Easy ways to lend a hand - Eden Project communities

Join in

Volunteer at a local parkrun
Join 40,000 people across the world who volunteer to help these free events each week. You don’t need any experience, and you don’t need to have been to a parkrun before. Find out more
Help out at a local foodbank
Could you pick up surplus food from supermarkets? Or maybe organise supplies and pack bags? There are lots of ways to get involved.
Offer time to a community garden or allotment
From pruning to planting, there is always something to do to help gardens and allotments grow.
Litter pick at a local park
Keeping parks free of litter not only benefits the people who use them, but it also keeps wildlife safe. Many parks and green spaces have ‘Friends of’ groups; search online to find one near you.
Donate what you don’t need
Art supplies, jigsaw puzzles, games, books and toys are always on the wish list of local youth groups, schools and community centres. Why not have a clear out and help out!

Grab your rubber gloves

See just how well your local community can scrub up! Grab your mop and bucket and get cleaning.

Deep clean a community space
Community centres, places of worship, and libraries are all used by lots of people, so offering to make them sparkle will put a smile on the faces of the young and old!
Clean up graffiti
Help bring walls back to life by cleaning, repainting or designing something new like a community mural.
Help a neighbour
Older adults and those with disabilities living on your street might appreciate some help keeping on top of the cleaning or putting the bins out. Offering an hour each week could make a huge difference.
Scrub your local road signs
Help folk to navigate your neighbourhood by cleaning street signs so that everyone can get to where they need to be.
Wash playgrounds
Play and outdoor exercise equipment can get muddy at any time of year. Make the equipment safe and usable by giving it a wipe over with warm, soapy water.

Help from home

It can be difficult to get out and help in person, especially for those of us with caring responsibilities, mobility issues or those working shifts, so why not try something from your sofa!

The power of social media
Liking, commenting and sharing your favourite community project, charity, or independent business will help to grow their audience and might inspire your social media pals to support something local.
Spread the message
Seen something great happening locally but can’t make it on the day? Support the event by messaging or calling 3 friends and telling them about it.
Decorate your front windows
Bunting, paper chains, lights, posters and chalk pens can all be used to brighten up your windows! Why not rope in your neighbours and have a seasonal theme like our Advent windows?
Write encouraging cards
Kind words go such a long way. Spend an afternoon writing positive notes to patients in your local hospital.
Virtual Befriender
Brighten someone’s day by becoming a befriender for a local charity tackling loneliness. A phone or video call each week could be just the ticket.

Use your talents

Do you have a talent or skill that you could use for the greater good?

Make music
If you like a singsong, are a member of a choir or can play an instrument, offer to perform for residents at a local care home.
Bake up a sale
Who doesn’t love a sweet treat, and what could be better than one that raises money for a local good cause? What a great excuse to try our Great British Bake Off recipes!
Knitting for newborns
If you’re a dab hand with the knitting needles, your local neonatal ward might appreciate hats and booties for premature babies.
Trustee power
Local charities are always looking for people with skills and experience to help govern and lead. If you have time and skills to spare, become a Trustee.
Cut in to help out
From flat pack to wallpaper, there are stacks of DIY jobs that could be ticked off the to-do list with a little help from a skilled friend. Offer an afternoon and see what you could achieve for a loved one.

Save the bees (and everything else!)

Even if you’re not green-fingered, you can still take small actions to improve the environment and habitat for local plants and wildlife.

A woman and a child gardening together at a community Big Lunch. They're smiling and look happy. The older woman is sharing her gardening skills with the child.

Flower bombing
Native wildflowers provide a home to all sorts of insects, as well as adding colour to unloved spaces. Check out our top tips on how to sow wildflowers.
Making your garden wildlife friendly
Encourage wildlife to thrive in your garden by installing a bird bath or micro pond, making a hedgehog hole, and creating habitats like a bug hotel.
Become a Citizen Scientist
Volunteer and help scientists gather data about wildlife, which will help them design ways to protect it. There are loads of ways to get involved – check out The Wildlife Trusts website.
Leave the car keys at home
Is there one car journey a week that can be replaced by pedal-power or walking? If you have e-bikes or e-scooters where you live, could you use them some of the time instead of the car?
No mow May
Ditch the lawnmower and let your lawn grow! Longer grass and wildflowers help to tackle pollution, benefit wildlife and can even lock away carbon below the ground.