Volunteering at SAGE Greenfingers

SAGE Greenfingers is a small charity based in Burngreave. We support people with mental health issues, offering them the chance to do some therapeutic gardening on our allotments. As a charity, our volunteers are really important to us.

What our volunteers do

Help support people to do:

• gardening
• cooking
• art and craft activities
• DIY tasks

So if you…

• like chatting with people and sharing ideas
• are interested in mental health
• llike spending time outside
• enjoy gardening or DIY

…then you could be just what we’re looking for.

We’re looking for volunteers who are available to attend the same session most weeks for several months, because our group members benefit from building relationships with people they know will be reliable. All you need is an interest in working with people with mental health issues. No specific qualifications are necessary. It’s much more important that you are open-minded, non-judgemental and a good listener.

It helps if you have a good level of spoken English. An ability to speak other languages is useful, particularly French, Parsi or Urdu. It also helps if you have experience of supporting people with mental health issues or some gardening skills, but neither of these is essential.

We work with asylum seekers and refugees and we welcome applications from people with these backgrounds. You do not need a work permit or visa to volunteer with us.

All volunteers will have a CRB check (paid for by SAGE) before they start.

Volunteer Application Form

You can download our volunteer application form here. (Microsft word document, 67Kb)

Our sessions

10.45 a.m. - 2.15 p.m
Mixed groups on Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays
Women’s group on Tuesdays
at Grimesthorpe allotment site

The benefits of volunteering with us

We believe volunteering should be a rewarding experience all round. We couldn’t manage without the support of our brilliant volunteers so we are really committed to helping you get the most from your time at SAGE. In return for your support, you will get:

• Experience of supporting people with mental health issues. Previous volunteers have progressed to paid work for other horticultural projects, advice work and mental health support
• Physical activity and conversation in an enjoyable environment
• The chance to improve your skills in gardening, DIY, art & craft activities and communicating with people
• The chance to make a real difference in people’s lives
• The chance to make a positive contribution to the local community
• The opportunity to have input into the development of our project
• Training - for example, local organic gardening courses, WEA mental health courses, Thrive horticultural therapy & mental health courses, as well as first aid training
• Regular supervision sessions with the volunteer support worker.
• Quarterly volunteer meetings, giving you a chance to learn more about the project and to meet other volunteers and discuss your experiences
• Occasional socials with staff and volunteers
• Travel and childcare expenses paid
• Lunch provided

We also have occasional opportunities such as supporting our publicity - for example, working on our website or leaflets. Or you could attend a local fair with us, to act as ambassador for the project, giving information and raising awareness of our work. The fairs are usually on Saturdays so this is a good opportunity if you cannot volunteer in the week.  If we can’t offer you a volunteering opportunity, we are happy to signpost you to other projects.