I’ve been volunteering as a gardener at Emmaus Cambridge for the last five years, working on the grounds and gardens and in the three greenhouses.
I usually work on Wednesdays and Fridays, unless I’m away on a UK coach holiday or a foreign holiday. I recently returned from a week’s holiday in Croatia which was beautiful.
The decision for me to volunteer in the gardens was my wife Carol’s idea, as I was getting on her nerves being at home seven days of the week since retirement!
It was definitely the best decision as I’ve learnt a lot from the experience, having not been an experienced gardener beforehand.
Happy team
The work is never the same and is always varied and rewarding as we are always being complemented on our gardens, vegetable production and our range of fruit trees and grape vines.
The gardening team under the direction of John Baker, is a very friendly and happy team. Since I’ve volunteered with the gardening team, it is with great pride that the grounds and gardens appear to get better each year.
We are always happy to exchange knowledge and have chats with the customers and look forward to seeing the fruits of our labours every year.
A green education for local school children
On a Wednesday during term-time we have the assistance of three to four children from Castle School, a special education school in Cambridge, whose pupils eagerly look forward to assisting us with various jobs.
These include the constant weeding of the gravel paths, watering plants in the raised bed and keeping the site tidy for visitors and the general public.
By being a volunteer at Emmaus Cambridge, not only am I making a difference to the community, but to my own wellbeing and health, because each day I volunteer I’m giving something back.