Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do at Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens.
The expertise and enthusiasm of our volunteers is a vital support to the work of the Irish Heritage Trust which manages and cares for Fota House and its surroundings.
Our gardening volunteers were acknowledged with a prestigious European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra award in 2015. The award recognised the innovative restoration project at Fota’s Victorian Working Garden ‘as an example of practical public volunteer involvement in a heritage project.’
Can I volunteer at Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens?
Joining our local volunteer team allows you to play a part in the important work of conserving Ireland’s rich heritage.
Whether you’re more at home chatting with visitors about the past, preserving a piece of furniture, or marshalling guests at our unique events programmes, you are more than welcome to get involved.
What Kind of Volunteering Suits You?
Are you keen to get your hands dirty in our kitchen gardens and formal flowerbeds, or ready to help us share amazing stories with visitors? There are lots of volunteering opportunities to choose from!
Training and Support
If you’d like to volunteer at Fota House, we won’t push you in at the deep end! We run induction workshops where you can meet the team, find out more about the Irish Heritage Trust, and learn about the volunteer roles that are available.
At our monthly staff and volunteer forum we share information, provide training, and develop ideas with your input. Occasional trips to other properties are organised along with social events for the team.
If you would like to help for an hour, a day, or longer, please get in touch on 021 481 5543 or email here.
- Tour guiding
- Supporting the visitor experience
- Ambassador at our events
- Contributing or collecting oral histories and reminiscences
- Conserving different aspects of our houses and gardens
- Furniture preservation
- Gardening and horticulture
- Composting
- Encouraging biodiversity
- Event Support
- Photography
- Local community outreach
- And much, much more!
The Orchard Project – Apple Benevity Programme
Employees from tech giant Apple have been helping in our orchard and kitchen garden since they re-housed bees to our estate. Their efforts:
- Support educational initiatives and quality local food production.
- Supply organic local produce to their European headquarters in Cork.
- Give Apple employees a sense of belonging and connection with the local community.
