Youth Horticultural Volunteering with New Shoots

Gain practical experience by working alongside our skilled horticulturists

Our New Shoots Youth Horticultural Volunteering Programme offers flexible opportunities designed for young people aged 14+ who are passionate about plants, nature, and the outdoors. Regardless of your experience or background, you can learn about horticulture through practical activities, build your skills, and explore potential horticultural careers.

New Shoots is a great opportunity for young individuals to get insights into the industry and has given me the experience to go on to get a full-time job working as a gardener.

Marcie, New Shoots Youth Horticultural Volunteer

What you’ll do

Engage in a flexible volunteering opportunity to learn about and undertake practical horticultural tasks in our RHS Gardens. These roles are not time-bound, allowing you to participate for as long as your schedule permits.

Where could it lead

Volunteering with New Shoots could help you:

  • Choose subjects and courses to study in school, college or university

  • Better understand the wide variety of careers in horticulture

  • Gain practical horticultural experience for your CV

What you’ll need
We welcome applications from anyone passionate about plants, nature, and being outdoors—no prior horticultural knowledge or experience is required. However, please review role descriptions for guidance on the physical demands of the volunteer roles.
What you’ll get

As a volunteer, you'll receive:

  • Travel Expenses: Support for commuting to and from RHS Gardens for your shifts
  • Uniform: Appropriate attire for all seasons, including boots and waterproof coats
  • Horticultural Skills: Learn practical skills such as propagation, planting, garden maintenance, composting, and more
  • Interpersonal Skills: Build on transferable skills such as teamwork, confidence, and effective communication
  • Networking: Meet like-minded young people and learn from experienced horticulturists about careers in the industry

Next steps

For any inquiries about current availability or further questions, please email the New Shoots team at [email protected].

You can also stay updated with our opportunities by regularly checking our youth volunteer recruitment pages via Better Impact . We will post adverts and application links as roles become available at each garden.  The upper age limit for the Youth Volunteering Programme may vary between our gardens, so be sure to check that you fall within the respective age bracket before applying.

Application windows may vary by garden, so please check the information on Better Impact. If no spaces are available at the time of your application, your details will automatically be added to a waiting list for 6 months, after which your personal data will be deleted.

Please note that the application portal is managed by Better Impact on behalf of the RHS. When applying for Youth Volunteering, you will be governed by both the RHS and Better Impact’s privacy notices. Please read both privacy notices before you apply.
 

See the range of options on offer

Browse our programmes

Learn about the initiative to promote horticultural careers

What is New Shoots?

If you have a question on work experience, please see our Frequently Asked Questions section. 

FAQs

Contact us
For more information or if you have a question, please get in touch with the New Shoots team. 


E-mail:
[email protected]

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.