Volunteer

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with the developments at Houghton Hall Park and we welcome all abilities and ages to join our Friends of Houghton Hall Park to make a difference in the local community whilst learning new skills, making friends and creating a more enjoyable space for park users.

Our Friends of Houghton Hall Park won the Volunteer Group of the Year award in the Central Bedfordshire Council's Cheering Volunteering 2018 awards ceremony held on 5th June 2018, a very well deserved award for a hard working group of dedicated, enthusiastic and lovely individuals, who are always looking for more friends to share the workload. We hope there is an opportunity below that is of interest to you, if you have any questions please get in touch by emailing hhp@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk and speaking to a member of the Houghton Hall Park team for more information.

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Youth Ranger Programme

Are you aged between 13 and 18? Do you want to gain new skills and experience in conservation, horticulture, event management and site maintenance? Do you want to gain work experience to put on your CV, on your university application, or for you DofE volunteering?

Come along and join Houghton Hall Park’s Youth Ranger Programme, Running every other Wednesday 4:30-6:30 from the 1st March to 25th October (22 weeks of volunteering.)

If you want to get involved there are a few things we will need to do:-

  • A parent or guardian will need to fill out the permission form.
  • You will need to make sure you have clothes that you don’t mind getting messy (not your best clothes) and also some strong shoes such as walking boots or trainers.
  • You will need to come prepared for the weather so throughout the programme this could mean a woolly hat and gloves, a waterproof coat or maybe a sun hat and sun cream.
  • It is also a good idea to bring along a drink and a snack.


If you would like to join, learn more about the programme or have any questions please email our Community Ranger: eleanor.evans@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Monthly Conservation Tasks

Every month, our Community Park Ranger Eleanor leads a valuable conservation task in Houghton Hall Park on a Sunday between 10am-3pm. There have been tasks such as hazel coppicing and using the branches cut to create a fort building area for children to play and improve on, weeding in the wildflower meadows or carrying out the annual thorough litter pick.

Don't worry if you don't know anything about conservation! There will always be a ranger present and all activities are guided. The sessions are open to all ages (under 16s need to be accompanied by an adult) and abilities and we welcome all to join the team in making Houghton Hall Park a great place to visit.

If you would like to try a session, please contact ranger Eleanor for more details: eleanor.evans@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Formal & Kitchen Gardening

Please join our mid-week sessions and spend time developing our ever-changing Formal and Kitchen Gardens! Tasks may involve weeding, planting, growing vegetables and generally maintaining the Gardens for the community to enjoy, all whilst learning new skills and making friends within the Friends of Houghton Hall Park group of volunteers. Please sign up to our mailing list, making sure to select 'Volunteering' to receive updates about our Garden volunteering sessions restarting.

Event Assistants

With our busy event schedule running throughout the year, we are always looking for assistance to deliver our activities. This may involve handing out maps, marking attendance, checking on trail markers around the park or being a general helping hand at some of our larger events. If you are looking to gain some experience with events or have previous experience and would be interested in volunteering, we would love to meet you. Please email us at hhp@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk for more information.

Photography

Are you a keen photographer? Would you be interested in volunteering to photograph any of our events or maybe join our fixed point photographers in documenting the changes in Houghton Hall Park? If so, please get in touch by emailing hhp@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk, we would love to hear from you!