INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEERS

If you are looking to gain some new skills or share your existing talents and have some spare time then contact us now to get involved with our new Forest Garden near to Stratford upon Avon. There are opportunities in a wide range of activities from gardening, tree planting, social media, fundraising, finance, marketing and many others. Just sign up here to register your interest.

Corporate groups

We offer a range of opportunities for companies to bring a team of people to volunteer for a range of useful and practical activities, which include tree planting, clearing, mowing, pruning, planting, education. We ask for a small donation per person to cover the cost of our time and to pay for any equipment or materials that may be needed. We can also organise lunch and the use of a meeting room if you want to make your volunteering part of a team awayday. Contact carolelongden@forestofhearts.com for more details.


The benefits of volunteering

As it turns out, volunteering is much more than just an altruistic pastime. Beyond doing something good, helping out the Forest of Hearts could help to improve mental and physical health, as well as your general well-being. Volunteering can enhance company visibility, and improve employee effectiveness.

Take a look at the facts:

  • In a survey of more than 1,000 employees ages 18 and over, 61 percent of participants said that community service helps them improve their sense of well-being and effectiveness at the office.
  • 49 percent of professionals between the ages of 18 and 34 donate their time compared to just 35 percent of their colleagues between the ages of 35 and 54. Apparently younger workers are the most likely to participate in philanthropic activities.
  • In a national survey of more than 3,000 adults, an overwhelming majority of participants reported feeling mentally and physically healthier after a volunteer experience.
  • 94 percent of the people who volunteered in the last 12 months said that volunteering improved their mood and self-esteem. It also made 76 percent of the participants feel healthier and lowered the stress levels of 78 percent.
  • 96 percent reported that volunteering enriched their sense of purpose in life.
  • Interestingly, 80 percent of the participants felt like they had more control over their health afterwards. Nearly a quarter of them reported that their volunteer work helped them manage a chronic illness by keeping them active and taking their minds off their problems.
  • Research also shows that volunteers score much higher on self-evaluations of emotional well-being, personal independence, and overall life satisfaction. Volunteers also have much lower levels of depression.
  • An estimated 40 published studies have found evidence that volunteers have a 20 percent lower risk of death than their peers who do not volunteer.

The numbers don’t lie. If you’re a small business owner interested in making your office better and your employees happier, starting your own volunteering program is the way to go.