Autumn Festival Event Volunteers

We’re recruiting volunteers to help with our Pumpkin Patch!

We’re so excited to announce that our Pumpkin Patch is back again this autumn for produce picking fun on the farm. And due to the huge popularity of the event last year, we’ve added two extra dates for the 2024 harvest event. So with hundreds of visitors expected in October, we need a small army of volunteers to help us make sure the event is a great experience and safe for everyone.

Could you spare some time to help?

We need support in a variety of different areas; from car parking to welcoming visitors on the day, to helping with the trail and craft activities, supporting the pumpkin sales desk and guiding visitors around the site. If you can help for a half day or a whole day, we’d love to hear from you.

If you’re available during the week before the event to help us prepare and set up, or the days after to break down the site, please do get in touch too.

Hours: Half days – 8.30am-1pm or 1pm-4.30pm / Full days 8.30am-4.30pm

Dates: Sunday 13th and 20th October plus half term week from Sunday 27th to Thursday 31st October

Location: Earth Trust, Little Wittenham, Abingdon OX14 4QZ

It’s such a lot of fun, and volunteering is a great way to support the work of Earth Trust.

What do volunteers do at the event?

If you’ve attended one of our special events before, then you’ve already seen our volunteers in action, working closely alongside Earth Trust staff. They can be found demonstrating craft activities, greeting visitors at the entrance, helping in the café, and guiding visitors around the farm and Centre. Beforehand, volunteers help with distributing marketing materials, creating signage and preparing the site.

What will you get out of volunteering?

You’ll get the chance to help at a very busy public event that’s lots of fun! There are a wide range of roles and we always do our best to match volunteers up with tasks that they are happy to do.  In return, volunteers have the opportunity to be part of a friendly and enthusiastic team, and put their skills to good use, or even learn some new ones.

And we always take very good care of our volunteers! Everyone is supported by members of Earth Trust staff on the day, there’s full training and guidance, and of course free refreshments to keep you fuelled for your session with plenty of tea and coffee, biscuits and fruit.

How to apply

Please get in touch with Nicola Williams our Volunteer Officer for more information, just email [email protected]

About Earth Trust
Earth Trust is an environmental charity with 40 years’ experience in caring for and inspiring others with green spaces. We believe that connection to nature can catalyse action to protect the environment, as well as provide vital mental and physical wellbeing benefits for people.

Together with our supporters, Earth Trust is guardian of some extremely special and inspiring places full of nature and heritage. We care for over 500 hectares of woodland, farmland, wildflower meadows and wetlands, which receive 200,000 visits a year.

We use these amazing places to engage and inspire people and to demonstrate nature-based solutions to climate, biodiversity and public health crises, that we hope others will take and use elsewhere. We work to champion access to green space for everyone, to deepen engagement with nature, and to share our learnings about managing land in a way that is gentle on the earth.