Volunteer’s Week (1-7 June) is a great excuse to say thank you to all of the lovely volunteers who contribute to the work of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. As part of our celebrations last week we announced a brand new partnership with Heart of England Mencap and welcomed five new volunteers to join the team at Mary Arden’s Farm.
The new partnership offers Mencap customers an opportunity to gain valuable work experience by spending up to five hours each week volunteering in various roles at the farm, including interacting with visitors, and caring for our rare breed animals and stunning gardens.
We’ve been running a care farming scheme at Mary Arden’s Farm for the last two years, working with local organisations and the community to introduce the therapeutic use of farming and horticulture skills to vulnerable people through structured, meaningful work. We’ve seen first-hand how this scheme has made a positive difference to our users and are delighted that Heart of England Mencap is also interested in placing further individuals in the scheme.
The new Mencap volunteers are joining more than 100 people who currently donate their time and expertise to help every aspect of our work; caring for the five Shakespeare family homes and collections, providing the best possible experience to our visitors and delivering formal and informal learning programmes for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Visit our website to find out more about our current opportunities for individual and corporate volunteering placements in roles across the Trust.