I was trying to help a friend of mine who was struggling and I agreed to meet her at the Emmaus Merseyside community garden so we could start volunteering together. She didn’t turn up, but I came to the garden and it has been really beneficial for me to be here.
I started volunteering at the Emmaus garden in 2020 and can’t say I’m knowledgeable on gardening, but I do what I can and have learned a lot. It’s not just the plants that are growing here, it’s me as well. I’ve met really interesting people and it’s increased my knowledge and my contacts.
I don’t mind what I do – brushing up, tidying up – I love the result of that – potting on, planting, and weeding. We all have lunch together and that’s a very social thing because we interact with each other. I come once a week for roughly four hours and I look forward to the interaction. I’ve learned about compost which I found extremely interesting. Also, by spending a lot of time in the fresh air, it helps me to sleep.
A passion for community gardening
I also volunteer at four other gardens, volunteering about six days a week. It keeps me busy, gets me out of the house and is something to get up for. My circle of friends is growing all the time. I don’t have a garden at home and I’m glad, as I wouldn’t have enough time to look after it!
I very much like picking the harvest such as tomatoes, peppers and potatoes, especially if they’re going to feed people in need as it gives me a sense of worth and purpose. All of the gardens I volunteer at are charities and some of the produce goes to other charities. The volunteers are allowed to take home what they need, and nobody takes more than they need.
The thing with a community garden is that if you’re on holiday or not feeling well, you know there are other people there doing the watering, weeding and planting. It’s not wholly your responsibility – it’s shared with everyone else.
The many benefits of volunteering
I know it can be daunting to get the motivation to get up, get out of the house and make the most of your life but honestly, if you can summon up that courage, the pay back is loads, and comes in many different ways.
If you’re thinking about volunteering, just summon up the courage and go do it. You can always walk away if it’s not for you but not many people do that because it’s such a supportive atmosphere. Just put your head above the parapet and see how long it is before you’re wearing a gold crown!
I’ve been able to go to the garden at Tatton and as a volunteer, I went for free. I never thought I’d get anywhere like that, but the opportunities volunteering has provided for me are just immeasurable. You get invited to things, meet other gardening volunteers and learn a lot. I’ve been able to get an RHS qualification from Myerscough College as a result of my giving up time to volunteer within the garden.
What I’d like to get across is how much value volunteering adds to your life – how much you learn, how much your sleep benefits, your appetite – it’s just a totally enhancing experience.