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KEW
GARDENS SEEKS VOLUNTEERS
A mission to share plant knowledge-
Kew Gardens School Explainers team recruits new blood
A mission to share knowledge and enthusiasm
for plants lies at the heart of the remit for Kew Gardens. Some of the
most important visitors to the Gardens are the thousands of schoolchildren
who visit each year. Kew is now looking to expand its team of ‘Explainers’-
volunteers who provide a welcoming point of contact for school groups
to Kew.
“Children are a hugely important group of visitors for Kew”, says John Ellison, Kew Education Officer. “Many people remember their first visit to the Gardens as a child and say that it has given them a lasting interest in plants and a greater appreciation of the natural world. With so many environmental and conservation issues facing the world, there has never been a more important time to explain how all life depends on plants”
Explainers need to be available between 9.45am and 2.15pm on weekdays. The right candidates will have excellent communication skills and the ability to work as part of a team. Training is given, but a background in education, museums or the performing arts is an added plus. The current programme runs from April to the end of July, when there can be as many as 1,500 schoolchildren each day. The volunteer role particularly suits parents with children at school or people looking to develop their communication skills.
Members of the team participate in an in-depth training programme, beginning in the first week of March, covering communication techniques and inside information on the wonders of Kew’s glasshouses and grounds and
The programme was launched last year and has been enthusiastically received by teachers and students. The Explainers meet and greet school groups at Victoria Gate in the morning – between 10.00am and 11.15am from Monday to Friday, when most groups enter the Gardens. The teams also help engage and orientate groups in the Palm House and other important locations in the Gardens, explaining more about the plants they are seeing.
People with a passion for people and plants and some time to share can visit the Kew website at www.kew.org.uk to learn more about the position and download an application. Application forms can also be obtained by sending a postcard to: Volunteer Schools Explainers, Museum No.1, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB. Application forms are also available at Victoria Gate Visitor Centre.
Kew will be accepting WRITTEN APPLICATIONS ONLY until 31st January. The role involves working with children and is therefore exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Successful applicants may be required to undertake a Department for Education and Skills check, and/or an enhanced Criminal Record Certificate check.