VOLUNTEER

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for The Horse Trust.

Volunteer at The Horse Trust charity

Our volunteers are vital in helping us with our work to improve the lives of horses. We occasionally have opportunities to volunteer or carry out work experience at our Home of Rest for Horses and events around the UK. You must be 16 or over in order to volunteer for The Horse Trust.

Regular Yard Volunteer – For volunteers aged 16 or over who are able to make a regular, reliable commitment of at least one day per week. Volunteers will help the yard staff with general yard duties including mucking out, grooming and feeding horses, changing rugs, field checks and general tidying and yard maintenance. We are currently looking for yard volunteers so please complete the application form below.

Voluntary Work Experience Placement – For students who are looking for temporary volunteer work experience placements (minimum length 2 weeks). Please note: Work placements are currently only available to veterinary students or students who are currently studying or have recently graduated from an equine related college course.

Events volunteering – help support the charity by volunteering at some of our events including those such as our Christmas Open Day, Neddy Noel and our Horses, Hounds and Heroes event at The Horse Trust in Speen. You can also help us at events such as Royal Windsor Horse Show and many others.

Black Beauty Tea Room – volunteer with us in our beautiful Black Beauty Tea Room serving delicious cakes, drinks and our gift shop items to members of the public on our open days.

If you are interested in any of our volunteer opportunities please complete the volunteer application form below and send it to us at info@horsetrust.org.uk or post it to The Horse Trust, Slad Lane, Speen, Buckinghamshire HP27 0PP.

Volunteer FAQ

What age do I need to be?

For health and safety reasons we are unable to accept volunteers under 16 years of age as yard volunteers. If you are under 18, your parent or guardian must give permission for you to volunteer and you must be supervised by an adult and not left alone. We cannot always provide supervision so this may restrict the number of volunteering opportunities available for under 18s. There is no maximum age as long as you can make a useful and safe contribution, the activity is suitable for your age and won’t harm you in any way.

How much time do I need to give?

In general there is no minimum time you must give but for some roles such as Yard Volunteers we request a minimum commitment e.g. one day a week. You can decide with your manager what arrangement works for you while also meeting the The Horse Trust’s needs.

What skills and experience do I need?

Most roles do not require any specific skills or experience. The skills and qualities we are looking for are always specified in the role description. Current roles are listed in volunteer opportunities. If our volunteering roles require you to have particular skills these will be clearly stated in the role description.

Will I be paid?

As a volunteer you will not be paid. We are afraid that we are currently unable to cover travel or other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by volunteers.

Will I be trained?

We do not provide any formal training, but you will receive health and safety training and be given a thorough induction to your role so that you are confident in what we are asking you to do.

What happens next?

If you are interested in any of the volunteer roles listed on our website please download and fill in an application form and send it to us at info@horsetrust.org.uk or The Horse Trust, Slad Lane, Speen, Bucks HP27 0PP. If a suitable volunteering opportunity is available we will contact you and invite you for an informal chat. This allows us to check that the role is right for you and you are right for the role.

How can groups get involved?

We are unable to offer groups hands-on volunteering opportunities with our horses. However, there are occasionally other volunteering opportunities available such as general site maintenance and volunteering at events. If you wish to discuss volunteering opportunities for your school, community group or organisation please contact us on info@horsetrust.org.uk.

Volunteer Policy

As a volunteer you can expect that:

  • You will be made to feel welcome by the charity
  • All volunteers will have equality of opportunity
  • You will be appreciated and recognised for your contribution to The Horse Trust
  • You will be provided with training and support in order to fulfill your volunteer role
  • You will be covered by The Horse Trust’s insurance
  • Your working conditions will be safe and healthy
  • The Horse Trust will help you to resolve any problems that arise
  • You will be volunteering for an organisation which opposes all forms of illegal discrimination
  • The Horse Trust will seek your views on volunteering and your experiences as a volunteer

The Horse Trust expects volunteers to:

  • Conduct themselves appropriately at all times
  • Fulfill volunteering within the terms specified in organisational policies and procedures
  • Be reliable in attendance
  • Fulfill the duties as outlined in your Volunteer Role Description

The Horse Trust reserves the right to withdraw an offer of volunteering if the above criteria are not fulfilled. For the avoidance of doubt volunteers are not employees or members of staff and it is not intended that they should be.

Volunteer Registration Form

We always need volunteers for our horse charity but the volunteer opportunities change regularly and tend to go quickly. Be sure to check these pages to keep up to date or, better still, be among the first to find out what’s available by signing up for our free monthly e-newsletter.

Volunteer Registration Form

Part 1: Personal details

Address *
Address
City
State/Province
Zip/Postal
Country

Part 2: About you

Background and interests
Availability
Declaration *
Do you have the right to work in the UK? Please note: if you do not have the right to work in the UK you run the risk of deportation by volunteering. *
Do you have any unspent criminal convictions or is there any action pending against you? This will not necessarily prevent you from volunteering - each case is dealt with on its own merits. *
Do you have a disability or specific need for which special arrangements or adjustments are needed for the role? All information is strictly confidential. If yes, we may contact you in confidence to discuss your requirements. *
Please confirm by checking the box: I agree that the information I have given is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true and complete. *

Data Protection: The information that you have provided is required to administer your interest in volunteering with The Horse Trust. It will be held securely on The Horse Trust database and in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.

We may send you additional information about The Horse Trust and our work. If you do not wish to receive information from The Horse Trust, please tick here.
Back To Top