Holly Hagg is run entirely by volunteers – we wouldn’t be here without the efforts of our wonderful community. We welcome new volunteers and have roles to suit all levels of experience, please see the information below to find the best fit for you then get in touch to let us know you are interested.

Please note, all children under 14 need to be accompanied by an adult, and if you are under 18 or on a placement you will need to complete a consent form. Unfortunately our site is unsuitable for people with mobility issues as the land is steep and uneven in places.

Gloves, tools and training are provided, but please bring your own refreshments as we have no mains water, electricity or gas on the field. We do have soap and water hand wash stations and a waterless composting toilet. Please wear sturdy shoes, old clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and bring rainwear and suncream depending on the weather.

Weekly drop-in sessions

We hold drop-in volunteer sessions every Wednesday and Saturday from 2pm to 4.30pm. In these sessions we take care of the animals, look after the land and tend the vegetable garden. You can expect to join in with jobs such as planting and harvesting, composting, weeding, feeding the animals, cleaning out the ducks and chickens and scooping alpaca poo off the meadows. Training is given along the way and there are lots of opportunites to learn about permaculture principles, animal care and organic gardening.

Our drop-in sessions are open to all – individuals, families and small groups. You do not need to have any previous experience and it does not have to be a long term commitment – it helps to know when you are coming but you are free to come just when you can. There is no need to book a place and you can start at any time of the year, just send us an email letting us know your name, phone number and what days you expect to be coming.

Group volunteering sessions

We’re always delighted to have volunteering teams come along and get stuck in! We welcome University societies, office away-days and other community groups coming to help us out. If your group is around 8 people or fewer you can simply join a drop-in session on a Wednesday or Saturday from 2pm to 4.30pm – but please do let us know that you are coming so we can organise appropriate tasks for your group. If your group is larger than 8 people – or a full day volunteering session would be more suitable (from 10am to 4pm) we can arrange a special group session for you on a Tuesday or a Friday. For group enquiries please send an email to [email protected] letting us know the approximate size and capabilities of your group and some dates that you might be available and we will do our best to find a suitable date and project to suit your team.

Trek guides

Being a trek guide requires committment and training but is very popular and rewarding. Trek guides work as part of a team of 3 to 4 and get to work much more closely with the alpacas. There is the fun of taking people trekking, but also opportunities for helping with events like local fairs, and helping with youth groups visiting in the summer evenings to meet the animals. You do not need any prior experience to apply to be a trek guide but we are looking for people who can follow instructions carefully, are able to arrive on time and are fully committed to honoring any arrangements they have agreed to. 

Training is given while shadowing guides on two treks on two separate days. Once training is complete, trek guides usually volunteer to help with about 2 treks a month, according to your choice and availability. The guides arrive 30 minutes before the trek starts and are needed for about 2.5 hours per trek. Treks run on the following days:

Saturday 11am (all year)
Sunday 11am (all year)
Sunday 1.30pm (March to December)
Wednesday 11am (April to October)
Tuesday 6.30pm (May to August)

Animal feeders

Our animals are fed daily by a team of volunteers on a rota. We have pigs, ducks, chickens, sheep, alpacas, and Jefe the llama. It’s a great opportunity to get some time out with the animals and form a bond with them. Being an animal feeder requires a commitment of at least to 30 minutes to 1 hour, once a fortnight. You can feed alone, in pairs or as a small group. You must be committed to making sure the animals are fed and good at communicating with the team – but there is a bit of flexibility as there are backups are available for the times you can’t make it and you don’t have to feed the animals at an exact time. This is a medium to long-term committment that can’t be done on an ad hoc basis. We prefer feeders to be 18 or over and locally based, but you are welcome to bring your children, sign up as a family or work in parent-teenager pairs if you want to introduce your teens to voluntary work whilst they might still want a bit of support now and then. If you are interested please send an email to [email protected] to let us know a bit about you and we will try to match you up with a feeding slot as soon as one becomes available.