Farm Volunteers

There are two routes by which adults can help out in the operation of the farm:

Farm Interns are fixed term placements (typically an intensive short term assignment) intended for those seeking practical experience to advance their course of studies, normally in animal husbandry or veterinary science. A practical background in working with large livestock is an essential requirement.

Farm Volunteer positions are available to those over 17 years wishing to volunteer over a longer period with animal husbandry and associated manual tasks. A limited number of positions are available and when vacancies arise, selection criteria are similar to those for paid positions.

Download Application Forms

Museum Volunteers

Operation of the museum, and the museum website, provides all sorts of opportunity for volunteer participation, either in our programme of historical research and digitisation, or in assistance with other museum services. Once again, the number of positions is limited and when vacancies arise these are filled by selective interview.

For volunteering in the work of the museum, please see our museum website www.scottishshale.co.uk for further details and an application form

Corporate Volunteers

This year has been extremally busy with Corporate Volunteers, which we have greatly appreciated. We are fully booked for 2023 but will be starting to look at corporate volunteering opportunities again in 2024.

Every year we're pleased to welcome many groups of work colleagues who choose to spend a day at Almond Valley wielding paint brushes, spades and rakes. Sometimes this work is structured as a team challenge, on other occasions it's a more relaxed opportunity for groups of colleagues to work together for the common good.

Tasks are nearly always outdoors and involve team-based environmental tasks such as building paths, planting hedges, or painting fences. We provide tools, direction and other necessary support. Where a group is able to contribute towards the costs of the materials used, this greatly extends the scope of what might be achieved.

Sessions suit groups of between 8 to 15 people, (although larger groups might be accommodated on certain dates), and typically start at about 10 o'clock and finish about 4. You can bring a picnic, or arrange to have your lunch in the tearoom at an agreed time. Working clothes are essential, and gardening gloves highly recommended.

When you book your volunteering session we'll probably not be able to provide precise details of your task as our work programme continually moves forward. However all tasks will involve outdoor gardening or landscaping type jobs that require no special skills, (other a willingness to get your hands dirty), with a range of activities that suit all abilities.

Once you are able to commit to go forward with the task on an agreed date, we can confirm this booking and arrange the necessary resources and materials needed for your task. Please contact us to check availability.