Information for New Volunteers

Thanks for your interest in volunteering with Cyfoeth Y Coed! We look forward to meeting you. When you volunteer with us, we ask that you follow our Participation Guidelines.

First, registration

Everyone who volunteers with us first needs to register. Once you are registered, you are eligible to volunteer in any capacity, and you don't have to register again. You can go to the Volunteer page to update your contact information.

Find out about harvests

For large harvests, we will send an email with a description of the harvest and a link to the Harvests page.

We do not send out an email for smaller havests, but they are posted on the Harvests page. We sometimes find out about crop donations on very short notice, so please check your email or the Harvests page regularly.

We will also post all harvests on our Facebook group page.

Sign up for a harvest

Fruit picking opportunities are posted on the harvests page. To sign up, click on the link, and then type in your name. You need to type it exactly as you did when you first registered, so we can match your record in our database. Then click on the button that says 'Signup for this harvest.'

How will I know where the harvest is?

After you sign up, you'll see a page with the address of the harvest and any other useful information, such as whether you need to wear thick trousers to protect you from stinging nettles. This is the only place the actual address appears on the website so write it down or print it out.

You'll also receive an email with the same information and a link back to that web page. If you want to check out your history of participation or have the email resent, go to the 'Volunteer' tab at the top of this page.

Please cancel if you can't make it!

If your schedule changes, please cancel so someone else can take your spot. The email you receive will include a link where you can cancel. Your courtesy will also help us schedule the right number of volunteers for the available fruit.

When you arrive

When you arrive we'll provide safety training and any necessary information about the property.

Every adult who attends a harvest must be a registered volunteer and must have signed up online for that harvest. Children do not need to register or sign up, but must be supervised by an adult who is on the roster. However, we ask that you stick to a ratio of one child to one adult and supervise your child at all times since picking fruit from tall trees with picking poles can be hazardous. We will try to organise at least one harvest for families at a site with smaller trees.

That is all the basic information! Please keep reading to find answers to questions that volunteers often have about the Cyfoeth Y Coed program.

We depend on you!

At each harvest we depend on help from volunteers who are willing to donate their time. By volunteering with us you are helping to make fresh local fruit available to people who might not otherwise have access to it. We really appreciate everything you do.

Who runs Cyfoeth Y Coed?

Cyfoeth Y Coed is a project of The Environment Centre. Our mission is to give people who might not otherwise be able to afford it, access to fresh local fruit, to reduce food waste, and build a sense of community. The project manager is Anna Williams who you can contact at anna@cyfoeth.org.

As a non-profit organization we rely on donations to support our efforts. If you share our mission and would like to help, click the 'Donate' button on our Home page.

What should I do if my contact information changes?

If you are changing contact information like your email address or phone number, go to the Volunteer page and click on 'Update.' If you need to make a name change, write to Dick Yates at cyfoeth@gleanweb.org.

Why won't the signup page let me on the roster?

You may have typed your name differently than you did when you initially registered. If you are still unable to access the roster, contact Dick at cyfoeth@gleanweb.org.

I forgot to write down the harvest address!

The email you receive after you sign up includes a link to information about the harvest, including the address. If you have signed up for the harvest but have lost this email, click on the 'Volunteer' button at the top of this page. Click the button there to get another email. If you have any trouble, contact Dick Yates at cyfoeth@gleanweb.org.

How are harvests planned?

We meet or speak with tree owners and discuss the property and harvest logistics. The size of the harvest volunteer roster is determined by the amount of produce, the number of available volunteers and staff, and parking space. Sometimes we are alerted that fruit is ripe and ready to be picked with very little warning. In these cases we will only have a few days to plan harvests.

What should I bring to the harvest?

• We all know the weather here is prone to rain so dress accordingly. Bring water or a hot drink, depending on the weather and please take care of any bathroom needs before arriving. We usually will not have access to a toilet.
• Bring sunscreen if it is, or might be, sunny.

What should I wear?

We suggest a long-sleeved T-shirt, long trousers, comfortable closed-toe shoes. We don't recommend wearing sandals because the ground may be uneven and there are sometimes brambles or nettles at the site.

Has the produce been sprayed with chemicals?

Very rarely. We always ask the property owner whether or not their fruit has been sprayed with non-organic chemicals in the last three years, and we include that information when we schedule the harvest.

Do I have to stay for the entire time?

We ask that volunteers plan to stay for the duration of the harvest although we recognize that no one can plan for all eventualities and you may be called away. Since space is limited at most of the harvest sites, we ask that you sign up to volunteer to harvest only when you can arrive on time and stay for the majority of the time until the fruit is picked.

Who should I contact if I have other questions?

Please check out the Contact Us page. We are always happy to help.