The unexpected bonuses of volunteering at Roots
By Becky Cottrell-Jury
I’ll be honest, I’ve never really been a “group activity” person. So finding myself writing about the joys of joining in is perhaps a little unexpected (for me as much as anyone!).
When I became involved with Roots, I found a comfortable spot on the other side of the camera, telling stories about what happens here. The directors recognised something in me and encouraged it. Somewhere along the way, my sewing business gave way to a career in marketing, and I became rather attached to this whole community business.
I hadn’t seen either of those things coming.
It got me thinking about what we get from volunteering. There are the benefits you’d probably expect: fresh air, moving your body, getting your hands in the soil and understanding a bit more about where your food comes from. All good reasons to spend some time in the garden.
But there are a few less obvious bonuses too...
Meeting new people can be awkward. Especially when the whole point is apparently to stand around being sociable.
At Roots, there’s a job to get on with. You can chat while you work, ask a question about what you’re doing or simply enjoy being alongside someone without having to think of something interesting to say.
For those of us who don’t arrive ready to work a room, this is quite a relief!
Friendships have time to develop. And you find yourself talking to people you might never otherwise have met, hearing about their lives and sharing bits of your own.
Sometimes those chats lead to very practical things. Volunteers at Roots have found work, started sharing lifts and even found accommodation through people they’ve met here.
You probably wouldn’t turn up to a growing session expecting help with your housing situation. But when people get to know each other, they discover ways to help.
There’s plenty of knowledge being passed around too. You might learn something about growing vegetables, or find yourself talking about a completely different skill you’ve always wanted to try.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by what’s happening to the planet. I don’t think any of us can promise that a morning in the garden will make those worries disappear.
But there is something hopeful about having a useful job to do, alongside other people who care. You’re helping grow food for your own community. You can see where your effort goes.
And on a difficult day, that can mean a lot.
My own unexpected bonus was discovering work I loved, with people who helped me see what I could offer.
Yours might be a new friend, a shared lift, a skill you didn’t know you had, or simply somewhere you look forward to going each week.
If you fancy coming along, we’d love to see you up at the garden. Who knows what might come of it?
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