We are a small local charity, entirely reliant on volunteers and donations. Whether you have a lot or a little time to give or a lot or a little money to donate, every little helps.
We have some great volunteering opportunities in the garden, our legal advice service or in the office. Email us with contact details and how you would like to help. Thank you.
We’ll offer you a full induction and training, make sure you won’t be out of pocket with lunch and travel expenses where relevant and you’ll be joining a great team of friendly people!
Garden
Volunteering in the garden
The community garden is always happy to welcome volunteers both on a regular or drop in basis. You do not need to have any previous experience or skills just an interest in getting involved in the garden. You may wish to come along with a friend, alone, or as a corporate group from work, just get in touch and we can arrange it. The jobs that you might find yourself involved in are for the most part seasonally related and could be based in the garden or the greenhouse/yard depending on what needs doing. From late March through the warmer Summer months we are sowing seed and taking cuttings every week.
Seeds would include vegetables and wild flowers while cuttings would be focussed on perennials and shrubs. These young plants and cuttings are used both to improve biodiversity in the garden and offered for sale as a new initiative to raise money for the trust. We have five large compost bins and there is much work maintaining and managing these through the year collecting and using vegetable waste from the market stalls as part of our BAP (biodiversity action plan). We are also creating and maintaining new habitat within the garden, you may have ideas for imaginative ways to take this further.
We can provide you with as much information and support as you may require making your time with us both enjoyable and productive. From growing organic food to making a container garden we can provide you with help and ideas.
This is what some of our garden volunteers say:
“Volunteering at the garden is an amazing experience. I have learnt so much from Stephen about plants and growing. It is a great way to meet new people, be part of a community, and have all the benefits of free vegetables and plants to take home.” – Maddie, September 2021
Legal advice
If you are a trained lawyer and can offer us some time pro bono we’d love to be able to expand the drop-in service.
Hoxton Trust office
Volunteer Receptionist
The Hoxton Trust is looking for volunteers to help staff our reception, in our building on Hoxton Street. Tasks are basic reception duties and administration e.g. opening and closing up, dealing with clients, answering the phone and emails etc. We are a small friendly team and are looking, ideally, for people who can commit to say a 3-hour slot, 1 or more times/week. Perfect for those with child care responsibilities, those who want to get back into work or those who have retired for example.
Key tasks will include:
- Meeting and greeting clients – this will include adding their contact details onto our cloud-based case management system;
- Signposting our legal advice services – we run drop in sessions on Monday and Thursday mornings and take enquiries at all other times;
- Occasional form filling for the legal advice service. This may include blue badge, freedom pass, council tax rebates etc.
- Signposting to support agencies;
- Giving information about how to access our free advice service through local GP surgeries;
- Giving information about what’s going on in the neighbourhood (we have a noticeboard where people put adverts for different activities);
- Dealing with email enquiries;
- Answering the phone and taking messages;
- Giving information about volunteering opportunities;
- Giving plants/compost in return for donations;
- Taking donations;
- Basic administration including making photocopies for some of our legal advice clients when required.
In performing these tasks, we expect you to:
- Deal with our clients, other volunteers and members of staff in a friendly, efficient and courteous manner;
- Abide by Hoxton Trust policies and procedures including our confidentiality, equal opportunities, health and safety and safeguarding policies;
- Let us know in advance if you will be unable to attend your regular slot.
We will need you to volunteer for at least one 3-hour slot anytime between 10am and 5pm, Monday to Thursday, at least once a week. We also want to explore opening at the weekend (Saturday 10pm-4pm and Sunday, in the summer).
Ideally applicants will have some experience of a public-facing role acquired in either a paid or voluntary capacity but this isn’t a must. It’s a reception role so you do need to be:
- Reliable;
- Discreet;
- Highly organised with a common-sense approach;
- Flexible;
- Friendly and able to interact effectively with a diverse group of staff, volunteers and members of the public;
- Computer-literate and familiar with Office 365;
- Prepared to make a regular time commitment;
- Committed to the aims and objectives of The Hoxton Trust.