Volunteering at On The Hill

Your Experience

Our residential volunteering programme runs from April through to October, this is for people who are interested in the land based educational work of On the Hill and those that are keen to learn about the regenerative farming model here at Oxen Park Farm. We consider that everything that needs to be done here on the farm offers a learning opportunity. Our philosophy is to engage people in meaningful activity in service to the land, self, community, and the future. We would love to hear from you if you are keen to participate in the activities and general everyday life of our seasonal community at the farm. Every aspect of life here requires full engagement with the transient community, living, working, and playing here at Oxen Park Farm.

 There is an opportunity to find a sense of home both on the land and with the people who are living here. This model is core to our values as an organisation. As a volunteer here you will be encouraged to bring your gifts and skills whilst being held by a plethora of highly skilled people who form part of the project. As a volunteer here you will also be involved in the upkeep of the site infrastructure this might look like preparing spaces for programmes or helping out with a building project.

On the Hill is based on an organic and regenerative farm. One of our key intentions, is to bring people back into relationship with the land. Therefore, we are not only interested in seeking applicants who are curious about working with young people, we are also keen to hear from people who are interested in farm to table cookery, environmental initiatives, developing hedgerows, water -harvesting systems, agroforestry and much more.

Outside of running programs for young people, your day will start at 9:00 and finish at 5:00pm with an hour for lunch and a mid-morning tea break. Ideally you will have your own accommodation (tent, caravan or van). However, if this is not possible, we may have availability in an onsite caravan.

A Volunteers Experience

  • The various teams I have worked in during the season have all been super lovely, collaborative and supportive and there has always been a space for a check-in and a responsiveness towards the different needs that were alive. Thank you so much for co-creating what has come to life on this land in the last seven years. It has been a very transformative time for me personally and I love knowing that this work is done by all of you with all your heart and care and love.
  • I loved receiving the space for experimenting with facilitating sessions in the garden, on felting and woodchopping and doing some of the cooking. Within all of this it has been such a joy and honor to accompany the young people through their experience and to be of service to their needs as well as to the needs of the land and its community. As a facilitator I have felt encouraged to be creative, to bring myself authentically, to meet my edges and explore the creation of a safe container for the individual sessions.
  • The regular check-ins every week and spaces to voice any needs, questions, suggestions and bring offerings for the community felt very supportive to the overall experience of being in community. Next to being with wonderful people I also feel so appreciative to have had the chance to live on this gorgeous bit of land, to get to know it deeper during the course of the season and appreciate the simplicity of this kind of life so close to the weather and the seasons.
  • Volunteer, 2024
    My time as a volunteer at On The Hill has been incredibly special. I have left feeling at home on the farm and being with family and my heart feels deeply grateful for all the support, encouragement, love and care I have received.
    Volunteer, 2024

We run our programmes in three windows that last ten weeks

Applications close for each window a month before the program begins

Application Closes

Shortlisting and Zoom calls

Invited to the farm to begin the programme

Programme finishes

The first week of the programme will be an induction week, where you will be familiarising yourself with the land, kitchen and garden spaces and the people. After this, you will meet with our team for an initial review. From then on, we encourage open and honest dialogue whilst you are living with us, and to this end if you or our team feel it necessary to discuss any challenges as they arise, it is important that we do so.

Part of what will be on offer whilst on a volunteering program here is our weekly choir, community check-in and community meeting. On a working day we take it in turns to cook and prepare lunches. This is our one communal meal together. It is then up to individuals onsite to cook and prepare morning and evening meals as and when they desire. There is a bountiful larder full of organic wholefoods and vegetables from the farm, which you will have access to.

Applications

What We Offer

The chance to live in community

A well-equipped, comfortable caravan with a wood burner to live in

Basic store cupboard foods and fresh vegetables (worth at least £40 p/w)

Weekly community meetings

Use of community kitchen and dining area

Compost toilets and hot showers on site

Weekly community choir

The Expectation

4 days a week 8.45am - 5.00pm
Generally Monday - Thursday

However, the nature of the programmes we run mean that keeping a regular 9-5 schedule is not possible. When the circumstances require, we are looking for people to go that extra step further. This is fundamental to living in community, playing your part in the running of the programmes and the farm.