We offer volunteering with a difference.

Therapeutic gardening run by volunteers, all of whom have been on past cooking classes at Maymessy.

 
 

Volunteer Planting strawberries

THERAPEUTIC GARDENING CLUB

The therapeutic garden club is run by Nix Ivy and volunteers mainly from Root and Branch.

Nix

We are so lucky to have a group of 7 volunteers who come and look after the garden. They have been on past cookery classes and give back their time to provide home grown vegetables and fruit for future participants of cooking classes.

Thank you to funding from OCVA to support our club in 2023 and 2024.

 

Juice - a creative agency in Faringdon

Juice are kindly volunteering their time to create video content for Maymessy in 2024.

https://www.itsjuice.com/

The numbers of volunteer hours Nov 2023 - Nov 2024 came to 842.

Equivalent of 2 working days per week

Juice creative agency filming FAAAZE . Juice are kindly volunteering their time to support Maymessy with video content to show impact

Past volunteering includes:

  • Ukrainian Picnics summer 2022 and 2023 to support newly arrived families and their hosts. Over 70 joined us for the Big Help Out 8th May 23 Kings Coronation to support Ukrainian families with a picnic.

    We held a  fun picnic at Maymessy for local Ukrainian families who live in Wantage, Faringdon and surrounding villages.

    The Big Help Out encouraged volunteers to help out at Maymessy.

    We were thrilled to see the Ukrainian families who came last summer as well as new arrivals and a host of volunteers to help.


  • Care packages for newly arrived Afghan families living in a holding hotel. And Easter Eggs for all the chidlren.

  • Volunteer mentoring with 8 Refugee Resource ladies and be-friending scheme for 12 ladies, 6 from Refugee Resource and 6 from Oxfordshire for 12 months over lockdown. Activities included self portraits, cooking and visiting local attractions.

Video of Refugee Resource

  • Support with up skilling with local mums who have been on past cooking classes. See Meridian video Adults


  • Support with local young people with cookery activities. See video Young People


Lockdown 2

Kirley Sue online cookery classes for charities in Oxfordshire. Gingerbread people and Valentines biscuits

Lockdown 1

Video Volunteers week Maymessy

Weekly care packages to 96 NHS staff in critical care over 3 months in Lockdown 1

Weekly care and support to The Childrens Hospital over 3 months in Lockdown 1

Care packages to Pain, Respiratory and other Departments in Churchill hospital during Covid.

Care package to Fire service at Wantage Fire Station



Please do get in touch if you want to volunteer.

“I volunteered for Maymessy in 2018 as part of my Duke of Edinburgh bronze award. It is the only social enterprise of its kind in my area, I wanted to help young people being a young person myself. I enjoyed planting the vegetable garden as it gave me a sense of satisfaction knowing that my efforts were helping other people my age. I also feel I have benefited from volunteering at the events hosted at Maymessy to get an insight into organising charitable events.”

Tilda Leighton Sissons

 
 
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