If working at a care farm with people, animals and surrounded by breath-taking countryside is your thing, then read on!

We are looking for 2 more talented Director’s to help lead us and take us forward. To apply for the director role(s) please email Wendy, at office.rfcountryways@gmail.com with your cover letter and CV.

Director – Voluntary role x 2
Responsibilities and Duties

  • Strategic Direction: Define and drive Countryways CICs mission, vision, and strategic goals.
  • Legal Compliance: Ensure Countryways CIC acts within its governing document, charity law, and relevant regulations.
  • Financial Oversight: Oversee financial management to ensure resources are used effectively.
  • Public Benefit: Ensure Countryways CICs activities further the enterprises aims.
  • Governance & Risk: Manage risks, uphold policies, and monitor performance.
  • Support & Challenge: Provide guidance, support, and constructive challenge to other trustees and chair.

Person Specification (Required Skills and Attributes)

  • Commitment: Dedication to Countryways CICs mission and ability to attend meetings (approx 5 board meetings per year, and AGM), potentially other subcommittee project meetings, and time reviewing papers and preparation in advance of meetings.
  • Strategic Thinking: Ability to analyse information, think strategically, and make sound decisions.
  • Integrity: High ethical standards, including objectivity and a willingness to avoid conflicts of interest.
  • Collaboration: Working effectively as part of a diverse team.
  • Specialist Skills: We would especially welcome people with experience in education, health, fundraising and HR
  • Common Time Commitment
    Trustees usually attend quarterly or monthly board meetings, plus an annual AGM, along with reviewing papers and potentially acting in subcommittee roles.

Remuneration: This is a voluntary, unpaid position.

Other Volunteer Roles available:

We would love to hear from you, or someone you may know, who could give us 2-4 hours per week of their time to help in one of these important positions which will ensure the future and running of Countryways. Please get in touch by emailing Amina at vols.rfcountryways@gmail.com if you would like details of any of these specific roles.

Care Farm Support Worker (Volunteer post)
We are seeking an experienced person to support young adults with special needs to attend Countryways CIC weekly and participate in real life farm experiences and learning. In this role, you will be positively supporting young adults (and their key workers) in undertaking activities on the farm.
This post would ideally suit someone with a background or interest in working with people with special educational needs; previous experience in an educational or care setting, and/or prior knowledge of occupational therapy, physiotherapy or speech therapy.

Fundraiser (Volunteer post, ad hoc) – We are looking for someone to help create successful grant applications and grow our donor base. Your fundraising activities could help us thrive and make our long term growth sustainable as we embark on our next 10 year plan.

Garden Care (Volunteer post, ad hoc) – Do you have the time and knowledge to offer practical help watering our polytunnel and orchard stock? We would love to hear from you if you do!

Skills Support Mentor (Volunteer post, ad hoc) – Help build educational programmes for our care farm delivery so that we can expand our offering to our service users, for example countryside crafts, woodwork and other practical skills. And provide practical support in our woodwork shop working alongside our care farm manager Duncan, and our farm helpers who attend.

Disability Networks/ Visits Link (Volunteer post, ad hoc) – We are looking for someone to raise our profile within disability networks and educational institutions. You will be a great networker and communicator who can help identify new customer groups and service users who may benefit from the services at Countryways.

General role requirements

  • Over 18s
  • Some roles require DBS checks
If any of these aren’t quite right for you, there are a number of other ways you can help as a volunteer. Other volunteer opportunities include:
  • Cleaning (of core facilities such as the kitchen, meeting room, toilets)
  • Helping at specific events, such as Open Farm Sunday or school visits
  • Or if you have skills that may be of interest, get in touch. Our job list above isn’t exhaustive! We welcome speculative enquiries for volunteering.
Please get in touch and have a chat with or Amina, who coordinates our team of volunteers on 01494 862 413 or by email vols.rfcountryways@gmail.com

 

About us

Countryways is a care farm, based on a working mixed arable and livestock farm, outside Great Missenden who supports people of all ages and stages with additional needs, mental, physical health challenges, isolation, schools and special interest groups. We deliver over 480 special individual sessions and over 50 educational group and school visits annually, linking sustainable farming, food and nature. We provide active and meaningful opportunities for our community, especially those with a range of disabilities, to engage with the countryside, interact with farm animals and nature, to nurture life skills and promote wellness.