Volunteering
The Flat Holm team manages the Island as a Local Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest. It consists of office-based staff and an island-based Warden, and is supported by up to six residential Trainee Warden volunteers at any time.
A commitment of six months is required, and experience is not necessary. During March to October, the Island is open to visitors and manned at all times, except for one to two weeks every two months when all staff spend time off-island. Individuals are expected to be available when the Island is open.
If you are interested in a shorter placement, please contact the mainland office as we also offer work experience – eg for university students during the Easter or summer holidays.
Interested in volunteering?
If you are interested in volunteering with us, please read the information below and then send your CV and a covering letter to: flatholmproject@cardiff.gov.uk
Although we cannot pay our residential Trainee Wardens:
During the visitor season, basic self-catering accommodation is provided in a WWII building called ‘Driftwood’ with five bedrooms, a shared toilet, shower, food preparation area and small dining area.
Outside of the visitor season, accommodation is provided in either shared dormitories in the farmhouse with shared toilet/shower/kitchen/dining facilities, or individual basic Portakabins with single beds and solar electricity, located in the farmhouse paddock, using shared facilities in the farmhouse.
Individuals must be willing to share rooms if needed throughout the year.
Food is provided to enable trainees to prepare three meals a day, along with a travel expense contribution of up to £50 per trip to their home location (maximum three trips in six months).
Trainees also receive:
- External training (first aid, and Lantra brushcutter and trimmer).
- On-the-job training (machinery, tour-guiding and educational).
- Invaluable experience in a wide range of tasks, with an excellent success rate of volunteers gaining paid employment.
They are involved in all aspects of the day-to-day running of the Island, working a five-day week with two days off on-island, including:
Wildlife monitoring – collecting data and carrying out our monitoring programmes on moths, butterflies, shelduck and slow worms, Wetland bird survey, daily bird log, and gull count (some are dependent on the time of year).
Practical reserve work and habitat management – coppicing elder, grassland and path management, invasive vegetation management, and maintaining fences, gates, benches and other woodwork.
Visitor-facing and community work – leading volunteer work parties, providing guided tours for visitors, prepping and serving in the pub and shop, and welcoming residential visitors, including cleaning and preparing accommodation.
Heritage work – conserving heritage buildings through general DIY tasks, eg cleaning, painting and maintenance.
Operational work – maintaining the Island, eg litter picks, waste management, cleaning operational and accommodation buildings, assisting with health and safety system checks/procedures, and daily duties.
Machinery – maintaining tools and equipment, tractor and trailer driving and basic checks, mower and brushcutter use and basic maintenance, and generator checks.
• Knowledge of environmental/natural sciences or countryside management.
• Enthusiasm.
• Flexibility.
• Communication skills.
• Commitment.
For more information, please contact the Flat Holm office:
Tel: 029 2087 7900
Meet the Team – Simon
Discover the experiences of previous residential Trainee Wardens.
Flat Holm Society
Do you have a few hours to spare each week, month or year? Do you have DIY or gardening skills you could offer? Would you like to train to become a tour guide, sit on the committee or help raise funds? Whatever you can offer, we would like to hear from you.
The Flat Holm Society was set up to promote and assist the Island.
Society members form working parties, act as guides on the Island, raise funds and help with related jobs, as well as supporting social events on the mainland.
Membership of the Flat Holm Society
Each year society members receive details of forthcoming activities and an annual newsletter brings members up-to-date with society activities.
Annual subscription to become a member of the Flat Holm Society is £18.
For more details about the Society and how you can volunteer on Flat Holm, contact the Secretary at flatholm.society@gmail.com
The Flat Holm Society also has its own website: www.flatholmsociety.org.uk
The Flat Holm Society is a registered charity (Registration no 1000899).
