding to many. We’ve been working hard to let people know we are here and that, in fact, we quite like having guests sharing the place.

As well as running more activities and events, for adults and children, we are also inviting our community neighbours, local charities, groups and venues to get into conversation with us. After all, it is people that have always made this great Garden charity work.

We have been working with a group called Podnosh to run Social Media Surgeries. No, its nothing to do with a doctors surgery, they’re hassle free and relaxed sessions where ‘active citizens’ can talk to each other and learn from each other about getting their messages out there and growing their networks…using digital and internet-y things.

Our next surgery is Monday 7th November, from 5- 6.30pm, and we have more starting monthly in February. Our slogan is #wegrowtogether , if you are a local group, charity or are involved in a campaign or social cause, come along, learn, share start the conversation – we’d love to hear.

Podnosh were recently interviewed by a group called Ethos – here is Nick Booth explaining eloquently, why social media surgeries work.

26th October 2016

Digital Volunteers wanted at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

We are looking for volunteers who can help us with the digital side of the gardens – helping us promote our regular programme of activities as well as our special events online.

The role of a digital volunteer will include:

Creating and scheduling posts for our various social media platforms including; Facebook and Twitter.
Assisting in compiling monthly newsletters
Compiling and writing copy for the website

We are looking for someone with experience, but depending on your interests, we can tailor the role to you, and work with you to develop your current social media skills.

This will suit volunteers who might have:

Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communications
Current experience using social media platforms
Ability to work as part of a team and independently
Good computer skills
Proof reading skills
Graphic design knowledge
Ability to multi-task
Enthusiasm!

Ideally we would be looking for someone willing to develop a long term relationship and is able to commit time each week to help us in this role.

Benefits would include:

Access to a great historic garden with a growing event calendar.
Experience working with an active charity.
Ability to develop skills and learn new ones

If this sounds like something you be interested in fill in our quick form and we’ll be in touch to tell you more.

19th October 2016

Social Media Surgery at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

Here at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens we like sharing what we’re up to on our website, facebook page and other social media. We think it’s a great way to connect with our community – and it could be for you too.

That’s why we are hosting the Castle Bromwich Social Media Surgery.

Our staff, volunteers and local partners are offering free social media help to other local voluntary organisations, community groups, charities, clubs and societies in a relaxed, informal setting.

The next surgery is Monday 7th November 5pm – if you or someone in your group would like to come along they can register via the Social Media Surgery website.

You can come along for some support, learn with us and then return for more help, or to give some help to someone else yourself. You can come to as many sessions as you’d like.

Current dates include:

We look forward to seeing you here.