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
We run our programmes in three windows that last ten weeks
The first window begins
23rd March and ends on 23rd May
applications close 23rd February
The second window begins
25th May and ends on 1st August
applications close on 25th April
The third window begins
3rd August and ends on 10th October
applications close 3rd July
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.