Chiswick Calendar volunteer stories – Vicki Belcher
Guest blog by Trisha Cochrane
Are you making a Christmas wreath for your front door? Volunteer gardeners are out in force at Chiswick House and Gardens, hand-crafting wreaths with prunings and cuttings from the park, for sale in aid of the charitable trust that runs this historic estate. I’ve been speaking to Vicki Belcher, a Kitchen Garden volunteer, who’s been involved at Chiswick House for more than two years.
What prompted you to volunteer here Vicki?
As a Grove Park resident I’ve enjoyed visiting Chiswick House and Gardens over the years, and once I retired I thought it would be an interesting thing to try. I came to a Big Help Out taster session, a volunteering initiative that was part of the King’s coronation celebrations. I have a small garden, but thought it would be nice to grow more without the responsibility of an allotment.
What’s special about being here?
I like the rhythm it creates in my week and across the year. Unlike work life, there are no complicated decisions to make: one of the professional gardeners assigns us to a specific task. It’s really satisfying to work together to get a job done and see the difference it makes. I’m learning all the time, for example about our no-dig approach and soil management. It’s great to do something physical and occasionally to get a bit muddy too. In many ways, it’s like being back at a fun activity session at primary school!
It sounds like it gives you energy.
Yes, there’s something lovely about being outside in a natural environment and working through the seasons. I think that’s especially important when you live in a city. Volunteering here can give you a real boost and you go home buzzing. Volunteers bring a positive attitude and it attracts people who want to learn, which is really refreshing. There’s a historic aspect to gardening at Chiswick House too. The gardens were designed by William Kent in the 1720s, who spearheaded the move to a more naturalistic English landscape garden. The kitchen garden is even older – so it’s nice to think we are part of a long tradition of growing food.
And what impact do you feel you’re having?
The kitchen garden is all about feeding people in body, mind and spirit. We donate half of what we grow to food distribution charities such as The Felix Project and The Upper Room. The other half we sell to local restaurants such as Sam’s and to locals via the produce cart, which operates from April to November and is very popular. We sell flowers, fruit and vegetables in season, organically grown and with no packaging. The kitchen garden covers about two acres within 65 acres of the park, which means we can make our own mulch, wood chip and coppice for soil management and plant supports. And right now we’re creating the wreaths all from natural materials, so everything can be composted back down. I’ve learned how to make my own wreath with materials from my garden, which was a lot of fun.
What does being part of this group mean to you?
We are looked after as volunteers with a well-run programme, which creates a good team spirit. I’ve learnt a lot about gardening and enjoy working with other people with different life stories and across a range of life stages. It can be easy to ‘stay in your lane’, especially as you get older, but being here helps to mix it up and keep your thinking fresh. I’ve made new friends and feel even more part of the community here in Chiswick. Some of my fellow volunteers now come along to our community theatre group and this year the Head Kitchen Gardener and I are treading the boards together in pantomime.
And how could others get involved?
It’s a popular place to volunteer and there is a waitlist for some of the roles, particularly in the kitchen garden and wider gardens. You need to have a reasonable level of physical fitness and preferably commit to one shift/week. But there are other ways to become involved, for example being a House or Gardens tour guide, or a Visitor Welcome volunteer. If you have handywork skills, such as carpentry or painting, then being a Ranger might appeal.
Find out more at: https://chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk/support-us/volunteer/
Comments are closed.