Urban Manchester gardening work exchange (mid-March to mid-April)

Raised beds and cold frames on a green urban allotment in Manchester, with brick paths and young vegetable plants.

Gardening help in urban Manchester

Looking for someone with green fingers to join me mid-March to mid-April to get my allotment ready for the growing season. Digging, weeding, pruning, bed repair etc. Close to central Manchester so suits someone who wants to jump on a train/ flight from Manchester Airport (50 mins by bus) on their days off. I’m thinking for 10 hours over 3-4 days in return for accommodation (visa, transport, living expenses, food not included).

Raised beds and cold frames on a green urban allotment in Manchester, with brick paths and young vegetable plants.

What category best describes your hosting arrangement? ๐Ÿก
  • Private home / family
Location (city/town, region, country) ๐Ÿ“
What are you looking for help with?
  • Farming/Gardening ๐ŸŒฟ๐Ÿ„
What’s the mission of your community? ๐ŸŽฏ

Grow crops in a sustainable way, improve the environment for residents & ecosystem of the area.

Volunteers with disabilities โ™ฟ

Possibly, depending on needs; it’s mainly the digging part of gardening, so it’s for someone who wants to burn calories and have a good workout.

Urban Manchester allotment with a small green polytunnel, raised beds and garden tools, showing a volunteer gardening work exchange setting.

How many volunteers could you host? ๐ŸŽŽ
  • 1 volunteer
When do you usually need volunteers? ๐Ÿ“…
  • Focusing March-April but maybe some watering & weeding help April onwards
How many hours of help per day? โฑ
  • 3 hours/day
How many days of help per week? ๐ŸŒ’
  • 3-4 days/week
Notes about the work, schedule, and house rules (optional)

I’m looking for someone who enjoys being physically active so that the dynamic is 2 equal adults. Non-smokers preferred. I’m a vegetarian and prefer to decide what I’m eating alone but up for a chat while eating! Working pattern: sometimes it will be flexible around your goals but occasionally I will need it to fit around my commitments (known in advance before you book train tickets!). House rules: keep the front door locked, bills & noise low, cleaning & waste to a minimum. Visitors by prior arrangement only.

Are accommodation and food included? ๐Ÿ ๐Ÿœ
  • Only accommodation is included
What type of accommodation can you provide? ๐Ÿ•
  • Dormitory/shared rooms ๐Ÿ›Œ
  • Private home (host family) ๐Ÿ”‘

Example of a simple bedroom in the Manchester home (sleeping arrangement may vary depending on timings).

Note: the โ€œvolunteer roomโ€ may change depending on timings and who else is staying, so this photo is just an indication. I’ll confirm the sleeping arrangement with you before you book transport.

Diet – nutrition information ๐Ÿฅ—๐Ÿฅค

I’m vegetarian and don’t eat “normally” so I thought it was simpler to offer accommodation only. There’s space and cooking stuff in a fully functional kitchen and our supermarkets are cheaper than most of those I visit abroad.

Fee transparency (required) ๐Ÿ’ณ
  • No fee.
VISA SUPPORT – Are you able to assist with visa support, information, or provide invitation letters? ๐Ÿ›‚
  • No, volunteers must arrange visas independently โŒ
What volunteers receive (in addition to food/accommodation) ๐Ÿ†๐Ÿ…

You’ll likely be working in English so, if it’s not your first language, you’ll probably improve your fluency, vocabulary and confidence as well as listening skills. I can work in French or Spanish if you want to practice but I’m not guaranteeing you should be copying everything I say…. You’ll also be gaining experience of permaculture and possibly some basic construction skills if that’s what you want.

Depending on both our preferences, you’ll either have 3 or 4 clear days off each week so it should be easy for you to travel or keep up with online studies/ jobs.

Green urban allotment in Manchester with raised beds, a polytunnel and narrow paths between vegetable plots, showing the gardening work exchange setting.

What are the available activities during free time? ๐Ÿšด๐Ÿšฃ๐Ÿฆ’

It’s Manchester, so there’s lots to do. The allotment and house has lots of exercise stuff and there’s a kickboxing gym on the end of the street. There is a bus stop 2 mins away into the town centre (20-60 mins depending on traffic) and another bus stop 10 mins away where the 43 bus passes to take you direct to the airport in 50 mins. Direct trains to go hiking in the Peak District are 11 minutes away.

Languages spoken on site ๐Ÿ—ฃ ๐Ÿ—ฃ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง
  • English, Spanish, French
Geography ๐ŸŒณ
  • It’s Manchester. It rains.
How to get to your site โœˆ ๐Ÿ—บ
  • 50 mins on 43 bus from Manchester Airport then 10 minute walk. From City Centre, take the 50 bus for 20-40 mins then walk 2 mins.
Is there internet access? ๐ŸŒ
  • Yes, reliable Wi-Fi

CONTACT DETAILS ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ“ง

If you are interested in this help exchange, please email voluntouring.freelist@gmail.com
with a short introduction and motivation. Use this subject line: โ€œGardening help in urban Manchester (UK)โ€. If you are shortlisted, we will share the hostโ€™s contact details. Why are host contact details sometimes hidden?

Small greenhouse and storage area on a Manchester allotment with raised beds and garden materials, part of an urban gardening work exchange.

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Author: Voluntouring staff

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