Helping Hands Gardening Scheme

Helping Hands Gardening Scheme is a volunteer-led service supporting older, disabled, or vulnerable people in East Cambridgeshire to keep their gardens safe, tidy, and enjoyable. Whether you need a one-off garden clearance or regular help to maintain your outdoor space, our friendly team is here to assist.

Why choose our service?

• We help prevent accidents and reduce the risk of break-ins by keeping gardens well maintained.
• Our service promotes health and wellbeing by enabling vulnerable residents to enjoy being outdoors.
• All gardening work is carried out by local volunteers, supervised by a paid team leader.
• Each visit typically involves a team of 3-4 people, depending on volunteer availability.

How does it work?

• Contact our Gardening Team to discuss your needs and arrange an assessment.
• We operate Monday to Thursday, 9:00am–1:30pm. If we’re out in the gardens, you can leave a message on our answerphone.
• All jobs are assessed individually, and we’ll discuss the suggested donation with you during your assessment.

Cost: We ask for a voluntary donation to help cover our costs. The suggested donation is £30 per hour (with an average of 3 people working in your garden). However, we want everyone to access the scheme, so the actual amount is flexible and based on your circumstances—some may pay less, some may not pay at all.

Eligibility: The scheme is open to older, disabled, or vulnerable people living in East Cambridgeshire only.

Get in touch: Call 01353 666 556 or email gardening@vcaec.org.uk to request help or learn more. You can also download our leaflet for further details.

Want to volunteer? If you’d like to join our gardening team, contact us for an application form and help make a difference in your community.