Get Involved
Volunteer
Hulme Community Garden Centre is a unique community led inner-city horticultural project.
Our mission is to bring the local community together through gardening.Up to 100 volunteers contribute to HCGC each week across all age groups and from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, both local and from further afield.
From participating, volunteers can gain an insight into how a garden centre works and develop skills in a wide range of areas. We aim to provide an environment where people can learn, develop and share skills and information about horticulture, and wider environmental and sustainability issues. From maintaining the community gardens, woodworking, assisting with our supported sessions to getting involved in our community cafe, we offer a huge range of volunteering experiences.
If you’re interested in getting involved, you’ll need to come in for a short induction first. These take place every Thursday at 1.30pm or self guided on Sundays at 11:30am.
Supported Sessions
Marrow Barrows – Tuesdays 1.30-3pm and Fridays 10.30am-12noon, £3 per person
Our supported sessions for individuals requiring more structured activity due to learning difficulties or a disability. Activities take place in the gardens or in our community polytunnel and are based on developing gardening skills and making environmental crafts.
Health & Well Being - Fridays 1.30 - 3pm
These sessions are tailored to individuals experiencing issues with well being and mental health and focus on creating a quieter and calmer environment in which to enjoy gardening.
Toddlers
Garden Explorers
Parent & Toddler club. Thursdays 11am-noon, £3 per child including materials, tea/coffee and juice.
Our Gardening club for toddlers runs year round come rain, wind or shine. Every week we do a different activity – outdoors when possible. Always fun, often muddy! No booking required, just turn up.
Home Education
Sessions for home educated and flexi-schooled children aged 5-10 years old, Tuesdays 1.30-3pm.
We run several blocks throughout the year, pre-booking required.
The emphasis of our sessions is on a creative, warm and inviting environment with learning areas that are filled with potential activities that invite children to explore, providing an environment that is rich in sensory impact. Focusing on different areas of our site, the children will play a key part in sowing, growing and tending to the garden, as well as learning about biodiversity and encouraging beneficial wildlife.
Corporate Social responsibility
A challenge day with us…
…is an excellent way to engage with the local community and provides great team-building and development opportunities for corporate groups. Your employees will apply their skills in a different context; interact with colleagues in the relaxed setting of our unique urban oasis and help the community to grow and blossom.All activities are practical, outdoors, hands on and suitable for everyone: an example of a challenge might be:
- Creating an accessible, sensory garden for people with disabilities to enjoy
- Developing our messy play area to get local children off their screens and into the wild
- Installing a water harvesting system as part of our commitment to long term sustainability
- Planting an edible garden to provide organic produce for the community.