Further information, how to get involved and sign up to volunteer.
About & How To Apply
About
Taking part in our volunteer programme is an opportunity to get to know Hospitalfield, learn or develop skills, and meet a range of people from other volunteers to visitors, to artists and creative practitioners. Volunteers are involved in all aspects of our work, events, and projects as a vital part of our programme.
Hospitalfield welcomes volunteers from all walks of life, sometimes offering opportunities for people with specific skill sets or to those wishing to develop an interest. Above all we are looking for people who are:
- interested in Hospitalfield and what we do,
- keen to be part of a volunteer cohort,
- enthusiastic and willing to give things a try,
- open to learning opportunities as well as sharing their skills & experiences with others,
Our volunteer programme is aimed at people living locally to Hospitalfield or nearby in Angus, Dundee, Tayside, and the East Coast of Scotland.
Time commitment ranges from a few hours at seasonal programme events or a dedicated day per week, this is subject to programme schedules and individual availability.
How To Apply
If you would like to volunteer at Hospitalfield, please fill out this online form and we will be in touch.
Question, enquiries and feedback: email on volunteer@hospitalfield.org.uk or call on 01241 656124
We ask new volunteers to make time for an induction (approx. 30 – 45 minutes) to find out more about us and look around the house. We encourage volunteers to attend meetings and briefings arranged in advance of key events and activities and require volunteers to take part in essential training associated with the area of activity they will be involved in.
In alignment with our Equalities policy, Hospitalfield recognises the great benefits in having diverse volunteers with different backgrounds and lived experiences. We are committed to providing a welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion or belief. In recognition and reflection of this, we would like new volunteers to bring diverse perspectives to the organisation so particularly invite those who are underrepresented in the arts and charity sectors to get in touch to organise a taster session.
Volunteering Opportunities at Hospitalfield…
Get Involved with Garden Club
In 2021 Hospitalfield’s Walled Garden, designed by the horticulturalist Nigel Dunnett, opened to the public. The scheme was developed to reveal the unique horticultural history of the site at Hospitalfield, which has been tended as a garden for over 800 years.
The garden and grounds at Hospitalfield are maintained, made fruitful and more beautiful with the fantastic support of our volunteers who meet regularly at Garden Club. Garden Club support the development of the garden from helping weed the gardens, sowing seeds, potting up plants and assisting with seasonal projects. Our next garden project is the development of the medicinal garden. From January 2023 we are inviting a medicinal plant specialist and community gardener to design the garden with Garden Club.
Garden Club Volunteers meet regularly from 10am to 12pm on Fridays at Hospitalfield. Please let us know if you’re planning on attending Garden Club for the first time by emailing volunteer@hospitalfield.org.uk
You can find out more about Garden Club here: Garden Club – Hospitalfield
Meander Walk Leader
The Meander project connects Hospitalfield to local landscapes through gentle walking. Led by Hospitalfield’s volunteer walk leaders, the project promotes wellbeing through walking and cultivates a place where people can enjoy being active at their own pace. Perfect for people from all backgrounds and abilities looking to enjoy a peaceful moment outdoors while undertaking low impact exercise.
The group meets each Thursday between 2pm – 3pm.
Meander at Hospitalfield is part of the Scottish Health Walk Network. Through this network Paths For All brings together 400 organisations with the common goal of creating a happier, healthier Scotland by supporting people to walk more. www.pathsforall.org.uk. Volunteers leading Meander will have access to walk leader training with the Scottish Health Walk Network.
You can find out more about Meander here: Meander (Thursdays) – Hospitalfield
Tour Guiding
From April to October, members of the public can join our regular weekly tours of Hospitalfield House, the Mortuary Chapel and the Walled Gardens and Fernery. Tours are led by our knowledgeable, valued volunteers. Being a tour guide at Hospitalfield is a great way to get to know more about Hospitalfield’s history and current activity, sharing that with people who come to visit us. New tour guides work with the staff and tour guides to learn the tour script and develop their own specific twist on our popular tours.
- House Tour An opportunity for visitors to take a tour inside Hospitalfield House – to learn about the history and people at Hospitalfield through the historic collections and rooms retaining exquisite 19th-century decoration.
- Garden Tour In 2021 Hospitalfield’s Walled Garden, designed by the horticulturalist Nigel Dunnett, opened to the public. On your tour you can expect to learn more about the unique horticultural history of the site at Hospitalfield, which has been tended as a garden for over 800 years.
- Mortuary Chapel Tour In this tour visitors will explore the Mortuary Chapel; a remarkable of the many fine buildings within Arbroath and a nationally significant building located at centre of the Western Cemetery.
You can find out more about our tours here: Tours – Hospitalfield
Volunteering As a Young Person
Currently volunteering opportunities for people under the age of 18 have some conditions in place in line with our Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy. We welcome all notes of interest at this time and aim to get back in touch as soon as we’re able to discuss any current volunteering or programme opportunities.
Access
- We have a budget to support local travel expenses for our volunteers. If the cost of getting to us is a barrier to you getting involved, please get in touch with us at volunteer@hospitalfield.org.uk or on 01241 656124 and we can share more information about the process of claiming local standard travel costs back.
- Please contact us regarding any reasonable adjustments required to take part in our volunteering programme.
- Currently volunteering opportunities for people under the age of 18 have some conditions in place in line with our Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy. We welcome all notes of interest currently and aim to get back in touch as soon as we’re able to discuss any current volunteering or programme opportunities.
- When applying to be a volunteer, we invite individuals to disclose information about their access and support needs. This will allow us to tailor the volunteer opportunities to the individual and ensure all volunteers are appropriately supported. From medical conditions through to individual preferences, we want to know more about you so we can create opportunities that work for you. Staff are always available to assist and open to conversation about how best to create accessible, enjoyable, and empowering volunteer opportunities.
- Currently we ask that anyone interested in taking part in our volunteering programme who requires personal support, to plan to attend any volunteering sessions/activity with their identified relevant personal support.
Further access notes on the house and grounds can be provided. Please contact us with any questions about accessibility.
Volunteer Testimonials
“Hospitalfield is an asset to Arbroath and as such deserves to be looked after and cherished. Volunteering enables me to play my part.”
“Being able to come to Hospitalfield is a great benefit to me as it expands my knowledge of gardening, it’s also occupies my time and energy, which I have a lot of. Without the help I have had at Hospitalfield, I would not be where I am today.”
“I feel that volunteering is an incredibly positive reciprocal relationship – by giving my time and helping Hospitalfield I in return get the opportunity to get involved in a unique place, doing unique things. It’s great experience in the arts sector and I feel like I’m making a contribution to keeping it going.”
“When I came to Hospitalfield I was at an all-time low. After being off work for over three years, I lacked confidence and hope. The volunteering I am doing has transformed me. Not only am I helping to conserve their collection, Hospitalfield has helped me regain confidence.”
Hospitalfield Volunteer Handbook & Policy
Information for new volunteers or those wishing to find out more: