Friends of Wollaton Park (FoWP) offers a diverse range of volunteer opportunities throughout the year. From restoring the historic walled garden, maintaining the elegant formal gardens, habitat conservation, to preserving precious benches and memorials, there’s something for everyone.
We support Wollaton Hall & Deer Park staff with habitat conservation through projects such as lake debris removal and invasive species control. Our tree nursery ensures the long-term succession of the park’s historic canopy, while our dead hedges and wildflower projects provide essential resources for birds and pollinators. Through regular litter picks and ongoing conservation area boundary maintenance, we ensure the park remains a thriving sanctuary for the resident wildlife, including the deer herds.
Even lending a hand with cleaning tasks in Wollaton Hall makes a significant difference!
Volunteering Opportunities
Friends of Wollaton Park collaborate with Wollaton Hall & Deer Park and other organisations to offer numerous volunteering opportunities within Wollaton Hall and Park.
Below is a list of these opportunities. Please use the provided link to express your interest in volunteering.
For corporate or group volunteer sessions, please email Wollaton Hall.
NOTE: Some volunteer opportunities might be full and unable to take on new volunteers right now.
Opportunity | When | Who | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|
Tuesday and Thursday | Wollaton Hall & Deer Park / Walled Garden Project | ||
Saturday | FoWP, supported by Park Rangers | Drop-in sessions. No application necessary. Please go to the advertised meeting point. | |
Last Saturday of the Month | FoWP | Drop-in sessions. No application necessary. Please go to the advertised meeting point. | |
Ad-hoc | FoWP | These sessions are not currently running. | |
Wednesday AM | Wollaton Hall & Deer Park | ||
Saturday AM | Wollaton Hall & Deer Park | ||
Park Conservation Tasks | Occasional Weekdays as advertised by Wollaton Hall & Deer Park | Wollaton Hall & Deer Park | These sessions are not currently running. |
Role dependent | Wollaton Hall & Deer Park | ||
Daily | Wollaton Hall & Deer Park | ||
Ad-hoc | Volunteer Park Rangers | ||
Check with HPS | |||
Check with NIM | |||
Occasional Weekdays as advertised by Wollaton Hall & Deer Park | Saturday AM | ‘parkrun‘ | |
FoWP Committee | Ad-hoc | Assist FoWP in our organisational activities. |
We are pleased to support the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme; please see our FAQ for specific details.
See our Calendar for dates of specific volunteering sessions.
Friends of Wollaton Park does not accept liability for any accident, loss or damage to members or visitors during its advertised activities.
Volunteering News
- Trees for Climate: Update - Planting of 45 meters of new native hedgerow along the wire fence by A.W.Lymns
- Trees for Climate Program - We are thrilled to announce that the Friends of Wollaton Park has been awarded a grant from the Trees for…
- Bark, Bark and More Bark - Today, a team of eight volunteers gathered at our tree nursery to tackle a daunting physical challenge: moving and spreading…
- Tree Nursery - A huge shout-out and big welcome to all our first-time volunteers who joined us in the Tree Nursery Today.
- Expanding the Nursery - Volunteer maintenance of the tree nursery.
The Benefits of Volunteering
- It’s good for your health. Volunteering has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and boost self-esteem. It can also help you stay physically active, especially if you volunteer for activities that involve physical work.
- It gives you a sense of purpose. When you volunteer, you are making a difference in the lives of others. This can give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction that you may not get from other activities.
- It helps you meet new people. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people who share your interests. This can lead to new friendships, professional connections, and even romantic relationships.
- It teaches you new skills. Volunteering can help you learn new skills that you can use in your personal or professional life.
- It strengthens our community. Volunteering helps to build a stronger community by connecting people and providing resources to those in need. When you volunteer, you are helping to make your community a better place for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions…
Volunteering provides many benefits, including the opportunity to connect with nature, meet new people, and develop new skills. It is also a great way to give back to the community and contribute to the preservation of the park’s natural resources.
See the Walled Garden information page for details.
We are happy to support the DofE Award volunteering section. Please contact us to register an interest.
- To fulfil your monthly Duke of Edinburgh volunteering commitment with the Friends of Wollaton Park, you’ll need to combine your time with us with another activity, as we don’t have sessions every week. The Wollaton Park parkrun is one option you might consider.
- Volunteers must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at the first session.
- You must register with us in advance of the first session, providing emergency contact details and any medical conditions we need to be aware of.
- We’re happy to sign your log books, but you’ll need to keep your own records of sessions attended.
- The safety of our young DoE volunteers is our top priority. We require a DBS cleared task leader to supervise all sessions.
Yes! We love seeing young people involved. However, for safeguarding and insurance reasons, anyone under 16 must be directly supervised by their parent or guardian at all times.
Not at all! We provide basic guidance for all our tasks. However, as we are a volunteer-led group, we focus on practical tasks rather than providing formal education.
Wollaton Park is a local nature reserve and a Grade II* listed landscape. Certain tasks require Wollaton Hall & Deer Park staff or specialised contractors for safety and heritage reasons.