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Volunteering Stories | Time Well Spent: Employer-Supported Volunteering

OCCF working farm

Every year people from all walks of life around the UK take time to volunteer and make a huge difference to their communities. To learn more and get inspired, please read story below.

North Warwickshire – WCC Staff Volunteering Day.

Michelle Titchener, Facilities Manager Team Lead Central contacted Warwickshire & Solihull CAVA to explore volunteering opportunities for a team day for her team. Our North Warwickshire Volunteering Coordinator, Ellen, contacted her with some options available in North Warwickshire.

She shared the details of two strong contenders for the team day. The preferred option was Oldbury Cottage Care Farm (OCCF), a working farm and craft venue for adults with learning disabilities and dementia. Care Farming is the therapeutic use of farming practices, and Care Farms provide health, social or educational care services for individuals from one or a range of vulnerable groups.

Ellen liaised with Maria at OCCF and a date in August was agreed.

The team completed a full day volunteering at Oldbury Cottage Care Farm, with great feedback from Michelle and the team. The quotes below show how this type of volunteering not only benefits the volunteers but that it can be of enormous benefit to the organisation who take on the volunteers as this creates the opportunity to develop relationships and further support.

Oh, we had such a fantastic day yesterday we absolutely loved our day at Oldbury Cottage Care Farm, what a wonderful hidden gem!! Such a lovely day and the weather was certainly on our side, not a drop of rain, the sun shined all day. We are already in talks about returning later on this year to support with their sensory garden ambitions.”

Firstly, I would like to express our warmest gratitude for allowing us to come and support your wonderful care farm. We all thoroughly enjoyed our day and can see how much love and care you all put into such a beautiful place. We all ache today but ache for all the right reasons!! Supporting you today has really been our highlight as a team by far, it was so rewarding so I want to say a huge thank you for welcoming us so warmly to your farm family.

Thank you again and we’ll be in touch regarding recycling food waste, PPE & please do send your leaflet over so I can share this far and wide amongst our community. We would also welcome a return visit should you like to host us again and target your sensory garden and anything else we can put our hand too. Please advise on some future dates and I’m sure I can get many more to join us.

For further information please contact us