If you would like to help at our care farm, or are interested in any of the specific volunteer opportunities below, please do contact us. You do not have to be outside: it’s helpful to have someone to make a cup of tea and be involved with arts and crafts, let alone other paperwork! We do have an application form for our volunteers and often require you to have a Data Barring Service check.
Here are some of our current Volunteering Role Vacancies:
Supporting young adults with special needs
This volunteer role is mainly outdoors or in barns, all weathers, all year. It requires calm and patient individuals who are able to provide non-judgemental encouragement, be confident alongside farm animals and able to make quick decisions. We are looking for people who can commit to a regular weekly time slot so that our Farm Helpers can be reliably and consistently supported. Experience of this client group is highly desirable, but in-house training will be provided. Nearly all our Farm Helpers bring their own a support worker with them to ensure our safeguarding and risk assessments can be safely met.
Time required: regular 2.5 hours per week (morning or afternoon sessions, to be discussed, either 10am – 1 or 1-3pm)
Overall Commitment: Minimum 6 months
This volunteer role is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.
Outdoor Learning Liaison Champion – 2 hours approx per week
Could you help us expand our offering to local schools, special interest groups and Scout groups? Countryways CIC encourages outdoor learning and we link the curriculum with the seasons, the landscape, animals and nature. There is an opportunity for more schools and other groups to visit us, but we need help in co-ordinating these visits, gathering feedback and widening our reach.
Time required: Approx 2 hours per week and if available, but not essential, more time to help during the visits. 6 months minimum commitment and 18 years+ please.
DBS checks may be required.
Based: Home and on site – Countryways at Road Farm based in Great Missenden.
Livestock Champion
To specifically be able to help with the evening livestock routine. Must have own transport and be respectful and competent with animals (especially goats and donkeys).
Time required: 4 hours per week over 4 days from 4pm (or later depending on season). Could suit a competent BCA Animal management or Agri student or someone who has livestock experience.
DBS checks may be required.
Based: Countryways@Road Farm based in Great Missenden.
Adult Sewing Activity Planner
We’re planning a few more simple activities which young people and those with mental health concerns could be involved in but need someone with sewing interest and ideas for simple, meaningful projects. This could be a short term project to help set us up; we have some existing materials. Requires existing basic machine and hand sewing / crafting skill/confidence.
Food Preservation Champion
We need help with reducing waste from our orchard and we’re planning a few more simple activities which young people could be involved in but need someone with jam/chutney/preservation enthusiasm and expertise they are willing to share. Requires existing skills and preferably a Hygeine certificate (although this can be arranged). We also have a demonstration fruit mill, press and dehydrator, not to mention goat’s milk and honey!
Cleaning Co-Ordinator
We’d appreciate someone to come in once in a while to give an extra clean to the kitchen or toilet area, to check stock of cleaning materials, toilet roll etc and advise on purchase orders.
Time required for ‘Adult Sewing Activity Planner’, ‘Food Preservation Champion’, ‘Cleaning Co-ordintor’: Project based or ad hoc. If you have some time to offer, whether that’s just for a few hours now and again, or a few hours every week, we’d love to hear from you. Time of day of mutual convenience.
Countryways CIC would be very grateful for your financial support to help provide unique, positive opportunities to others of all ages as they journey through learning and personal circumstances.
If you would like to contribute towards our bursary fund to help individuals or enable a specific group to visit, your support would be most welcome. It costs about £40 for an individual’s morning session care visit and £120 group visit.
Whether a one off gift or regular donation, we are thankful that you are enabling this service to run.
Please use the secure “Donate” button or alternatively, post a cheque payable to ‘Countryways CIC’. Address: Countryways CIC, Road Farm, Aylesbury Road, Great Missenden, Bucks. HP16 9LS.
We now hand turn beautiful items from carefully selected wood, most of it grown on the farm and crafted by our Farm Helpers into beautiful Pens, Fancy Pencils, plant dibbers, key rings, door stops. We also use pallet wood to make interesting boxes, Wonderful Wellie Offers and other items. Please email us if you’d like to purchase items.
- Feed the goats for 4 weeks
- pay the farrier for a visit
- vet contingency
- We also have an ongoing need for overalls, wellies and hand hygiene items (soap and towels) together with basic stationary.
- Hand tools are also welcome, as are tea, coffee, white sugar, juice and biscuits!
- Should you be able to provide larger sign-age or publicity sponsorship, we would be delighted to hear from you and gladly include you on our links page.
- Support us by purchasing something from our Current wish list – perhaps you could help us fund one or more items that we are in need of to help with the smooth running of the care farm and our other projects.
Please use the contact form provided or telephone 01494 862413.
A Community Interest Company is a not-for-profit business designed for social enterprises where the assets and profits of a CIC are either permanently retained within the CIC and used solely for community purpose or transferred to another “asset locked” organisation such as another CIC or charity.
Within CIC law, wages must remain within reasonable limits, the company must demonstrate that it operates for community purpose and financial surplus must be reinvested into the company for its community benefits. Any assets owned by the company are “locked” for its community purpose.
Countryways CIC is separate to the working agricultural farm business.
The 2.6 Challenge was launched to help save the UK’s charities in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.