Step into Volunteering at Gunnersbury
People are what keep Gunnersbury alive and so vibrant, there is nothing better than seeing our visitors enjoying themselves. But don’t just be a visitor!
There are many ways in which you can get more involved, from helping in the community kitchen gardens to stewarding the museum’s galleries. If you enjoy coming to Gunnersbury why not consider making it a bigger part of your life – we’d love to meet you!
The ways you can make a difference
Volunteer Conservation Ranger
This volunteer role will be based within Gunnersbury Park's beautiful 185+ acre estate, which is now managed by the Gunnersbury Estate (2026) CIC.
This role involves helping to maintain the parks diverse ecological habitats. The role is hands on carrying out manual work (e.g. mulching, planting, scrub clearance, tree circle creation, hedging, planting, digging, path repair etc). The role involves spending time in all weather and temperatures as you will be based outside.
The role will also include interacting with visitors to help them enjoy their visit – answering questions, providing directions, talking about the history of the park and its wildlife and plants
How you’ll help
- Planting, cutting and maintaining hedge rows
- Dead hedging and habitat creation
- Bramble Bashing
- Coppicing and Pruning
- Making Tree Circles
- Mulching
- Meadow management and woodland management
- Maintaining dead wood habitats and build dead wood stacks
- Bulb planting
- Building Bug Hotels and Bee Stacks
- Watering
- Putting up/making Bird & Bat Boxes
- Litter Picking
Who makes a good volunteer?
We’re looking for enthusiastic and reliable people, who are comfortable learning new skills and information, as well as being self-motivated and able to carry out tasks independently as well as part of a team. If you’re passionate about nature and wildlife, enjoy working in the outdoors and engaging with the public, then this role is for you!
Room Steward Volunteer
Beginning in April 2018, Room Steward Volunteers will help our visitors enjoy our beautiful, newly refurbished museum. They will spend time in the galleries and historic rooms encouraging visitors to engage with Gunnersbury’s heritage, natural environment and fascinating local history collection. They will employ brilliant communication skills to share their passion and enthusiasm for local social history with a diverse range of people.
When: Weekly
Working with: Gunnersbury Park and Museum Volunteers, Visitor Assistants and the Volunteer & Visitor Experience Officer
Department: Front of House
How you’ll help
Room Steward Volunteers will help our visitors enjoy our beautiful museum. They will spend time in the galleries and historic rooms encouraging visitors to engage with Gunnersbury’s heritage, natural environment, and fascinating local history collection. Working alongside the Visitor Experience Team, they will employ brilliant communication skills to share their passion and enthusiasm for local social history with a diverse range of people.
Who makes a good volunteer?
We’re looking for people who enjoy being with, and can communicate well with, a wide variety of people. Reliability and good timekeeping are essential qualities, along with enthusiasm, a positive attitude and a strong interest in helping others to engage with heritage and history. This is a great role for someone who loves sharing their stories, spending time chatting with people who share their interests and learning new things.
Full training will be provided for all volunteers.
Park & Garden Volunteer
This volunteer role will be based within the park's team in the historic walled community garden and wider park. Gunnersbury Park is a beautiful 170+ acre site that is home to a wide collection of local, heritage and exotic plants and trees. The Community Kitchen Garden is situated within one of the original walled gardens that once provided Gunnersbury’s occupants with edible produce and cut flowers. Volunteers have been developing the site since 2012 and are essential to maintaining the garden as an invaluable resource for our Learning programme. Volunteers will have an exciting opportunity to meet new people, learn new gardening skills and to help grow the historically themed park gardens in a really hands-on capacity. This is a lovely opportunity to connect with nature in a chemical free environment, with the support of our highly skilled Head Gardener.
This role is very hands on and may involve manual labour (e.g turning over soil, planting etc). This is optional, please make us aware in your application process if you would prefer not to, so that we can adjust your tasks accordingly. This role will also involve spending time in all weather and temperatures as you will be based outside, so come prepared in appropriate clothing and with sun screen and water if needed.
Please note that this role is voluntary and therefore unpaid, however Gunnersbury CIC is happy to be able to offer travel reimbursement up to a value of £8 upon proof of purchase, for each volunteer shift attended.
How you’ll help
- Seasonal tasks, such as seeding, planting bulbs etc
- Monitoring health of plants
- Maintaining the appearance and tidiness of the garden
- Assisting implement new garden plans and designs
Who makes a good volunteer?
- Enthusiastic
- Reliable
- Interest in or knowledge of horticulture – preferably experience growing vegetables
- Keen to spend time outdoors in a hands on role
- Self-motivated and able to carry out tasks independently as well as part of a team
- Comfortable learning new skills and information
Litter Picking Volunteer
This volunteer role will be based within Gunnersbury Park, a beautiful 185+ acre site that is home to a wide collection of local, heritage and exotic plants and trees, as well as listed historic buildings.
The purpose of the Litter Picking Volunteer’s role is to help maintain a high standard of cleanliness and safety throughout the whole park. The role is hands-on and public facing, spending time in all weather conditions and temperatures.
The session will run weekly on Sundays 10am – 11am. This volunteer role operates from March to October only.
How you’ll help
- Litter picking
- Monitoring for and reporting signs of damage to buildings or trees and plants
- Reporting anti-social behaviour (volunteers will never be expected or asked to approach visitors to enforce park regulations or discourage anti-social behaviour)
- Championing Gunnersbury Park & Museum and our work
Who makes a good volunteer?
We’re looking for friendly and approachable people,with an eye for detail and a sensible approach to health and safety. If you enjoy walking in the outdoors, engaging with the public and doing meaningful work to improve an important community amenity, then this role is for you!
FAQs
- Full training will be provided for all volunteers
- The roles listed are voluntary and unpaid. However, Gunnersbury Estate (2026) CIC does offer travel reimbursement within London up to a limit of £8 per day with proof of purchase, for each session
- Unfortunately we can only offer the above roles to applicants over the age of 18. If you are under 18, you may be interested in joining our youth forum, find out more here.
Gunnersbury Estate (2026) CIC welcomes all applications and operates a fair and open recruitment policy, the aim of which is to ensure no job applicant, volunteer, intern, employee or worker is discriminated against either directly or indirectly on any grounds.